Your travel gear forms an important part of your trip. Not only does it provide safe carry of your stuff during travel but you also want something that matches your personality and has an acceptable appearance. Leather backpacks are an amazing niche in the travel backpacks category that tick most boxes for your ideal travel partner.
Here, we will dip into different aspects of backpacks made with leather notably their sizes, their utility in terms of storage, style, reliability, and importantly how much they cost. We will also see how to care for and maintain leather backpacks which is one question most people often ask.
Sizes For Leather Backpacks
- A normal, not too burgeoning leather backpack ranges anywhere between 15-25 liters in capacity. It`s great for city-walking digital nomads who love exploring urban places around the globe with their laptops safely tucked in dedicated sleeves provided inside. These sleek yet functional packs provide enough space & smart storage slots/chambers/pockets both internally/externally to store for short trips/week-long trips for single travelers or couples. For long tours, they are used as additional carry-on bags for instant storage and city travel. Leather laptop backpack are a much-preferred option for professional travelers as they provide function & style together.
- Leather backpacks with a 25-50 liter capacity often come in unique roll tops, seaman bag designs, or duffle handles. You also find highly stylish leather + waxed canvas packs in this size designed for adventure outdoors. These packs have dedicated belts, buckles, and internal/external slots to support a central storage compartment allowing you to carry a range of items you need while camping, hiking, or simply when packing up for long vacation trips.
Space Miracles
Leather travel backpack are quite efficient in storage. While you can simply choose your required size and depth, you get additional internal/external pockets, chambers, and slots for dedicated storage of different items. This way you don`t have to stress trying to find your travel docs, charger/wires, IPAD, or perfume when you need them instantly. With additional subchambers attached externally and on the back, you can store water bottles or other excess stuff with comfort for a peaceful travel experience.
Word of caution – certain leather backpack designs are made specifically for corporate environments having a glossy appearance but limited storage capacity sufficient for only laptops and a few docs. They might be eye candy but aren`t a very good fit for travel, so staying away from such packs is a good idea if you`re buying a leather backpack solely for travel purposes.
Look, Feel, Appearance
This is one element that simply makes Travel Backpack for Men stand taller than the competition. Original leather is a natural material having a distinct graceful and opulent look. It looks high-priced and has a thick yet soft feel to the hand. If this isn`t enough, original leather ages naturally into vintage classics thanks to a certain natural patina that develops over time on the surface with persistent use.
Black and brown are two signature colors of leather. Backpacks look vibrant in both of them.
- Black Leather Backpacks are associated with decency while the power of black has its distinguished unique charm.
- Brown Leather Backpacks come in several chic and vintage shades. Furthermore, different modern dyeing techniques provide the leather industry with highly engrossing end finishes/appearances to brown leather.
Thus, you get brown leather backpacks that provide your personality a distinct timeless charm becoming an effective communicator of your rich taste in style and elegance.
Wear one while exploring Madrid, Prague, or Seoul and you`re sure to make heads turn.
How Reliable Are Leather Backpacks?
This is another USP of leather backpacks where they outshine the competition. Original leather seldom gets torn or falls apart. Backpacks crafted with original full grain/top grain cowhide or buffalo leather serve you a lifetime thanks to this material`s naturally gifted strength.
- What`s Full Grain Leather? It`s the topmost part of a leather hide just under the hair. It has the most natural and prominent grain detail of an animal`s skin. It`s the topmost layer of leather before being buffed or sanded to arrive at top-grain leather.
- What`s Top Grain Leather? Top grain leather is the second strongest grade of leather. It`s arrived at once the topmost layer of a leather hide i.e. full grain leather is either sanded or buffed. Any natural marks or scratches on an animal hide also get removed during this buffing or sanding process. A more uniform and smoother leather surface is achieved which is good for crafting glossier and less rugged leather goods.
Full grain and top grain leather are the most durable types of leather grades for crafting backpacks if they are to hold shape for a lifetime. Anything below these grades doesn’t guarantee the kind of reliability that the market has come to associate with leather bags.
Are Leather Backpacks Too Costly?
The answer is a simple NO if you`re paying attention and can search online as well. Quality leather backpacks aren`t overly priced any more thanks to technology bringing elite leather artisans & craftsmanship in contact with the average buyer in the shape of leather Ecommerce stores. This direct-to-customer model eliminates any middleman or marketing costs that put upward pressure on prices for leather goods as is the case with corporate high-priced brands.
Gone are the days when quality leather bags, jackets, and accessories were only within reach of a certain section of society. Now, you can order a real elite-quality leather backpack from the comfort of your home and have it delivered to your doorstep.
How To Care For and Maintain A Leather Backpack
Leather is a naturally durable material. Leather travel backpacks face abuse with grit. Certain care elements, however, ensure that your leather pack stays fresh and healthy even after years of use.
- Keep a quality leather conditioner and apply after every few months to revitalize the leather surface for its softness & suppleness. This applies even more so if you regularly use your leather backpack in a very dry, arid environment.
- While a leather backpack getting slightly wet isn`t a big deal, if it gets soaked or drenched in water and you see water marks appearing, dry it with a sponge or cloth till water marks are left to a bare minimum. Fill it up with some paper and leave the backpack to dry out further on its own for a day. Once it`s dry, use a leather conditioner to refurbish the backpack for lost oils & suppleness of leather. It should become perfect again.
- If your pack isn`t in use, store it in a dry place away from humidity, heat, sunlight, or dust. Remember to bring it out every few months into fresh air as leather needs to breathe. Avoid storing leather backpacks in plastic cover, instead use cotton dust bags. Plastic can suffocate original leather.
- Dust is a slow death for materials. Use a damp cloth to remove dust & dirt now and then from your leather backpack. Clean the more difficult-to-reach parts in a backpack i.e. inside of buckles, dog locks, edges of studs, etc. with a soft brush.
Wrapping Up
Every frequent traveler must invest in a leather backpack as it`s a great mix of style, function, and strength at a reasonable price that doesn`t harm your wallet at all. They age beautifully becoming your lifelong travel companion keeping your luggage and memories safe.
On a departing note, while deciding on your leather travel backpack, watch out for these things:
- Only buy leather backpacks crafted with original full-grain or top-grain leather. Don`t fall for the term `Genuine Leather` as it sounds similar to the word original but in the leather industry, genuine leather denotes mixed leather, extremely low-quality leather, or split leather. In reality, the term is itself vague in the leather industry and denotes lower substandard grades of leather or simply leather mixed with other artificial materials to come up with a material to craft products that have some percentage of leather in it.
- Faux leather is artificial leather. While backpacks made with faux leather might seem aesthetically pleasing, they simply don`t have the strength or reliability of the original leather. They fall apart or become obsolete looking pretty soon resulting in your money being wasted making you hustle to buy another travel pack.
