"Backpack or suitcase?" by Freya Sedgwick

By Camp America on 13/06/2016

One of the biggest decisions I had to make whilst packing was what to pack my stuff in…

It’s a difficult decision for nearly all Camp America applicants but there will unfortunately never be a definite answer as to whether to take a suitcase or a backpack! 

I spoke to a few returning counsellors watched YouTube videos of Camp America staff etc to try help make my decision. One thing I had to consider was the Weight of my luggage and whether I would physically be able to carry it. My airline allows for 23kg of luggage which is extremely heavy! I went to Thailand last summer and took a backpack. I found it really difficult to carry and it was always cutting into my shoulders, which made me sway towards a suitcase.

One of the returning counsellors at my camp mentioned suitcases can be a pain to lug around on the New York subway, which I can completely understand having done this on the London Underground (extremely different I know, but I even struggled then) however i ended up having to weigh up whether I wanted ease or be accidentally hitting someone in the face with a backpack which is significantly bigger than me! 

In the end I eventually decided on a suitcase.  it just seemed a much easier option for me as I’ll be travelling after camp round cities and towns, so won’t have much need for a backpack.  I also will find it much easier to find the clothes I want inside a suitcase instead of digging around in the bottom of a backpack and making a mess in the camp cabin. 

Hope this helped anyone who was as torn as me! 

Bye for now! 

Freya