Is a 30 liter backpack a personal item?

The short answer: Yes, a backpack is generally considered a personal item if it fits under the seat in front of you. Most airlines offer a few examples of things that fit into the “personal item” category, such as a purse, laptop bag, or a briefcase, but they don't usually include “backpack” on those lists.



People Also Ask

A Spacious Underseat Bag
Luckily, Tortuga makes backpacks that work as underseat carry ons. 30L or 40L backpacks are great options for primary carry ons but are usually too big to be considered personal item that need to be small enough to slide easily under the seat in front of you.

MORE DETAILS

As a general rule of thumb, anything smaller than the dimensions of a carry-on can be considered a personal item. However, every airline has different restrictions for size. In most cases, your backpack should be no more than 18 x 14 x 8 inches.

MORE DETAILS

40L is perfectly within the size limits for carry on as long as it has the correct dimensions. Many bags, even 40L bags, don't however. They go for looks or whatever, they think will sell better. Almost all hiking/camping/backpacking bags of that size will NOT have the right dimensions.

MORE DETAILS

21–35 liters: This is the sweet spot for most hiking and travel daypacks. There's enough capacity to hold food, clothing and some extras, like a camera and a book. 36–50 liters: These larger packs are ideal for trips that require additional clothing and gear, such as climbing, mountaineering or non-summer hiking.

MORE DETAILS

Airlines may sometimes ask you to buy a new seat in order to fit your big item. Then, the additional fee will be significant. Even worse, if your personal item is too large or heavy, it is possible that you have to leave it or be denied entry.

MORE DETAILS

The 32L Travel Bag does not fit under airplane seats and is usually best-stowed overhead as it meets most airline max carry-on dimensions.

MORE DETAILS

If the dimensions of your backpack do not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 x 35 x 20 cm), then it would fit underneath the seat.

MORE DETAILS

While personal item size restrictions vary across airlines, most airlines consider a small backpack, purse, briefcase, or laptop bag to be a personal item. These must always fit under the seat in front of you. Many airlines restrict passengers to one personal item and one carry on bag.

MORE DETAILS

So, a 30 liter backpack has a capacity of 1800 cu in (30 x 60) or about 1 cubic foot. You can put 1 pound of stuff in there or a100 lbs, but the limitation is that it would have to fit in a 1 cubic foot container.

MORE DETAILS

A 30L – 50L backpack will be just the ticket. It will be able to hold all your sleeping, cooking, and camping gear you need for trips up to 5 or 6 days. As thru-hiking has evolved, many hikers have taken on a truly minimalist philosophy (this applies to their backpack sizes).

MORE DETAILS

, a 30l backpack should fit in an 18? laptop, a pair of tennis, books, a change of clothes, keys, pen and all you need for your daily commute. In terms of weight, a 30-litre backpack should be around four to six pounds.

MORE DETAILS

While some airlines specify size limitations for personal items, others simply require the item to be small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. For personal items, here's the standard size on major airlines in the United States: American Airlines – 18” x 14” x 8”

MORE DETAILS

A personal item is any type of luggage that fits underneath the plane seat in front of you. Most domestic airlines in the United States require a personal item to be 18” x 14” x 8” or smaller in size. Personal items can include a purse, briefcase, small backpack, laptop bag, weekender or small duffel bag.

MORE DETAILS

Make sure one of your bags qualifies as a carry on and the other as a personal item. Then you can travel with two bags and zero worries.

MORE DETAILS