My business travel essential goes everywhere with me - and it probably isn't what you'd expect

If you're anything like me, attending multiple events each year, then you've probably refined your "mobile office" essentials. The laptop, the USB stick, the tablet. These are par for the course.

But for me, the absolute essential is my Skysper foldable hiking backpack (currently discounted on Amazon.com for $17 and Amazon.co.uk for £16). Since it folds into a neat square with carrying handle, I never travel without it.

This lightweight 10L may not be the best laptop bag you can get. What it is, though, is ultra-portable. If you're looking for a slimline bag to take around conference halls without carting around your entire wardrobe or filling your suitcase with a full-sized backpack - as I was - this ticks every box.

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Skysper 10L foldable backpack: was $35 now $17 at Amazon

UK price: was £25 now £16 at Amazon

The Skysper foldable backpack is a lightweight 10L model for on-the-go essentials. The bag boasts two mesh slips for water bottles, at the front there's one small zipped and one large buckled pocket, and an interior sleeve fit for a tablet (I tried squeezing my 14-inch laptop in there, but no dice). The case also flips inside-out to act as an additional pocket for easy access to your phone or pens. It comes in a range of colors, and larger sizes are also available.

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As much as I like my now-ancient XD Design rucksack, it is far too bulky for busy conference halls, and a good way to lose friends and alienate people (chiefly by smacking into them by mistake). It's an issue effortlessly addressed by the Skysper foldable backpack.

For what it's worth, it's hardly unique in its field. Skysper's online store has a wide range of different designs. And Osprey has its Stuff Pack 18L collapsible backpack on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. While I've had good experience with the company's range, I've never tried the company's foldable backpacks.

I've got plenty of use from the Skysper 10L bag though. It's traveled around the country (and the world) with me, as essential as a smartphone for when I need ready access to on-the-go. It might be designed for hiking across rugged terrain, but honestly walking the length of the ExCel in London multiple times a day can feel just as punishing.

Now, a word of warning. This isn't a backpack you're going to want to cram full of absolutely everything you can possibly imagine. I'm not sure the stitching on the straps would withstand that sort of packing - although I was surprised by how durable the material itself feels.

What it does excel at is offering enough space (and strength) to carry a 14-inch ThinkPad, charging cable, essential stationery, and a few freebies you can't resist picking up at business events. Because if there's a free pen for the taking at the stall, you can bet your bottom dollar I want one.

After use, it neatly folds in on itself, slipping inside your full-sized case, ready for the long journey home.

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The best business laptops for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best business laptops
1. Best overall:
Dell Precision 5690
2. Best on a budget:
Acer Aspire 5
3. Best MacBook:
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)

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