Triathletes often ask which type of back pack they should invest in. There is no quick answer for this because it really is going to depend on the individual’s preference.
Some triathletes feel that a small $12 dollar mesh backpack will be efficient to carry all of the items they will need in both training and race day, while some will prefer a small nylon backpack and even still some will prefer a quite large backpack that offers hooks and clips so that everything can be secured in one place.
There are some advantages of using a mesh backpack for triathlon training and some of those are the fact that these types of backpacks are very cheap, they are large enough to hold necessary items such as sun block, swimming fins, running shoes, biking shoes and you can clip on your helmet to the outside of the bag. This may not work for everyone but it is definitely a cheaper alternative than a transition backpack.
It seems that the majority of triathletes prefer to use either a large backpack or a large transition backpack. The transition bags like the new one made by De Soto offers a large mesh pocket that can easily store a triathlon wetsuit and still offers ample space for running shoes, biking shoes, bottles of Gatorade and still has the feature of a helmet clip on the outside, a belt clip and MP3 Player pouch.
And still there are the few that can just use a regular backpack that suite their likings just fine. The best thing is to actually go check out some backpacks and try them on and see whether or not they will benefit you.