If you like your tote and it works for the Asia trip, have you thought of putting the laptop in a neoprene sleeve instead of buying a new backpack?

ETA: I travel with a Tucano Tugo 20 liter backpack. I bought it because I wanted a clamshell style instead of having to dig down to get to my stuff. https://tucano.com/usa/all-backpacks/2601-BKTUG-M-6017.html#/382-colors-black

DD travels with a 20 liter Nomatic and loves it. I tried it and found it to be marginally heavier than my Tucano. https://www.nomatic.com/products/the-nomatic-backpack?variant=39979864162376

@Feathers11 surely there are other people out there with backpack recs

How big is your laptop? I am a big fan of my Sherpani Dispatch. It has a padded laptop sleeve, Im travelling with it right now, it’s got a surface go, ipad mini and a kindle in the padded sleeve plus my wallet, raincoat, sunglasses, water bottle, etc. It’s a great personal item size. .

Thanks for the suggestions, Bbstx, and I'll look at both of those. And I did post on a Friday afternoon, so... :-)

Local, I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it looks like the Sherpani Dispatch would work. I'll take a further look--thank you!

I used a northface backpack with a laptop sleeve on my last two trips -- it is convenient but very heavy. I pack a lot in it (laptop, headphones, pair of shoes, etc) but it is heavy even when empty-- I would recommend something lighter but sturdy.

I know that isn't much help-- but my best advice is that weight matters.

Look at the Osprey Fairview travel backpack. It has all the features, like a hip belt, that make it comfortable to carry.

https://www.osprey.com/fairview-40-travel-pack-fairvew40f22-550#color=Black

If you belong to REI you can buy it with their one year no questions asked return policy.

Following, and enjoy the Asia trip!

Peak Design has some awesome backpacks with laptop sleeves. They are primarily a purveyor of camera gear bags, so they know a thing or two about protecting delicate equipment.

I used an AKA Sport light weight back pack for a recent trip. It had an internal padded area for my lap top. I wasn't hiking with it and the lap top stayed in the hotel rooms once we arrived at our destinations but it was comfortable to carry and kept everything safe. Look around. I am sure there are many options to meet your needs.

Depending on how far you ar going to walk with it fully loaded, do look for features like a sternum strap and a hip belt. The Dispatch, I recommended has neither, it’s more of a purse/laptop backpack. I do use it as my personal item. My heavier, bigger, carryon, is either a wheelie, or my Osprey Porter 46. The Osprey also has a padded laptop pocket and is very ergonomic.

Of the two I mentioned, the Tucano Tugo weighs 1.5 lbs. The Noamtic comes in at 4 lbs. When I travel, I’m all about weight, which is why I carry the Tucano and DD carries the Nomatic.

Check the airlines you will be flying on your trip. Some have weight limits for carry-ons.

Below is a chart that is neither exhaustive nor necessarily accurate, but will give you some idea of the limitations some airlines impose. I would check the website of the airline I’m flying for the most current and accurate information.

Source

Thank you for the additional suggestions. The Osprey Fairview is too big, but a trip to REI (there's one not too far from me) would allow me to try out other models.

Thanks for the reminder, Bbstx. I usually don't worry about weight domestically, but I'll be packing carefully for this trip to use only a carry-on. Weight may come into play.