Technology has caught up with travel. With the world wide web shrinking the globe and cell phones connecting people like never before, the great escape has taken on new meaning—and additional baggage. With hi-tech gadgets like laptops and digital cameras becoming increasingly central to both business and leisure, it is becoming increasingly harder to leave them behind. And that has given birth to a new breed of backpacker—the flashpacker.

Flashpackers are 30-something men and women enjoying their much-awaited career-breaks. With money to burn, they embark on authentic and challenging experiences, journeying to exotic destinations with only a backpack in tow. A backpack filled with valuables, that is. Flashpackers routinely lug hi-tech gadgets around the world to keep communication lines open. In a nutshell, flashpackers are tech-savvy adventurers with a bigger budget than the average 10$ a day backpacker.

Flashpacking is changing the face of travel around the world. It has given rise to new kinds of hostels in European capitals. From Stockholm to Brussels, innovations are steadily being made to accommodate the technological needs of this new troop of trekkers. Entrepreneurial hostel owners now invest in more electric sockets, satellite televisions, card readers for digital photo cameras, and even video cameras for video conferencing with loved ones or bosses on the other side of the world.

Obviously, comfort is something that a pampered flashpacker does not want to let go of, even during the most challenging adventures. His gear arsenal usually includes a laptop, an MP3 player, a mobile phone or two, a digital camera, and a tripod for those picture-perfect moments. Of course, he stashes all his goods in a sturdy backpack.

Rough and tumble travel in far-flung places will take its toll not only on the bag but also the gadgets. Hence, it is important to choose a bag that can protect both itself and the equipment inside. And this is where the VictorinoxÒ Travel Gear Ground Forceä Collection can help. Ground Forceä is a collection of laptop bags with a design inspired by WWII military sacks and bags. This collection combines ruggedness with a functionality perfect for flashpacking.