My panniers are really easy to unhook and carry, so that's not an issue. However, my poor laptop did take a couple of flying leaps off the rack until I figured out a way to secure them with a bungee cord. I guess it depends on the rack and pannier design you have. A backpack was fine when I was commuting 6 miles one way. But when my commute went to 18.5 miles one way, a backpack was out of the question. I love my panniers.