Originally Posted by WalksOn2Wheels

Absolutely. Racks and panniers have their place, but for a 2-3 mile commute, a backpack makes a lot more sense. I tired the panniers route for myself, but quickly found a decent set of bags and a rack are easily over 5 pounds EMPTY. I ended up going with backpacks, and it did me well for commutes ranging from 7 to 11 miles. For longer routes, I eventually got a lightweight saddle bag designed for bikepacking, but that's an entirely different thread.