Gear Reviews: Finding the right bag for travel – My travel bag collection

I do get excited about travel bags. Having the right gear keeps my valuables and essentials safe whilst I’m constantly taking them in and out of the bag during journeys and makes my life on the road so much easier.

I like travel bags that are: 1) lightweight, 2) durable, 3) secure, 4) functional, 5) compact, 6) extra points for sustainability and nice colour/print 🙂

Here are 3 of my favourite travel crossbody/shoulder bags that I use.

Eastpak The One Bag

My first travel shoulder bag since I became a ‘grown-up budget traveller’. Back then the iPod touch was my only travel gadget and this little bag was enough for all my travel valuables. The back pocket was perfect for my passport.

My wallet went in an inner pocket in the main compartment.

The front pocket for keys and other small bits and pieces. Finally, the iPod touch and other ‘bigger’ items went into the main compartment.

This is a great little bag. It’s so light sometimes I forget that I’m carrying it, yet, the material is really strong. Nowadays I use this bag to do shopping and errands in my local area. Its light weight and small size give me lots of space and freedom to move around; to fill in forms, browse books, carry two large shopping bags etc etc…

The One Bag comes in so many different unique and fun prints. I often have to resist temptation to get another!

Eastpak The One Bag

 

Osprey Flap Jill Micro

I convinced myself that a better camera will help me to make better travel photos and purchased a Canon EOS M10. It’s a mirrorless compact camera, but still too ‘big’ for my little Eastpak bag. Most of the photos in this blog are taken with this camera.

Canon EOS M10 DSLR Camera

This is when an Osprey Flap Jill Micro became my travel shoulder bag No.2. It has easy access to many different pockets and a smart look, I’m very fond of this bag and we’ve been on many adventures together. Over the years this bag has been covered with the red sand of Wadi Rum desert, salt of the dead sea and spicy dust of Delhi.

Once again, my passport goes in the back pocket. I often put tickets and other documents in here too.

I like keeping my wallet in an inner pocket of the main compartment. 500ml water bottle and of course my camera fit in here too.

The front is a velcro pocket and I enjoy the quick and easy access. My iPod touch spends lots of time in here as it is needed constantly for navigation, translation etc… Small organiser pockets are useful for public transport tickets and medicines.

There is a small zipped pocket on the side. I use it for things like tissues, a small towel and hand gel.

Sadly though, I suspect this item may now be discontinued. Osprey Website (Europe) does not seem to sell shoulder bags anymore.

 

Eagle Creek Wayfinder

This is my current go-to travel shoulder bag. My poor old iPod touch was stuck with iOS9 and ready to retire. In 2018 I purchased an iPad for digital drawing and realised that a 10.5” screen was rather nice for traveling – especially for maps and navigation.

Apple iPad Pro 10.5 Inch, Wi-Fi, 256 GB

10.5” iPad does fit in Osprey Flap Jill Micro, but can not be taken out in a single swift movement or without the risk of dropping whatever else is in the bag. There were many bags with a tablet sleeve within the main compartment, but I didn’t like that. I looked for a bag that has an individual compartment for a tablet.

Eagle Creek’s Wayfinder was the perfect match. My iPad fits snuggly in its own fleece-lined electronics compartment. I can access my iPad easily, quickly and most importantly, safely.

As always, my passport goes into the back pocket and my wallet in the inner pocket of the main compartment.

The clever key fob clips keys in and out instantly. The small front pocket is more spacious than it looks and even my camera fits. The mesh pocket on the side is so stretchy and easily holds a 500ml water bottle.

I’m really liking Wayfinder’s excellent safety feature. I can secure the two main compartments using a secure zip toggle and central lock point without using a lock.

I also like the fact that the bag uses recycled materials harvested from landfills. It is super-light and durable. Not to mention, it comes in this cute grey/purple colour combo, which I think is quite unusual for this type of bag. It also comes in black/charcoal.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Crossbody bag

 

Are these bags large enough?

That depends. In some situations I carry a backpack in addition to my crossbody bag, for example for food or clothing. An Eastpak Padded Pak’R Backpack currently is my go-to travel backpack; it’s incredibly light, yet durable and I’m always amazed at how much stuff I can pack into this bag.

Sometimes I carry it empty just in case, and it doesn’t bother me at all as it’s light as a feather. I will write more about it in future as I plan to do a post about my backpack collection. I also always have a pack away shopping bag in my travel bags.

Eastpak Padded Pak’R Backpack

But generally, I like to take the smallest crossbody bag I can get away with. We usually do lots of walking and sightseeing. We also tend to use public transport and I do not want to carry around heavy and bulky bags. A crossbody bag is a must-have item to carry all travel essentials I want to keep close by.