Travel Totes and Shoulder Bags

Ideal Travel Totes and Shoulder Bags

Features to Consider

Your perfect travel tote and shoulder bag has the following features:

• Lightweight
• Ergonomically designed, so that it is comfortable to carry all day
• Made of breathable fabric, so that it can sit against your body all day and not promote heat or sweat
• Has a number of pockets, preferably secured, for stowing all you need and a few small things you might buy

Of course, it might be a be difficult to find a bag that meets all these requirements, but you can do pretty well with some careful shopping.

Stella Travel/Tote Pack

One bag that gets high marks from happy users is the Stella Travel/Tote Pack from Ellington Leather Goods. The bag is nylon, lightweight and easily packed. It has two exterior front slip pockets that close with magnetic snaps. These would not be good for valuables, but are great for sunglasses, maps, tissues and other such sundries. There is a front wall pocket that also closes with a magnetic snap and it has an organizer panel and mesh cell phone pocket. An exterior back panel zipper pocket provides a good storage space for a train or bus card, keeping cards secure but easily accessible.

The main compartment features a zip closure that can be folded out of the way when you’re not in need of it. There’s also an interior snap-out pocket with a transparent front panel, very useful for quickly accessing things like keys or a passport. What really sells the bag to a lot of users are the soft, adjustable straps that can convert it from a tote to a backpack, which is great for a long day’s trek, so long as you’re mindful about safety (it’s unwise to have your valuables where you can’t seem them - easy access for pickpockets). The only complaint about this bag is that it can be hard to clean.

Other Popular Travel and Shoulder Bags

Travel Shoulder Tote Bag

A well-liked travel tote and shoulder bag for big cities and unfamiliar places is the CitySafe Travel Shoulder Tote Bag. It’s on the smaller side, with long, adjustable, slash-proof straps. Unfortunately, there are experienced pickpockets who will cut your bag right off your body, but they can’t get this one as easily. The bag also has wire-reinforced side and bottom panels and tamper-proof zippers. In addition to being safe, it’s also convenient, sporting a number of interior pockets perfect for your digital camera, phone and keys.

ToteSafe Bags

For business travel, Pacsafe’s ToteSafe 200 combines security and comfort as you carry your laptop wherever you go. The bag and straps are slash-proof and the zipper is tamper-proof. Adding to the bag’s convenience is a separate compartment with designated pockets for peripherals, phone or PDA and a camera or iPod. There are also side pockets ideal for water bottles and/or a compact umbrella. An outer slip pocket is good for a map or book and a zippered back sleeve allows you to secure the bag to your rolling suitcase handles. There are also slots for pens and other small items, and a key clip for easy access.

Bagallini

Good for travel or shopping, the Baggallini Expandable Tote opens up enough to carry six bottles of wine. It doesn’t feature as many pockets as an ideal travel tote bag might, because there is only one mesh zippered compartment inside the main pouch. The exterior sports a side pocket with a magnetic snap, three slip pockets on the other side and an additional zipper pocket. You can carry it comfortably either by hand or over the shoulder. It’s light and folds flat.

You may want to consider shopping for a serious travel bag in person to be absolutely certain it looks and feels just right for your traveling.