These are a few of my favorite things . . .
Let me start by saying this: I have been traveling the world for over 25 years and I have yet to find the perfect bag, luggage, briefcase, etc. My quest to find perfection continues. It is truly embarrassing how many strangers I approach to ask about their roller bag, or their backpack, or their briefcase. The bags that I currently own and use are my absolute favorite – until I find better ones, at which point I will throw these favorites to the curb.
Please Note: I am NOT being paid to promote any items here. These are my personal opinions, based on my travel experiences. Please feel free to vehemently disagree with me.
My Favorite Computer Bag/Briefcase
ebags Pro Slim Backpack
Why it’s awesome:
– It is small and light enough to carry , yet large enough to hold all I need.
– There is a dedicated section to hold my laptop, and another section designed to hold my iPad.
– The main compartment is large enough to carry enough clothes for a 1-2 day getaway. Conversely, when empty, this section stays flat, making the bag slimmer.
– The front section has a u-zipper, allowing it to open up to access a multitude of zippered compartments. This front section can hold a LOT.
– The absolute front has a small zipper compartment that I take for granted and rarely use. But, when I remember it’s there, I use it to store my passport, or my iPhone.
– The bottom of the bag has a fantastic storage area, accessed by a u-zipper. This is where I keep my power cords, eyeglasses, and universal plug adapter.
– There are handles on the top and side of the bag, making it easy to grab from under the airline seat, or from the overhead compartment.
– The back padding on the bag is very comfortable, and makes carrying it with the shoulder straps a breeze.
– Along the entire length of the back of the bag is a sleeve. When traveling with a roller bag, you can slide this bag, through the sleeve, onto the extended handle of your roller, making it incredibly easy and very stable to zoom around airports and hotels.
– When empty, the bag is very light.
My only complaint:
– The water bottle holder is not well sized, and bottles tend to fall out. Seriously. This is the only complaint that I have about this bag.
My Favorite Luggage
TravelPro Maxlite 4 Softside Expandable Rollaboard
Why it’s awesome:
– It is the perfect size for travel. Not too large, like the massive carry-on rollers that some passengers try to sneak onto planes. Not too small that you can’t carry your stuff.
– It’s a smooth roll! Super easy to roll through busy airports and never gets snagged on airplane seats as you walk by.
– The telescopic handle takes a beating and keeps working great. Up, down. Up, down. Up, down. Works awesome (with one small exception – see below).
– It is light. Crazy light. If weight is a concern (and it is to me, particularly with many airlines and their strict carry-on policies), this is a huge benefit.
– No extraneous stuff. The bag opens, and you can see all your stuff. No hidden compartments. There are not a million zippers. It is simple, and that’s nice.
– Do you want to buy something while you’re traveling? That’s OK. The bag is expandable, and since it is on the small size for carryons, once expanded is still small enough to pass as carryon luggage and fits easily in overhead compartments.
My complaints:
– It’s a bit tippy. Pack your heavy things in the bottom, towards the back. Otherwise, when you stop and stand the bag up on its own, it may tip forward and crash on the floor (or worse, on someone).
– If you pack the bag too full, and have to squeeze the bag to get the zipper to close, you are putting pressure on the telescoping handle, and it may not work. This can be a real hassle if you can’t raise or lower the handle. If the handle is not working properly, use the expandable zipper to remove some of the pressure on the handle. If the bag is already expanded and the handle is still struggling to raise and lower, you have packed too much crap. Get rid of something – I’m sure you don’t need it.
My Favorite Backpack
Rick Steves Classic Back Door Bag
Why it’s awesome:
– Very easy to carry and virtually indestructible. Comfy shoulder pads, and two handle straps.
– It carries a ton, and weighs nothing.
– My absolute favorite things are the cinch-down straps. After you have packed the bag completely full and closed the zippers, there are cinch down straps at the bag’s four corners, allowing you to tighten the bag’s load, and make the bag more compact.
– One big compartment. Nothing fancy here. Sure, there are a couple front zipper compartments that can hold a rain jacket, or some travel documents. But the main compartment is open and easy to access.
– Myself, my wife, and my son each have one of these bags and we have used it for a 3-week trip to SE Asia, a week in London/Paris during the winter, another 3-week trip to SE Asia, and countless other adventures. These bags have a TON of use, and they look the same as they day we bought them. They take a beating, can be thrown in the washer, and look great.
My complaints:
– This is being incredibly nit-picky, but sometimes, due to the soft sided nature of the bag, things may move around a bit. But this is so very easily fixed with my next favorite thing:
My Favorite Accessory
Packing Cubes
Why it’s awesome:
– I always laughed at ads for packing cubes. How ridiculous. How frivolous. How unnecessary. And after buying some, I don’t leave home without them.
– One cube for shirts. One cube for pants or shorts. One cube for underwear and socks. Instead of digging through your bag looking for the one item you need, you only need to find the corresponding cube.
– When I arrive at my hotel, I unpack my bag by removing the cubes and placing them on a table. No table in your room? Set up the ironing board along the wall and place the cubes on it. All of your clothes are there, and if you have mesh cubes, you can see everything that you brought.
– Another way to use the cubes: if you are going for a short 2-3 day trip, put one day’s outfit into its own cube. Super easy.
My complaints:
– None. They are inexpensive and make packing and unpacking so much easier.
My Second Favorite Accessory
A King-size Pillowcase
OK, OK. Hear me out. Sounds silly, I know. But what better place to store your dirty laundry. Why buy a fancy laundry bag when a pillowcase does the same job. And, it’s small, light, and can be stuck into a bag at the last moment. Are you going on a long adventure where you will have to do some laundry? Nothing better than carrying a pillowcase of laundry, throwing the entire bag and contents into a washer, and not thinking twice about it. Trust me. This works great!
What’s in my bag?
Everyone’s travel bag is so personal. What is essential to me may be insignificant to others. But years of travel and hundreds of thousands of miles have taught me what I need to have on hand in order to be comfortable, and that includes:
– Earplugs. An absolute necessity.
– Good headphones. I use noise-reducing AirPods. Not because I am an audiophile, but because I want to block out all the ambient noise around me. I also bring cord headphones and an adapter in case the plane has an entertainment system that requires those funky two-prong plugs.
– Sunglasses.
– A pen. Even in this electronic age, you always need a pen. Don’t be that guy on the flight asking everyone around them for a pen so you can fill out immigration forms.
– A packet of breath strips. Taking a 12 hour flight? Be courteous to your neighbors and use breath strips.
– A battery pack. My iPad is full of movies, and my iPhone is full of music. If the battery dies on either, I would be devastated. Most times, I never need it. But when I do, I am thrilled to have it available.
– International plug adapter. Most electronic items nowadays do not require a power converter. But a single, universal plug adapter is necessary. And most have a couple of USB ports that allow you to plug in 2-3 things at a time.
– My favorite reusable water bottle.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. And I can very quickly scan my bag to make sure I have all of these items.
