Why is the right travel handbag important?
You’ve meticulously planned a dream vacation. You’ve spent a lot of money on the upcoming experiences. Maybe time is your precious resource, and you’re looking forward to valuable days out of the office and/or out of the country. After a substantial investment of time and money, you’re finally standing in front of the Colosseum, the Louvre, or the Pyramids. Now imagine that you forgot your sunglasses. Or your nose is running from unfamiliar allergies, and you’ve got no tissue. Perhaps you can’t find your camera (or phone) in your handbag. Maybe you want to look up a place for lunch in the handy Rick Steves guidebook. Or you need a bandaid for that blister on your heel. Don’t let the trip be ruined by not having handy access to the things you need.
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Like Mary Poppins’ magic carpet bag
As “the mom” (and let’s be honest, also as “the wife”) it is up to us to have a bottomless bag of tricks on our shoulder. We need to carry and be able to find a plethora of travel necessities, for ourselves and our families. This bag will carry IDs, money, meds, electronics, small books, umbrellas, water bottles and the multiple eyeglasses I seem to need these days.
Can a travel handbag be practical and cute?
We’ve all seen them: travelers with their NPR tote bags. Or a well-dressed woman carrying her child’s abandoned backpack, emblazoned with Lizzie McGuire or Hannah Montana or Teletubbies. I think we can do better. In this age of social media and pictures that never go away, let’s find a bag that is flattering and will look good in our photographs, but is also practical.
Comfort is imperative
I’ve spent weeks searching for the perfect travel shoe that won’t rub a blister, or the jacket that will keep me warm and dry. We should pay equal attention to the comfort of our handbag. Neck and back pain is real.
Steal my heart, not my travel handbag
I’ve never been robbed, but I’m very aware of the risk. A good bag must close completely and must be able to be carried in a way that is difficult for a thief to dislodge.
As Goldilocks says, not too big, not too small, but just right
If I could, I would carry no bag at all. But that’s just not going to happen. My bag needs to be large enough to carry everything I need, but as small as possible.
The Solution: Travelon Anti-Theft Messenger Bag
Seasoned travelers recommend this bag:
This Travelon Anti-Theft Messenger bag is available on Amazon. It comes in 25 colors and prints. I ordered black with teal lining. I was like the beige and the navy.
It’s made of polyester. I’ve never wanted or owned a polyester purse before. I had serious doubts about this.
Let’s get the “con” out of the way. . .
OK, it’s not the cutest handbag I’ve ever owned. It lacks character or style. But it’s not ugly, or obtrusive, or something that will cause teenagers to point and laugh. It may not add much to your outfit, but if you order a discreet color no one will really notice it.
In fact, what they’ll notice is your big smile, because you’re carrying a comfortable, efficient handbag.
The “pros” are numerous. . .
Anti-theft
The material is “slash-proof,” which I thinks literally means no one is going to cut the purse off of you. This is a terrifying thought, and let’s not linger on it.
The various compartments and openings lock with lobster-claw locks. No clever pickpocket is getting into this handbag.
A place for everything, everything in its place
There are compartments inside for my glasses and keys, and zippered compartments on both side panels. My phone fit perfectly in one; I could easily find it when I wanted to snap a quick picture.
One of the outer pockets has a loop for keys — with an LED light on it.
Umbrella? Check. Water bottle? Check.
This may be my favorite part. Each side of the handbag has a pocket that unzips to hold an umbrella or water bottle. You don’t see the pocket until you unzip it.
I carried water and an umbrella! I love this.
Ditch the wallet
One of the side pockets has slots for credit cards and IDs, as well as passports. And it has RFID blocking, to protect your identity from being stolen electronically.
I don’t know whether we actually need RFID blocking. But if you are concerned about it, this handbag will make you rest easy.
The size is just right!
This bag was big enough to carry everything I needed, including a scarf for extra warmth and to cover shoulders in religious venues. But it was not so large as to be unwieldy.
And polyester? It actually has some benefits. . .
As I said, I’ve never had or wanted a polyester handbag. And now I must admit that there is a reason this very practical bag is made of polyester. It rained on us, often and in large quantities. But water just rolled right off this handbag. It and everything in it was safe and dry.
Also, it doesn’t get dirty. If you spill on it, or set it on a dirty surface, nothing sticks. It looks clean and new for the entire trip.
The verdict?
I’m extremely glad I had this bag for my big trip. I will carry it again for travel. I won’t carry it around town, at home. And I certainly won’t sport it for a date night out. But for travel, this bag can’t be beat.
For more stories about travel and some of our favorite places, please see:
- Packing Cubes make big trips a breeze
- Dior Exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art is Feast for the Eyes
- How to Fly with a Dog, or, How I Became the Crazy Lady Pushing a Dog in a Baby Carriage
- Celebration, Florida: A Welcome Break from Orlando’s I-4 Craziness!
- Oh Ship! Cruising for senior spring break
- Sketch in London: Does it Earn its Reputation as The Most Instagrammable Restaurant????
- Oh What A Beautiful Day. . . Southern Oklahoma “Don’t Miss” List
