Day bags
 

What kind of day bags have you really enjoyed using when you are out all day sightseeing?

Thanks

A satisfactory day bag is one that is big enough to hold your daily necessities. Those are a roll of TP, city map, guide book, film, digital camera chip, maybe a sweater depending on season, umbrella, and whatever else you can't stuff in a pocket. Allow space for local purchases like wine and cheese. Never put your wallet, a camera, or any other valuables in your day bag.

I can't believe the amount of junk people carry around. I take nothing that doesn't fit in my pockets or money belt except maybe an umbrella.

I carry a messenger style bag. I have one I got from ebags that's leather, by Perlina. I carry map/guide book, my wallet, my camera, lipstick etc. It gives me a place to put a sweater or raincoat.

But it's really important that whatever you carry be lightweight. I also have an official 'travel purse' by Ellington of microfiber that also holds those things. Both are cross-body style with wide straps to distribute any weight.

I also carry a tiny rolled up shopping bag that I can unfurl if we buy wine/cheese/bread. I bought it at the monoprix in Paris and it holds lots of good things.

http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?...&itemID=77

$49, lightweight
This is the best travelbag I have bought to date.

Thanks for your replies. Does anyone ever wish or were you glad your bag had a side pocket for a water bottle?

I like a nylon tote bag with straps long enough for your shoulder. They have no weight (Le Sac is one brand). I don't carry water so I don't care about having an exterior pocket for it.

I carry a bag by Kavu that I nabbed from my daughter. It is slightly larger that a paperback novel with a long strap that can go across the body. It has lots of pockets and carried my passport, lipstick, money, map and gloves. I didn't even feel as though I had anything on.

I stuck one of the very small bottles in the main compartment of the bag I linked for you, above... I don't like walking around with a water bottle showing on the outside of my bag.

I have a small backpack that I bought from Rick Steves' website. I keep a guidebook, umbrella, water bottle and a small notebook in it. I like to have something to carry purchases in.

I hate a backpack, and most messenger bags wrap too tightly around the body (by design; they're supposed to, to keep stuff falling out when you're zooming on your fixie down Seventh Avenue).

I have a bag by Victorinox that's like a messenger bag, but has a deep cutout at the mouth, so you can get in it more easily. I carry my camera gear in it (two or three cameras, a lens or two, film, batteries, etc.)

Like all photographers, I spend approximately 1/3 of my waking hours thinking about what I don't like about all the camera bags I own, and what I would like better.

Le Sac is one of the great options. I take a couple of them in different colors to match different clothes. They are very light, washable, have lots of pockets and long straps. I put my money in an inside pocket, which is well hidden, and zip it.

A feature I like with my bag (sorry I don't know the brand--picked it up off a sales rack years ago) is that the handles are long enough to carry it on my shoulder, but short enough that the opening to the bag is under my upper arm, thus easier to protect.

Also lots of zippered compartments are helpful. I keep a little cash in a zipped section. My credit cards, money, and passport, however, are always in my money belt under my clothes. PJK

I love LeSportsac bags for travel. Have been using the Deluxe Everyday bag for years, so much so that I often keep using it long after I have returned from a trip.

http://www.lesportsac.com/store/

http://tinyurl.com/2sat2e
(if I've screwed up the url, it's on the HSN website, search item #581-222)
I bought one of these, but admittedly, haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. However, around town it's very comfortable. One thing, though, if I'm going to use it for several days, all day, I'm going to buy a soft cover for the strap where it lies (lays?) by my neck.
http://home-solutions.hsn.com/buxton...223647_xp.aspx

It's certainly not a fashionable item, but that's not something I care about. It's quite soft, and decent quality for the price -which is reasonable. I wouldn't have been happy had I paid more for it, but at 25 incl s&h, I'm quite happy.

I like that it lies against the front of my body so I'm aware if someone tries to get at it, but it's off to the side a bit -which is nice. There are several zippered pockets and a flap which makes me feel secure that a pickpocket can't get to anything easily. I can fit a bottle of h20, which I always have when sightseeing, and the side has zippers that let the bag expand another inch or so.

All in all, it's quite comfy, and as a woman who doesn't want to wear a money belt, I think it's a reasonably safe solution.

Do I sound like a commercial? lol :) Can't help it, I really like it for the value.

I am another fan of the Sportsac. I love it for traveling. It is light weight, can be emptied and folded into nothing so it doesn't take up much space, and it zips up completely so nothing can fall out.

ANother vote for the Sportsac! They come in several slightly different sizes -- don't get SOOO many pockets that you can't find anything.

For 9 extended trips, I'm just on my 2nd one. It holds change=purse, a paperback, bottle of water, lunch, fat notebook, glasses, mini-umbrella, sun cream, camera... and still is not bulky or heavy. Strap can go on sholder or crosswise. I can also loop a sun-visor onto the strap, and/or tie a sweater onto it. and when it's empty its totally FLAT so you can put it in a larger bag when going from one major place to another, ie ferry-hopping in Greece.

I've seen several posts that rave about the sportsac. However, when I go to their site, there are many styles. Is there a particular one folks are referring to, or do you sportsac fans mean anything by that company?