What are the best bags for travelling? We've finally figured out what's smart for us! We each have four bags that we combine in different ways on every trip - a suitcase, a cabin bag, a backpack and a handbag/shoulder strap bag. Today we tell you what we think is most important about a bag to make it suitable for travelling.
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Combine more!
After years of travelling we have found a combination of bags that we like. Having a suitcase, a cabin bag, a backpack and a handbag/shoulder strap bag goes a long way. For example, when we travelled to Israel at the end of December, it was suitcase plus backpack. When we travelled to Finland in January, it was cabin bag plus handbag/shoulder strap bag.
What should a good bag be like?
Of course, what makes a 'good' bag is a bit of a matter of taste. Over the years, we've come to realise what we like - and what we don't. Here we present some of our thoughts on what makes a good bag for travelling. All the pictures of bags in the post come from Väskan.com where you can also find the bags in the pictures.
How is a good ... suitcase?
We prefer hard suitcases, as it feels like the contents of the bag are protected a little better. It's also good if the bag can be locked. I don't know if it helps if someone really want to break into the bag, but you might keep the "spontaneous thief" away.
There should be several compartments and straps inside the bag to avoid clutter. Last but not least, it's good to have a suitcase with a different colour or a special print - so you can easily recognise it on the luggage belt. An emergency solution could be hanging a tassel or sticking a badge on it...!
cabin bag?
We usually choose a cabin bag when we are travelling over a weekend and don't need so much luggage. Sometimes we actually check it in (it gets so crowded in the plane!) but if there's an extra fee or if you're in a hurry, it's handy to be able to take it with you...! What should a cabin bag be like? For us, it should be the same as the big suitcase - just in a smaller format.
Backpack?
We also think it's handy to have a backpack when travelling. We often travel with a suitcase that we check in and a backpack that we carry as hand luggage. In the backpack we pack our computer, camera, books and other things that we want to have inside the plane. Personally, I prefer a stylish black backpack, which fits in all contexts. The backpack should also contain many compartments - not least one for the computer.
Handbag/shoulder strap bag?
Many times when we travel we use our backpacks as our only "small" bags, but sometimes a handbag/shoulder strap bag feels more appropriate. Peter has a dark blue shoulder bag that has been around for a while. I have a black handbag that I like, but I'd also like a lighter coloured handbag to wear with summer clothes. What should a good handbag for travelling be like? Many compartments - so you don't have to spend 15 minutes looking for your sunglasses, pen, phone...!
How do you go about packing?
I (Helena) like to pack in good time and discuss packing with Peter. Unfortunately, this is a topic of conversation that he thinks are super boring. How does he do it? He throws some stuff down at the very last second. Will it be good? Well ... I don't know how many times we travelled around in 30-degree heat while Peter dragged five pairs of far too warm long trousers that he never used.
Despite being experienced travellers, we don't always pack correctly. But it usually works out anyway! How do you go about packing? What do you think the best bags for travelling should be?
You might also like:
Packing list for the trip - check this off when packing
Travelling to Asia - preparation and checklist
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Husis blog says:
My owners have the same mindset as you when it comes to bags.
For each trip they have made a kind of template with all the important things except clothes, but things that should not be forgotten. Things like ticket, passport, insurance company's blue card, cyclops and snorkel, torch etc. It's a list of about 25 things that they then tick off.
Well, at least sometimes the owners are structured...?
01 February 2018 - 6:44
Helena says:
There are some things that are more important than others to remember! Not bad with a bit of structure sometimes 😉.
01 February 2018 - 18:24
Ditte says:
I think a bit like you when it comes to bags. I mostly travel with hand luggage and then it is a hard bag, "Samsonite" that applies. And that bag also has an outer compartment. Practical to have the computer there that goes up and down in controls. I also have a handbag or smaller backpack. I never check in the hand luggage because I want to be sure that it is in place when I arrive.
I usually pack the day before I leave and it usually turns out well. If I forget something, it can be bought. I think I am good at packing. But when travelling on a ski trip, there are a few other things in the luggage.
If we go on longer trips, it is a suitcase, model medium-sized, very light in itself also from "Samsonite" and it is checked in. As hand luggage I then have a rucksack that holds my computer and cameras.
Always good with different compartments in the bags, easier to find then. And that the bags themselves are super light.
01 February 2018 - 11:43
Helena says:
Nice to feel that you are good at packing! It is nice not to have too much packing, but still the RIGHT things. And in the right bags 😉
01 February 2018 - 18:25
Emma, sun like sun? says:
We have two soft bags, it just happened. One of them is lockable but we don't lock it, we put an extra strap around it. That bag was expensive (we got the other one) and I think it's better they break the strap than the whole suitcase if they want to get in, staff and/or thief. The strap also makes the suitcase more identifiable. But of course, I was a bit confused last time when the strap was on someone else's bag! Presumably it had come off and they had just snapped it on. Have to buy a new one ...
We have two larger suitcases if we go all three, then we alternate so half of the pinals are in each bag so you don't get completely lost if one disappears. We each have a backpack and I also have my handbag (on my stomach) where passports, etc. are stored, do not want it in the backpack.
I have a great need for control, so I have lists I tick off and make sure the others have their things too. This applies both to things to be done and things to be packed.
01 February 2018 - 13:10
Helena says:
How funny that the strap ended up on someone else's bag!!!! I have some control needs too. I don't check off, but I ask a lot of control questions, like "do you have all the chargers with you now?" 😉
01 February 2018 - 18:26
Goatfish says:
Currently I own a medium-sized pink EPIC suitcase and a small ditto, cabin bag. Tough, good visibility. So I alternate with a rucksack too. And thin stomach bag for passports and money.
I'm the kind of person who ticks off a list before packing, but the final packing is done at the last minute. I have such a hard time deciding 😀.
Would like to have a super lightweight suitcase, but they are still very expensive, was and checked, over 4000 SEK! No.
01 February 2018 - 14:13
Helena says:
Sounds nice with a pink suitcase! Easy to recognise too I guess! 🙂 Smooth with a light bag, but of course the price matters.
01 February 2018 - 18:28
BP says:
We always have a rucksack for our computer and medicines, among other things. The husband also carries a rucksack here. He is a diabetic and has to carry snacks and so on.
We have two relatively recently purchased large "hockey trunks" with sturdy wheels. The reason we went with soft bags again is because we are tricked into being able to fit more things than in a hard bag. They are each labelled with a fun orange "tag" and lime green "padlock". Depending on the time of day we go, the bags are packed the night before or the same day. We make or rather I make a list that I tick off. Otherwise you forget half;-)
01 February 2018 - 17:17
Helena says:
Haha, of course you have orange and lime green on your bags! Fits you perfectly! 🙂
01 February 2018 - 18:29
Matts Torebring says:
We have doubled up on pretty much everything, well stored in the motorhome. When we're travelling, we pretty much only supplement the fridge.
01 February 2018 - 18:15
Helena says:
It's practical to be able to have most things double in the motorhome! Then there is not so much to carry when the time comes. We also have double up of some things, at least bed linen, towels and kitchen equipment 🙂 But not clothes, so we pack it with us ...
01 February 2018 - 18:30
Anna, Travel on a Cloud says:
A very interesting topic. I also prefer hard bags. They must have four wheels that all spin, so you can pull the bag in a vertical position. It should be light as well. I am very happy with my Epic Phantom I bought a year or so ago. However, I thought that a red suitcase would stand out on the baggage carousel, but I guess other people thought the same thing. 😉 I have fixed it with some personalised decorations like gold laces. 🙂
I pack well in advance and meticulously write down every little thing I might need. I now have several ready-made lists for different types of trips.
01 February 2018 - 19:07
Helena says:
Interesting that it has become so popular with red bags! I have not thought about that ... 😉 But good with something on the bag that stands out then! Wow, a little impressed by your lists too! 😉
02 February 2018 - 8:57
On a journey of discovery says:
This affectionate discussion about packing is bound to ring a few bells of its own ...
For those of us who day hike frequently, the backpack is indispensable. As hand luggage we each have a smaller backpack, which is also used for short explorations. In other words, we can't carry five warm long trousers, even if, like Peter, we want to.
The advantage is that so little luggage can easily fit in a small hire car. The challenge is to bring everything you need.
01 February 2018 - 19:10
Helena says:
When you're hiking, it's even more important to pack carefully. You definitely don't want to carry anything you don't need ...!
02 February 2018 - 8:58
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
We're a bit of a backpacking freak, but in the storage room there are hard suitcases, hard cabin bags, hiking backpacks and backpacks you pack like a suitcase.
I've probably been thinking for 20 years about making lists of these good-to-have things you shouldn't forget, but somehow most of them work out anyway!
01 February 2018 - 19:44
Helena says:
You need different kinds of bags for different kinds of trips ... I'm probably a bit like you, thinking that a list would be good, but I don't make lists ... 😉.
02 February 2018 - 8:59
Mr Steve says:
Travelling bags, it's been a long time since I had to think about such things. When it happened, my "big bag" was always a hard bag. A shoulder bag complemented it. Backpacks were hardly considered in my time.
01 February 2018 - 21:49
Helena says:
Hm, is it true that you didn't have a rucksack? Or maybe you only had a rucksack in other contexts than now ...?
02 February 2018 - 9:00
Ann-Louise says:
I love handbags, backpacks and suitcases and perhaps have a little too many... I have a large (or several really but only one that I use) suitcase that goes with me when I go on trips that are a week or longer and then in combination with a backpack and a smaller handbag. On weekend trips, it is the cabin bag that applies and then also preferably in the company of a backpack because it can be practical to have at the destination itself. However, I usually add a small shoulder strap bag for my passport, wallet and mobile phone so that I don't have to unhook my backpack every time I have to take these things to the airport. And only hard suitcases, I agree that it feels like the contents are better protected then. Preferably colourful as well, the big suitcase is bright pink and easy to recognise on the luggage belt 🙂 I pack several days before the trip while the partner prefers to do it the night before... Also have long lists where I check off that everything is included.
01 February 2018 - 22:21
Helena says:
It sounds like you think a bit like us when it comes to bags. Good with a bright pink suitcase, you should recognise it most of the time! 🙂
02 February 2018 - 9:01
Lena - good for the soul says:
I like to pack well in advance and see it as a challenge to find as many combinations as possible for as few garments as possible. In addition, they should fit in both hot and cold weather. I must say that I succeed quite well!
Hug Lena
04 February 2018 - 21:19
Travelsis says:
I think much like you when it comes to travelling bags. I love colour and pattern so the suitcases are easy to recognise. Going to Jamaica in 10 days and can't wait to pack for me and the kids?
04 February 2018 - 23:13