Day bags......Do you carry one?

We always have a backpack. My kids drink an insane amount of water, so we put refillable bottles in it. There are usually a few snacks, some bandaids, sunblock, and an epipen.

I almost always have my day pack on me. Cameras (I take two, plus an extra lens), other electronics, other items that are valuable or may be needed. Almost always have my rain jacket (small, softball size) and a fe personal items.

I love my Rick Steve’s Civita tote. I wish he would bring it back as even light back packs strain my neck and back.

When we travel as a family we take the one tote. We carry water bottles, hats, sun glasses, small disposable rain pouches, sun block, mosquito repellent, bandaids & neosporin. Sounds like a lot but only the water bottles weigh anything.

Love my “Rick” what we affectionately call my RS little backpack. We got our first one when we gave money to our local PBS station 12 years ago. It has been everywhere from Zoo’s, concerts, hiking, multiple trips to Disney World & Land and 5 RS tours. It is my go to bag. I wouldn’t leave home without it. I could do a commercial on it. Thought about sending pics of all the places it has been. Ha! Only downside the mesh to hold your water bottle on the side is just a little too short. Bottles keep falling out. So if anyone out there is from Rick’s world that little change would really help.

It sounds like you worry about theft? I started carrying a plain black "museum bag"- you know, sold in museum stores zippered into a teensy pouch about 4" by 4". I keep a very small first aid kit, hand sanitizer, kleenex/ some tp, sunscreen, water bottle...nothing that would matter if grabbed. It is also really handy for the fleece or rainjacket for a variable weather day (I seldom return to the hotel) and purchases along the way so I don't have touristy store bags. And moderately more stylish than a backpack in cities! My 6"×8" leather black crossbody is just big enough for my phone and credit card sleeve with ID, one credit card, hotel key/ contact and a small amount of local coin/ currency. If I worry about theft I wear the sleeve in my zippered pants. Another tip, after experiencing a hotel fire, is to use the same bag, overnight, hung on the hotel chair with money belt, glasses, etc- so I can just grab that without thinking. That is for city days. I also have a Baggelini zipper pouch backpack for hiking days. Both can be laundered and take no room in my suitcase...this has worked really well, for me!

When I'm in a city I generally carry a purse (LeSportsac Everyday bag) but on the last trip which included back to back RS tours, I downgraded to a small crossbody wallet that can zip up under my rain jacket.

I want the purse for a city map and whatever kind of public transportation tickets/passes I have. Sometimes I pack along my iPad Mini if I'm on my own so I can read on my Kindle app in a restaurant. I also have my guidebooks on the Kindle app. This last trip I had a couple of days where I had purchased exhibit, attraction or train tickets ahead of time so the purse is handy for keeping them unwrinkled.

I don't carry water....usually want to stop an sit ever now and then and will get water then. If there's rain predicted I just carry my rain jacket. I used to carry an umbrella in my purse but have just started carrying the rain jacket. Occasionally I'll zip the umbrella into a pocket in the jacket.

I use my phone for pictures. I wear a moneybelt for my passport, extra money, credit and debit cards.

What is in it? Guide book, map(s), spare money & cards, umbrella and/or sunscreen, emergency wine/beer (I've seen Ice Cold in Alex), novels or newspapers to read during breaks.

Do you really use what you carry? Invariably.

Did you ever give up on the idea of day bag? No.

Do you love your day bag? It's an inanimate object.

I've never used a day bag; I just carry a small lightweight purse. I don't want any extra weight on my neck or shoulder. There is very little I need when I am walking about -- small camera, phone, small notebook with info on our trip, pen, chapstick, sunglasses, money and credit cards. If we are hiking and we need water, my husband carries it in a small string back pack. If I need to bring a rain jacket or fleeced, I tie it around my waist. The only exception to this is when we were in Africa, and I needed to carry a small pair of binoculars. I got a little bigger purse.

No I don't worry a lot about theft. I was just curious. We used to carry a day bag at Disney and now we are down to nothing but a small wallet in my bra of all places. We don't carry water bottles, we just buy some when we are thirsty. I was just wondering what was in the ones people carry.

We usually travel in October and November so we do have pockets for some small stuff but I just realized I don't even use 1/2 of what is in my purse normally so I plan on going smaller.

I do carry a backpack, especially if I go sightseeing for an entire day and won't be going back to the hotel/motel/accommodations until evening. I don't carry one if I'm travelling by car.
I have a smaller bag inside the backpack that I can use when entering a museum that doesn't allow a backpack, or if I'm taking a short walk near my accomodations.
I don't always use everything inside, but I feel better having it with me, even though it can become annoying sometimes. I usually bring a long-sleeve hoodie in case it gets windy/cold, an umbrella, a hat, medication just in case, sunscreen, small water bottle, a snack, a guidebook or city map, extra batteries/memory cards for camera and a charging cable for phone.

If you don’t need a day bag (small backpack for me), then don’t buy and carry one. Taking gear that is extra for you, makes no sense

I have a man purse for travel days but when touring about a city I don't carry a bag. My wife will have a lipstick, I.D., phone and some euros in her pocket and is carefree and feels "on vacation".

Yes, we do. There's always something that I will buy to take back to the hotel - meds, books, fruit, souvenirs, postcards, snacks, etc. Not every shop gives away plastic shopping bags as they do in the US. I won't wear camera around neck, either. I often used a day bag like the Civita here in lieu of a briefcase or lunch bag.

Used to but I go lighter every time. I liked the Civita because it folded up fairly small in my carry on. Now I use a grocery store shopping bag for laundry, picnics, trips to the market, beach things, etc. It folds up even smaller than the civita.

I carrry a PacSafe cross-body. It is large enough to hold a small travel umbrella, a collapsible water bottle, my phone, wallet. I also wear a money belt. My husband swears by his Civita day bag and wears it even when we travel in the U.S.

It is really a matter of what works for you.

I basically use a day bag every day, whether at home or on the road!!! Always have my "essentials" with me, and when traveling, add a camera to the mix too!

I spent part of this afternoon modifying one of my old Hedgren nylon purses to add a slip pocket on the back . . since I couldn't find one made the way I wanted, I did it myself! It looks like I did it myself, but at least it's on the back and only I will really know it's there - and it will function like I want it to.

Edit: And what do I have in my purse + day bag (usually a small Hedgren backpack, sometimes a small canvas tote I made)? wallet, phone, chapstick, keys, metro pass, small handheld recharger for my phone, small foldable nylon shopping bag, hand fan if it's hot (not motorized, just the kind you fan yourself with), bandana if it's hot, small water bottle, small bottle of sunscreen, pens, sunglasses. For longer days out or when I'm really touristing: sometimes a baseball cap, sometimes a crushed up windbreaker, book or Kindle and/or magazine, small not-quite SLR (Canon G15), plus replacement battery, a pack of nuts and a chocolate bar, sometimes an umbrella, a small guidebook or map or notes/cards about what I'm seeing that day (or photocopies of my relevant guidebook pages), any necessary tickets, and sometimes a scarf.

And do I use what I carry? Sometimes -- some of those things are dependent on the weather. But I'm glad to have them if I need them, and they are small/light enough that I'm willing to carry them in case I need them. And that way I can function the whole day long without having to go back to the hotel for something.

Male and I have a backpack, same one that I use daily in Chicago. A portable phone charger is a necessity, usually my Kindle which has digital guidebooks, I strongly prefer sparkling water so I'll often have a bottle with me, I usually separate large value coins from smaller value into two separate areas in the backpack, and I've also got a place to carry anything I buy and avoid bag fees (plus it is more environmentally friendly)

In addition to the above, picnic supplies. Bread, sliced jamon or salami, cheese. Maybe fruit or pastry picked up on market days.

I always carry a backpack with my camera, jacket, water, and umbrella if we think it will be needed and my wife a smaller day pack. Hers will have any travel books, light jacket and umbrella if needed.

I just use my messenger style purse by LeSportsac, the Deluxe Everyday--it has an expandable middle and it is the perfect travel purse--lightweight, sturdy and roomy without being enormous and cumbersome. My map, guidebook, camera, travel umbrella, water, snack and sometimes a light sweater + small purchases fits inside easily, along with other basic purse things. I don't always bring all those things, of course, depends on what I'm doing that day.

Out and about in Europe, I never carry a day bag of any type...no messenger, cross over, day pack, small back pack, etc. ...absolutely don't need it, plus they are theft targets.

I carry a RS day bag 99% of the days, both in Europe and here in the US, and inside it I carry my camera, rain coat, sunglasses, and a few OTC pills.

I carry a day bag everyday. I don't drive a car in NYC so I always carry a tote bag. What's in it?

• If rain is a possibility, a portable, lightweight gustbuster umbrella
• Bottled water
• In colder weather, gloves & a scarf assuming I'm not wearing them
• Paper napkins
• Small bottle of hand sanitizer
• Hand cream
• Sunglasses in a hard case
• Advil
• Empty Styrofoam 24 oz cup to keep hot coffee hot and iced coffee iced

Depends on how long and far away from the hotel I'm going to be. For the day out, the bag. For dinner and night out after a return to the hotel, probably just my coat pockets.

I have a RS shoulder bag that I use in my everyday life, so for me, carrying that is no big deal. It contains my notebook, info for the day, first-aid/personal supplies type stuff, sun screen, water bottle, extra convertible bag, charger, perhaps some picnic accoutrement. But, it's also the place to put perhaps my scarf or vest, if the day starts out cold and becomes warmer and I need to take them off. By the way, except for the picnic stuff, this is pretty much what is in it every day.

That said, if I'm traveling in cooler weather, when I have pockets, I might not carry a bag at all.

I wear a cross body messenger bag 365 days a year, where ever I am. (except on the Camino of course)

What is inside? My iphone, a cloth shopping bag, immodium and migraine pills, tissues, wallet, glasses, business cards, house keys, sometimes a book, sometimes a bottle of water.

I carry a Daybag less and less.

Used to always have a guidebook or a map or both, now that is on my phone.

Camera...my phone suffices, plus I find I am taking many fewer pictures.

Water, snacks, etc.....with just myself or my wife, we just take a break at a cafe or pick up something at a little store.

So I try hard, especially in warm weather to avoid a daybag. In cooler weather, I do have a fleece jacket from ScotteVest with plenty of pockets that allows taking more things (my tablet fits, a book if needed, even things I pick up along the way.

Hah! I live in NYC and always carry a "day bag". It's a combo purse / sweater carrier / computer bag / yogurt toter/ book bag/ iPad bag/ umbrella tote / aspirin carrier/ water bottle bag. When I go to Europe I add my small camera and take out the computer. Unless it's a business trip then the computer stays, but it's tablet sized. When I leave my apartment in the AM I don't have a car to put stuff in. I'm headed for the subway and I have to carry with me what I'll need for the day and for an emergency. I finally found a Bagallini tote that is not too big but can be carried cross-body as well on my shoulder. It worked well for me on my recent trip to the UK as well.

I appreciate your answers......Eye opening.

"Out and about in Europe, I never carry a day bag of any type...no messenger, cross over, day pack, small back pack, etc. ...absolutely don't need it, plus they are theft targets"

I'm with Fred. I hate carrying things. A few coins and small denomination notes in my pockets. My wife has a small, crossover handbag for our things. If they ever get too heavy, I'll buy her a mule.

Gunderson, I don't think it counts if your wife carries your day bag. LOL. That gave me a good chuckle. If I can get my husband to carry my things, I, too, can be bag free! Interesting idea...

Pretty sure that me and my messenger bag are not theft targets. Why? Cause 98% of the people walking down the street or on the trains have a bag of some sort. Is the entire population of a city a theft target?

I gave up carrying a day bag years ago after doing some hard thinking about why was I carrying this thing and was I really using the stuff in it. After 40+ years of travel all over the world I have found that I am generally safer, cooler, less tired, and less anxious by carrying Nothing. Whatever I need fits in my pockets. My phone is my camera, navigation and all else to boot.

Every place in the world I have been never mind how small or remote I have been able to buy the small thing one needs, water is for sale everywhere. And cheaply.

I don’t have to worry about my bag being stolen or leaving it behind.

My valuables are safer in my hotel.

I dont have to wait for my bag to be inspected at long security lines thus helping them to move faster.

I think we Americans in particular have been sold a bill of goods that if we dont have all these products at our fingertips every minute of everyday (hand sanitizer for example) then somehow we are deficient humans. Nonsense.

I freed myself up years ago and have never needed it nor wanted to carry it again.

I normally don't anymore depending on the weather. If the forecast calls for rain or changing temperatures, I might take a folding up backpack with umbrella or fold up jacket with hood.

I also take some water with me if I will be someplace where I might not be able to buy it easily especially in hot weather. (An example....the London tube the last few days where temps hovered near 100. I'd hate to be stuck down there in that heat without water.)

I prefer to take my own bottle to refill rather than contribute to the water industry selling bottles of water. Womens' pants seldom have pockets large enough to put anything into them and because my key ring has about 8 keys on it, am loathe to put it in my pockets. My wallet has ID cards, ins. card, bank card, transportation card, as well as money in it. Can't very well leave that at home. I like to read on the train, so a book is nice to have with me. Have never forgotten my bag or had it stolen.

If people don't want to carry a bag, that is fine, but stop criticizing others that do. Many people need to have their meds with them, want an umbrella, need tissues, or want to take photos or possibly look up information on their phone or call someone. I for one, do not want to carry my iphone in my pocket.

Hey, i always carry a back bag with us, when we travel, we have well designed bag to carry different items on different pockects,so can easily find required stuff easily,carrying a small bag is not a burden rather solve your problem to carry your stuff. I love marketing while on tour so bag is must, otherwise where to carry. But i always keep my money and credit cards with me in my pocket not in bag for security reasons.

Every place in the world I have been never mind how small or remote I have been able to buy the small thing one needs, water is for sale everywhere. And cheaply.

And I prefer not to spend money for something I already have (anyway, my budget doesn't allow me to keep buying the same -- even small -- thing over and over. And who wants to buy something when you know you have the same thing sitting back in the hotel room?) It costs enough to travel without buying duplicates. And, like Ms. Jo, I prefer to have my own water bottle that I fill/refill, rather than buying yet another plastic one to contribute to the landfill.

Anyway, another case of different strokes for different folks. I do like Gundersen, whose wife carries his stuff. A neat trick if you can achieve it, but I don't think it counts as not carrying a day bag when you've got your partner carrying your stuff.

When I travel alone.. no. When I travel with my family... yes! As someone else mentioned, we need it for water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, sweaters etc. and yes we really use what we carry.

If I don't have a bag, where am I supposed to stash the emergency tampons? Would never rely on finding a vending machine or drug store nearby for something critical like that. (and no, I'm not willing to pack light by going the Diva Cup route)

Selkie.....that was oversharing>>..LOL

I'm not sure Selkie overshared, but Google sure did when I did a search on one of the references in her post to figure out what she was talking about. As a male, I feel we really should be apologizing daily to women everywhere for what you are subjected to by nature.

I started carrying a purse in 1975, and have never stopped .

I find my lightweight crossbody type purse is more than sufficient for what I need to carry , a few pills in a pill bottle , my change purse ( I don’t bring a wallet when travelling as I don’t carry a bunch of cards etc ) ,my phone for photos , lipstick and comb,gum , and a pen . My purse always has a few bandaids in a small pocket .

I don’t ever carry water as my bladder is so small that I have to use a washroom every 1.5-2 hrs anyways ( and it’s not always easy to find public ones ) so I stop for drinks at cafes a a lot .

a lightweight sweater or jacket I just tie around my waist if needed .

I don’t use guidebooks and a small map fits in my purse easy .

You are smart to walk around with as little as possible. If that means going around without a day bag, so much the better.

I do go around with a light-weight string backpack or a small vinyl backpack that can be folded up and ziped into a pouch for storage when not traveling. I bought the vinyl day pack before I went to Italy in July 2017 - I used it to carry food I had bought at grocery stores - at the time I was an extreme health nut and I worried that restaurant food was bad for you, partly drunk bottles of water, and sometimes stuff I would otherwise have to put in my pants-pockets and rick having fall out, such as compact size digital camera, coin pouch, wallet, map, tooth-brush, floss, tooth-picks, packs of tissues in case the men’s room has run out of toilet paper, and phone. When giving the bag to the employee at a museum coat check dest, I would partly empty my pockets into the bag before handing it over, (if a museum has lockers, I empty my pockets and put everything I don’t have to carry around in the locker). I repacked the bag each day of my trip just before leaving my hotel or hostel.

Not sure if it qualifies as a "day bag", but I do carry a cross body, rectangular (12x18), multi pocketed purse looking bag not unlike the purse I use daily back home (the one on vacation is cloth so that I can wash it when done). Inside, it has the typical items: wallet, tickets and passes, phone, travel umbrella, snacks, lipstick/chapstick and face powder, personal care items, tissue, sunglasses, etc. Like you, my husband has a money belt with items that need more securing. The heaviest thing inside the purse are two refillable bottles of water since for personal reasons, I cannot bring myself to buy water (barring emergencies of course). Not sure that love would be right word, but rather I need it to carry stuff even when wearing a jacket since I like my things to be in a purse rather than pockets except for my phone.

And agree with Ms. Jo. Carrying a bag does not make you a theft target as the majority of folks in my daily interactions do. My husband carries a bigger messenger bag to his city office than I do, and most working folks I see in a city are carrying some form of day bag in the Metro and walking around. How else would you carry your stuff to and from work if you do not use a car for transportation?

And agree with Ms. Jo. Carrying a bag does not make you a theft target
as the majority of folks in my daily interactions do. My husband
carries a bigger messenger bag to his city office than I do, and most
working folks I see in a city are carrying some form of day bag in the
Metro and walking around. How else would you carry your stuff to and
from work if you do not use a car for transportation?

Exactly. I suspect that those who do everything by car believe that a tote bag is something only for tourists. Hopefully such ignorance has been shattered by this thread. :-)

Cashier: "Do you need a receipt?"

Spousal Unit: "Yeah, sure."

Spousal Unit takes the receipt, passes it to me.

Me: "And I'm supposed to do what with this?"

I'm a satchel guy, because "Indiana Jones wears one". :) Holds my iPhone, camera, umbrella if needed, maps & or reservations, museum pass & metro cards/tickets.

Just curious...discuss...for fun...

Why start this thread and ask when there was a near identical thread on this exact same subject less than 2 months ago (which, while you weren't the OP, you still participated in)?

I sense a little of the "I travel without a day pack, therefore, I am the superior traveler" smugness that this type of thread always elicits. So why do you, and others in the anti-daypack camp, care so much if other travelers opt to tote around a bag when they are out and about? For the record, I carry whatever the situation calls for that particular day. While traveling, I've used everything from just a scarf with a small hidden pocket, a wristlet or small clutch, a crossbody purse and yes, even a day pack.

Do I love my day bag? Yes. So much so that I frequently make it carry condoms, a bottle of wine and an iPod loaded with Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", Ginuwine's "Pony" and Prince's "Erotic City" just in case me and the day bag want to get busy in between sightseeing. Maybe one day me and "Burton" (at least that's the name sewn on him) will join the mile high club. But he's not particularly romantic - he hasn't once paid for dinner or sprinkled rose petals on the hotel bed.

While the last post speaks volumes more than mine will, I carry a small backpack when it makes sense.

Full disclosure: I live in France and my wife and I travel frequently in Europe.

Most days, I don't carry a backpack. But if I plan on buying a few things, if the weather is threatening enough that a couple of collapsable umbrellas would be a good idea for my wife and me, or if the weather is so hot that water bottles would be a good idea, then I carry a backpack. It's not "slash proof." It's just a small backpack, such as the vast majority of Europeans have for when they need it.

I also don't have a money belt or hidden wallet or any other such thing. Just good sense and an awareness of my surroundings.

Miraculously, we get by.

Ceidleh! Thanks for the great laugh.

I almost always carry a light day bag, one that you might use when you need a reusable grocery bag. Sometimes I use a very light backpack of the same type of material.

In it:

Water bottle
Snack, picnic lunch, or room for purchases from the market
Spork for picnic lunch in ziplock with cutting board (yogurt container lid) and thin J cloth for napkin, plastic grocery bag to situpon if ground is damp
tourist info for the day; list of where the best coffee in Paris is, bus book, Rick’s book, etc, in a ziplock bag.

Umbrella & maybe raincoat, rolled up
Additional light grocery bag for more shopping finds.

I do agree there should be no shaming of day bag users, we each travel in the way that suits us best.

Counting down the days til France, under 2 months now!

"...we each travel in the way it suits us best." Exactly, that's why I don't use a day bag, never have,.. unnecessary.

"...we each travel in the way it suits us best." Exactly, that's why I use a day bag...it’s necessary for me.

I rarely wear a backpack/daypack.....it's usually a sling/holster money-belt with passports and credit cards/cash under what I'm wearing and a small-medium size cross-body bag (PacSafe Citysafe 100) that holds essentials for the day....roll-up water bottle, tissues, small first aid kit, epi-pens, a small amount of cash, phone, small jackery batter pack. Works for me. If it'll rain, I'll toss in my mini umbrella or a pack-into-itself rain jacket (otherwise those live in the trunk of the car). If I'm using the gopro that day, it fits too, without issue.

If you're carrying it for the day, it's a day-pack by definition, n'est-ce pas?