I am looking for a daypack that will need to do triple duty as:
1. bag to hold personal items while at airport & on the plane
2. bag for sightseeing
3. bag to hold needed items while doing a guided walk in the country (will need to hold water, snack, raincoat, bugbite items, small notebook)
I'm barely 5'2" so it will need to be relatively small and I would like for it to hold its shape.
Thank you!
My husband uses the Civita day pack and loves it. Very lightweight and can be stashed empty into a suitcase if you aren't using it.
Yolanda, I am 5'1-1/2" and have used my day back back on several international trips and it is perfect for me.
It is 15 x 19 x 10 expanded and has 2 compartments. I would suggest you lock each zippered opening with a small combination travel lock.
It hold everything that you mentioned plus sooo much more. We use ours when we board the plane and inside we have our PacSafe Stash Safe 200 (fanny pack).
I use my fanny pack for the movie and digital cameras and stuff I need on the spur of the moment. That way I do not have to get into the back pack too often.
Once you use a day back pack there is no going back. You are hands free which is important.
Enjoy your trip!
Check out the High Sierra line of daypacks. I would recommend the Impact, Curve or Opie bags for you.
The Opie has the most pocketing. All have water bottle pockets on the side, or you can use that pocket for quick access to suntan lotion, snack, etc.
The backs are padded, as are the shoulder straps. The bags them selves are not super huge, so they would fit on your small frame.
The best part is, they are not EXPENSIVE, but hold up very well. Check out www.ebags.com to look at the styles I've recommended.
Lots of cute patterns, as well as solid colors.
Do you want a backpack style or messenger bag style?
I am leaning toward a backpack since the weight will be distributed between both shoulders. My shoulders don't like it when I have all of the weight on one, especially my right one.
Here are two day packs sold in the Rick Steves travel store:
Civita
Appenzell
I have the Civita day pack and love it.
I used my Civita back pack for many years and recommend it. However, the last two years I have been using Magellan's Packable Backpack instead. It is smaller than the Civita, but I like the less back-packy look. The straps are designed in a way that they don't have dangly ends. The water bottle pocket is a little tight, but works (there is only one water bottle pocket). The main compartment has double zippers that could be locked together. I have used it for the three uses you mentioned with success. The straps are not as padded as the newer Civita bags, but that hasn't been a problem for me. This bag appears to be a redesign of an Eagle Creek bag that is no longer being made.
"The water bottle pocket is a little tight."
It sounds like you're referring to the Magellan bag, but now that you mention it, the water bottle pocket on the Civita shoulder bag is definitely tight, at least the model RS was making a few years ago.
Thank you all for your recommendations. I'm normally a purse person but with packing light, I have decided to just take the backpack. One question about the Civita though. I have read in online reviews that it is not structed and takes the shape of whatever you put in it. Is this true?
Don't get sucked into purchasing a bag that has Rick Steves name on it. That doesn't make it a better bag. I've seen the quality of the RS stuff, and it's not that great. The fabrics used by the company that makes this for RS are cheap, noisy. The seams are not that well sewn and the bags are just a "pocket" with straps.
you should really look around at local sporting goods stores, travel shops and outdoor stores. The outdoor stores will offer the best product and hopefully the staff's knowledge will help you pick the best pack for your use. I recommended the High Sierra brand since they are in the business of making day packs, know what they are doing and offer a great value- more pack for less money. Look for things like extra pockets, key fobs, internal organization (great for pens, lip balm, small notebook, snacks)
You are using it casually, just for the plane ride and day trips. Get a bag that has a padded back, and good curved shoulder straps to fit your shoulders for comfort. you should have several pockets to stay organized, and a water bottle pocket on the outside of the bag is very important to stay hydrated.
I highly recommend the following bag, and it's on sale at ebags http://www.ebags.com/product/high-sierra/opie-backpack/110400
From the looks of the Civita bag, it's made of micro fiber. That offers no stability. It's a sack with straps. you will feel everything you have in the pack on your back. It will sag with the weight of water/guide book, etc. By the end of the day, you will feel it in your shoulders. You mention you wanted something that will hold it's shape? This bag will not.
If you are looking at the Veloce, it's too large for your use.
It is true that the Civita is unstructured. I didn't notice that you want a bag that will hold it's shape.
I have to disagree with the statement that it is not well made. We have been using ours for 4 years and it is still like new. It has 2 water bottle holders and 3 zippered areas. I like that it is only as bulky as what you put in it. If all you are putting in it are water, snack, raincoat, bug bite items and a notebook it would work perfectly well.
I don't think it was said that it wasn't well made. What I thought it meant was that it lacks structure not that it's poorly constructed. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's just what I thought it meant
Jordan, read again what Ellen wrote. She said the bag is cheap, noisy and not well sewn.
The material used on many of the RS bags has changed in the last two years.
I was in a local store that carries RS bags and accessories and was shocked at the difference between the newer bags and the older ones. The material now used feels much cheaper than the material used awhile ago.
So anyone that has a bag more than say two years old has a bag with different material than is sold today.
I have to offer my two cents worth, in response to negative comments about the quality of RS bags( eg the Civita). I bought my Civita last year, and have used it on two trips so far( one 39 days, 7 countries). While I agree that if you are looking for a structured bag the Civita is not a good choice, I would wholeheartedly recommend this bag as a day pack. It is strong, sturdy, lightweight, lots of storage capacity. I never had any problems with straps digging into my shoulders, nor did I feel the bag on my back after a full day. The comment that the material is cheap and noisy is silly, the bag is neither. It is what it claims to be, a tough, roomy, lightweight daypack that won't let you down.
I'm sorry, i guess I missed a post.
Thank you for your suggestions and responses on the Civita. Unfortunately, I realize the Civita will not work for me. I would really like something with some structure and organizational pockets. I don't want to have to dig for my cell phone, camera, or lipstick. And I really didn't want something that will hold loads because the more it will hold, the more I would be inclined to put it in! LOL!
Have a wonderful and safe holiday!
From what you describe, this bag might work for you. It's a bit pricey but the quality in unsurpassed:
Tom Bihn Synapse
If that bag doesn't work, he has many others in all different sizes.
