Which day bag do you use?

I'm using the civita, primarily because it's lightweight. It's a little flimsy but does the trick.

The Civita bag a little flimsy? My husband stuffed it and put it through cargo (he needed his Appenzell for a carry-on when he was returning from a Greece folk dance tour) and it did just fine! (I must admit I was horrified when I realized what he had done!)
We usually use our Civita bags for our touring and the Appenzell for our "at our feet on the plane" bag--the Civitas are empty in our Convertible bags.

i have decided to go with the black diamond flash. its small - only 9 liters or under 600 cubic inches, but i don't have alot of stuff to haul around during the day. its also very very lightweight at 7oz. i wanted a real backpack that was breathable and had compression cords to hold a jacket on the outside if i needed. i also wanted something that had smaller zip up pockets, which this does.

it's perfect for me -

If I will bring a day pack (small back pack) to Europe, I will bring the Civita Day Pack. I do not bring a day pack to Europe. I bring a small "shoulder bag" (it has a shoulder strap) : it is smaller than typical Messenger bags. The small shoulder bag that I own is appropriate for being carried by Men or Women. I also bring to Europe the Pocket Tote (see a photograph of it at "Travel Store" at this web site). In all my travelling at Europe and Britain I wore a jacket (cotton canvas) every day : the jacket has pockets. I put items in the jacket's pockets. All of my travelling in Europe and Britain was during months when the air is cool (60s degrees F. during the day, and 50s degrees F. in the evenings). I did not carry the shoulder bag every day.

I used to carry the Civita but I'm looking into getting a messenger bag instead--either the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 or the new Eagle Creek Vagabond. The messenger bag is easier to carry. I'm not into the backpack so I always had to hold the Civita over one shoulder. The messenger bag is hands free.

Ron, what "shoulder bag" do you have?

I normally use the 'companion' detachable Daypack that goes with my Eagle Creek Backpack. On recent trips, it's been used more for carry-on rather than as a Daypack, as I need enough room to fit both Camera gear as well as some backup clothing and toiletries in case my larger Pack (checked luggage) gets 'misplaced' by the airline. I could quite comfortably last for a week or more with just the items in my Daypack.

However, lately i've also been packing the Civita bag along (carried empty inside the checked luggage during travel) and find that I use it on a regular basis. The other Daypack is often used to store purchases or other items that I acquire along the way.

My travel methods are a 'work in progress', so I'm always looking at ways to pack lighter and streamline these, but this is the method I've been using lately.

Cheers!

I meant flimsy in the sense that it won't stand up or keep it's shape on it's own. When I pack it, it rides like a sack of potatoes. Since I travel light, I don't need something to carry a lot and I really don't care if it flops over when I set it down, so it works for me. I like the fact that it weighs almost nothing.