My girlfriend and I were out and she commented that she'd like to get shoulder bag that she could use for traveling. I thought that was strange, couldn't any bag be used (?) but, the clincher was she was looking for a bag that has a back panel that allows the luggage handle to pass though.
Anyone have such a bag or, can point me in a direction?
Best purchase I ever made, well almost: The Baggallini Hobo Tote. I've actually sewn velcro to the top of each of the side panels so that I have two more pockets that close when I haven't opened the zipper to slide the bag over my rolling bag handle. Inside there are numerous pockets as well as two lanyards for keys or the inside small purse.
There are a lot of choices! Does she want a bag that she can use for her "personal item" that also doubles as a day bag for sightseeing or simply a "personal item" bag? If the bag is more of the "personal item" variety, Tumi, Lo and Sons and Eagle Creek all make bags with a panel to attach to the handles of a rolling bag.
I use an eagle creek bag that is sadly no longer made but is similar to this http://shop.eaglecreek.com/emerson-carryall/d/1488C1306?CategoryId=411 - holds my laptop/tablet, kindle, camera gear, wallet, glasses etc. for travel. I generally tuck a small crossbody bag in that I use for sightseeing.
I bought this Pacsafe tote because of the security features and it's large enough for my purse, book, water bottle and misc carry-on stuff.
http://www.ebags.com/product/pacsafe/citysafe-cs400/290326?productid=10351038
While the tote holder on the RS rolling bag keeps it in place when I wrap the handles around the suitcase handle, it does not have the sleeve your girlfriend is looking for. I just bought everything for an August tour. It appears to be steady as is, but I am debating about sewing a sleeve on the back of the tote.
The blue almost matches the RS bag. I just couldn't look at one more black bag.
Rick's Euro Flight Bag will do this, but it's pretty big.
Last year I bought a Samsonite tote bag that met just this need. It listed at $175 but I bought it on sale at Macy's for $48. Does anyone ever shop at Macy's and pay full price? This bag had several features that my previous tote bag did not have: (1) the back panel that allowed it to slide over the pull-handle of my carry-on; (2) the structure of the main zipper allowed me to lock it; (3) it had various zippered compartments; (4) it came with a removable shoulder strap. A winner, as far as I was concerned, and it holds a lot!
That back slip panel you are talking about is called a "trolley strap." It's a relatively new feature on travel gear. Check out ebags.com - Ebags brand, Eagle Creek products, LL Bean may have something. I have seen it on backpacks, ebags lunch cooler, under seat carry-on bags. I have not seen it on a tote bag - but I also was not looking at totes.
I think the larger Baggalini handbags have the feature your girlfriend wants. I have the Baggalini Everywhere handbag and take it on all my trips because it is lightweight and very useful.
The RS euro flight bag popped up while I was typing my response. I have the RS bag. It's tough to carry on the shoulder when fully loaded. I dragged it around a few days at a conference as a day bag. I also lugged it through an airport. It's good to throw in a car for a short 1-2 day trip. But, I will not lug it around airports anymore.
I'm another baggallini fan. I own 5 totes that fit the description. There are many more styles in different sizes and colors that would work. All have a pocket with a zipper at the bottom to go over the handle of a roller bag. Some also have a zipper at the top of the pocket. Depending on the vendor, the name may not be the same as what I have listed.
You can buy them at lots of online vendors as well as at TJ Maxx. Watch for discounts.
Below are mine. The Hobo can work as a purse. The others are a bit big for that, but all can qualify for a personal carry-on item. When I wear them, I wear them cross-body.
Hobo -- I have 2, one in red and one in blue.
Santiago -- Mine is gray.
Kindred -- Mine is pale blue. This may no longer be available. And it is not small like it says on the listing.
Alberta -- Mine is purple.
I also have the Pacsafe bag noted above and just bought it recently for our trip to Rome in September. I think it's great - lots of room for the long plane ride and all the security features needed when traveling through the airports, trains and subway/bus systems. It doesn't have the back strap/sleeve allowing it to go through your luggage but personally I would not want to use it that way not sure how safe / secure that would be. It stays on me as a crossbody bag. I am not sure how secure/safe it would be to have it hanging on your luggage if you intend to have important documents/money or passport in the bag. As it has great security features it would be a shame to not use the bag to the fullest. I am taking a smaller crossbody bag in my suiecase and once we are situated in our hotel then I will use that for wandering and sight seeing.
I think you need to seriously consider function first.
1). Is this something you are merely going to slide over a carryon luggage handle and toss under a plane seat?
2). Is this something you are going to wear all day while sightseeing?
3). What are you going to put in - how much stuff?
If you are going to wear it all day as a "purse" - then, go for a small size with a flattened profile. Trust me - you don't want to lug a bulky, over shoulder bag all day. A backpack is better for more stuff/ bulk than a shoulder bag.
If this is a flight bag only to be placed over a luggage handle - then you can manage a larger bag.
Very good suggestions from Sun-baked. Also, will it be for two people or one? When I travel alone, I can use a shoulder bag. When hubby and I travel together, we use a lightweight convertible backpack from Travelon that we take turns carrying.
I second the recommendation to start at the eBags website. Their eBags branded stuff is pretty awesome, and there are more options to compare than you could ever have time to look through, plus hundreds of user reviews. I purchased an eBags tote that I use everyday for schlepping my laptop, purse, papers, etc., back and forth to work, and I use it as my personal item when I travel. It has tons of pockets and neat features, and the required trolley strap, but it's too big to carry around all day for sight-seeing. I use a cross-body Baggalini for that.
I agree that it depends on what you're using the bag for.
For my personal item I use an older version of the RS Euro Flight Bag, which slides over the luggage handle. It works great for this, and has a shoulder strap. However, I agree that it's too "cube-shaped" and not flat enough to carry around comfortably for long periods.
Ok, looks like Baggallini will get some business. She spent quite a bit of time on their site and is narrowing it down, she'll likely end up purchasing 3 or, 4 models and return the rest. The bag will primarily be used for air travel and to/from our accommodations, she regularly carries a LV/Filson type tote as an everyday bag however, for travel she was looking for something to use with the roller board, that had a bit more pockets. Thanks all for the helpful suggestions and tips.
Lo's suggestions look genius!
I'd never thought about this myself, now I have some new bag dreams . . .
*off to peruse Baggalini . . . *
