Makes airport travel less of a pain
I hate airline travel. It's a hassle. Basically getting undressed for security check points, keeping all your important documents together, but also exposed, and putting yourself and your things back together after the check point is always frustrating and upsetting. I also hate purses. They are the biggest, dumbest, torturous, inconvenient devices ever conceived by the human race. On a typical day, I carry a wallet, and a cell phone, and nothing more. I needed a way to keep my important documents and the items I rely on during the process wrangled, and in one spot, and in a manor that would prevent me from setting the dumb thing down and walking away. This bag looked like a great answer. Especially at this price point, and with a shoulder strap that could simply be un-hooked, to aid in sliding it off your shoulder as needed. Just as I had hoped, the sturdy metal clip that held the shoulder strap made it super easy to remove the bag at security check points, even under my jacket and my backpack in the airport. Sturdy well placed zipper pockets of convenient size made one handed access to my passport and boarding pass so much easier. No need to remove all my layers or dig in bags, just unzip the pocket with my left hand, remove needed items, replace, and re-zip, one handed. The compact size and narrow profile was so convenient that I ended up also carrying it every day of my 10 day trip. These photos were taken upon my return home, and really, the bag still looks brand new. Considering that my daily routine consisted of a 30 minute walk every morning and every evening across the city minimum, and travel through four airports total for this trip, as well as hours spent in planes and waiting at baggage claims, and layovers; the quality is good. If you're curious, this bag fit in the storage pocket in the seat in front of me in every plane (we were in economy seating for these flights). In the photos, you can see some of the items I carried with me in this pack daily. I had hand wipes, a very large power bank with power cords, my samsung galaxy s9+ cell phone in it's (somewhat bulky) case, 2 ink pens, a lip balm, my wallet, and at the beginning of my trip, travel sized tissues, two types of cold medicine, a bottle of zicam, and Excedrin. Sometimes, I also had research materials with me. All of these items fit easily in the bag, and maintained it's slim profile (I wore it under my coat daily). My samsung galaxy s9+ easily fit into the top pocket with the magnetic tab closed. I also kept my lip balm and my two ink pens in this pocket. My ravpower 26800mAh PD Portable Charger power bank (inside included sleeve) fit nicely in the interior pouch of the largest pocket along with my passport (which I removed when carrying this bag on the street) and the included power cords with room to spare. In the middle pocket, I kept the hand wipes, medicines, and a second USB cable. The last (small outer pocket) contained my wallet. The zippers on the bag open from top to bottom, ensuring things don't fall out as you are opening the zippers. I am 5'4" and female, also quite chest-y. So my concern with getting a cross body bag was that it would be too tall against my torso and rib cage when sitting or walking, or that the strap would be uncomfortably placed across my chest. If any taller, this bag would have been uncomfortable on my left side, but at this size, it worked pretty well. The strap is sturdy, with re-enforcement stitching down it, and angled so that it rests without cutting into me. The slim profile of the bag makes it easy to conceal, and keep close to your body while still being very convenient to access for you as the wearer in pick-pocket prone areas. I did not have a problem with the strap coming undone, nor did I have any issues with the quality. This is a great bag, and I will definitely be taking it on my next trip, and probably every trip after from here on out. Oh, also I ordered it in black, and the black is a rich, dark black. It did not rain while I was on my trip, so I do not know how well it holds up in rain, but the fabric seems sturdy, and the lining is well stitched. The included note from the manufacturer was a nice touch too. It basically said that if you have problems with the bag, throw it in the trash, and let them make it right. I don't see need for that in my case. I foresee using this bag over and over again for a very long time. For this price point (about $15 at the time I purchased it), this bag seems pretty unbeatable. I would buy it again and again. It carries SO much more than I expected it to, and does a great job of it. I am that person who will set a purse down, forget I was carrying one, and walk away. Having a bag that made it easy to have things that are important for international travel all together without being in the way and annoying (or convenient to just set down) was really important for me. I am back to carrying just my wallet, but found it far less irritating to carry this bag with me than I thought it was going to be. I also found it really easy to not accidentally leave this bag somewhere...it's small enough and slim enough that I didn't even need to take it off for most places, even if we sat to eat. So, if you're like me, and can't be bothered to be responsible for a giant stupid purse, and must have something to keep your international documents and important international travel items easily accessible, this bag is really great. Read more
