Traveling Small (Part 1) - The Best Bags and Suitcases in the World
Organized and efficient packing for small travel
Is It Possible to Travel the World (never by jet)
With Two Small Suitcases and a Daypack?
Yes - Here’s How We’re Doing It
Travel Small and Stay Comfortable
You might not be planning to travel all seven continents, never by jet, like me and Cyndy are, but if you have any kind of travel in your future, you need the right luggage, clothing, gear and occasional gadgets to make life easier. After all, it’s the journey that counts, right, and you can’t enjoy the trip if your gear fails you.
Two Bags - 7 Continents
Many of you have asked how we’ve gone about packing our bags before heading around the world the slow way so we’re here to fill you in. We thought about how to travel small before we left because we knew we would be galivanting in all climates, all seasons and to more than 100 countries.
Imagining the trip is easy. And you can have a fine time sitting in bed with your iPad, flying the world on Google Earth. But it's another thing entirely when the journey actually begins. How were we going to pack everything we needed into our bags without getting a hiatal hernia?
We needed to find the right gear for camping, writing, working, eating and sleeping on the run; keeping track of vaccinations, passports and international paperwork. And we had to find clothing for every kind of season and geography, which would have to fit in bags small enough to carry whether we were on a train, in a car, on our feet, hopping a ferry, ship or saddling up on a horse or camel.
So far we’ve survived our odyssey, and our gear has survived us. We’ve covered 19,000 miles, through eight countries, on three continents, four seasons, at elevations between zero and 9,500 feet. Maybe the next time you’re making an excursion, a few of the choices we made will work for you too, even if you aren’t nutty enough to carry nearly everything on your back across seven continents.
Here’s how we did it.
We packed everything inside two small suitcases and one daypack. The first suitcase rolls, the second can be carried like a backpack or a normal suitcase, and the third, a daypack, can be emptied and stuffed away until needed. We can pull the rolling bag along with us as the second one rides on our shoulders to keep our hands free for ticketing and passports. Within one of these two bags is the third, a tote, designed to be stashed away until needed for day trips and hikes, picking up food, carrying water, storing books, journals and computers, but just for the day. You can be sure that the fit inside those bags has been snug. (The word snug, by the way, comes from a 16th century low German or Dutch word that means “shipshape,” compact, ready for trouble.)
(By the way, none of this is a promotion and we are not being paid to tell you about these products. These were personal decisions made after hours of research.)
Here’s what we bought and why, bag by bag.
Here’s what it all had to fit into. That’s my stuff on the left, and Cyndy’s on the right.
Details - Bag One
What?
Chip’s Briggs and Riley
It’s already been used all over Europe, parts of China and Istanbul, but still holding up beautifully.
The roller bags we bought are manufactured by Briggs and Riley. Cyndy bought one years ago and I bought one more recently. Both have travelled from China to Istanbul and all over Europe, Morocco and as well as the United States and still run like new. They aren’t cheap, but they are granite-tough and carry a lifetime warranty. We’ve never seen even a trace of a zipper blowing out or wobbling wheel. It’s 12 by 21 inches and about a foot deep after packing.
Why We Bought It
These suitcases are beautifully designed. Our version has gone the way of the dinosaur, but the new version (see below) has improved with an outside carry strap, new pockets on the inside (always useful), an interior strap mechanism for keeping different types of clothing or essentials snug and organized. To roll, just snap up the handle at the top and pull up (two positions) then roll off in any direction. Outside there’s a nice little zipper handy for stashing documents, snacks or vitamins you might need to grab. Another nice feature we found especially useful is a zipper that allows you to expand the bag. Once you have everything inside and zipped, closing this bag compresses the bag even more.
How Much?
$429.00, but if the bag lasts twenty years (and this one will last your lifetime because it's guaranteed) the cost comes to just under $2 a month. Free shipping over $99 to the contiguous states & free returns. You can buy the bag in four interest-free payments. Details at Briggs and Riley’s website.
Where?
You can check any good luggage store or explore the internet, but here’s the link to Briggs and Riley, and the bag in question, so you can get a closer look at the details. Sometimes they have decent sales.
The Briggs & Riley Small Suitcase
Details - Bag Two
The second bag required some thought because not only did we need it to strap comfortably on our backs and sometimes act as a regular carry on, we needed it to be rugged, and outfitted with lots of easy to reach compartments. Eventually, I found just the thing.
What
It’s called the WITZMAN RETRO CANVAS TRAVEL DUFFEL BAG and designed to go anywhere and keep your stuff protected. It’s roughly the same size as the Briggs & Riley. We have really pounded this bag, stuffed it, shoved it, dropped and dragged it and it’s still looks nearly as good as the day we bought it. It has a nice touch that enables you to unzip the back of it, roll it up to reveal the bag’s straps and so you call pull the bag onto your back. But if you are planning to check it at an airport and don’t want the conveyors to snag the straps, you can zip it back up and hide them away. If you’re carrying on, you can pull the strap supplied on the inside and hook it to each end. Your preference.
Why
It’s made of tough canvas and leather, loaded with three roomy outside compartments that can handle computers, iPads, passports, notebooks, books and a variety of other gear. It holds plenty of clothing (and all of our resistance bands for travel workouts - more on that in another Dispatch), and inside has another section where you can put a larger computer, notebooks, pens and business cards. It’s intelligently designed, especially for our needs. Plus the price is unbeatable…
How Much
The one we found one that sells for a remarkable $66 (a 25% discount right now as of June, 2022). Details below.
Where?
Try here, but you can also search online for other stores and on eBay. I couldn’t find a Witzman online luggage store for this bag, but, again, search online and you’ll find some good deals. Here below is a picture of the tan version.
The Witzman Retro Canvas Travel Duffel Bag
Details - Bag Three
The third bag we found was one of the best day packs I’ve ever come across. For it’s size, you can stuff far more than you’d think inside of it. It will easily get you through a day of hiking and exploring while you leave your larger bags stowed elsewhere. I’ve put notepads, snacks, water, jackets and sweaters and a phone, computer or iPad inside. Since we wanted to stuff this bag within our other bags, but have it handy to yank out when needed, we were looking for a pack that could also roll up into almost nothing, while being as tough as a Pittsburgh steamfitter. With this pack, we found just what we were looking for.
What
REI’s nomenclature for this is the Flash 22 pack. It’s made of breathable, stretch-mesh with fold-over padding for the straps. Two great stretchable side pouches for gloves, umbrella, water bottle or scarves. It weighs nothing and is made of rip-stop material that has yet to snag or even look worn. There’s a roomy outside pocket where you can keep things like notebooks, books or electronic gear handy, a top pouch for snacks, Swiss Army Knife, tissues, and glasses and the main pouch for everything else. There’s even a place for a camel pack for drinking if you want to get fancy (inside) and lots of loops for adding other gear, like a hat or eating utensils (see a future Dispatch on all of that).
Why
It’s hardy and when you stuff it in another bag, it takes up almost zero room or weight. When you fill it up, you’re set for the day. It’s indispensable, especially in our situation when we can’t afford to be lugging everything around all day.
How Much
The version we bought is now gone, but a new version has been released by REI for the same price: $59.95. Almost as much as our canvas Witzman bag above, but worth every dime.
Where?
You can get the new versional any REI store or online here. The nice thing about REI products is they are eco-friendly and well made, but REI is also a co-op and so you become an owner of the store if you become a member (which costs nothing). After a year, you get a gift card based how much you purchased. Something worth considering.
Do with these recommendations what you wish. We hope they help. And please feel free to share your ideas and thoughts about what you find useful in your travels because we are always learning, and in future Dispatches and posts we’ll share what we find from other fellow vagabonds. You can also share your comments on this article online below. Future “Meta-Dispatches” will be coming on other travel related products - electronic gear, gadgets, clothing etc. So if you’ve signed up for our Vagabond Adventure Dispatches, you’ll be notified. Look for them soon. If you’re haven’t signed up, you can do that here.