Best Of: Summer Travel Bags

During our cross-country road trip, we did a BUNCH of "figuring it out" as we went, but one thing I was meticulous about before setting out was packing the car so that I knew where everything was located. Our Prius was literally packed to the MAX, but I will say that I was pretty proud of my organization strategy, & could snake my hand through the maze of things to find whatever I needed very quickly.

My organization strategy involved a series of bags. Every "category" of stuff had its own bag. There was a bag for snacks, a bag for dog stuff, Tyler's stuff, my stuff, camping stuff, dirty clothes… & so on & so forth. All of these bags seriously got put to the test this Summer & came out the other side still on my list of favorites & still looking great! Every one of these bags is super functional, & I recommend them for any of your future travel needs. Read on to see how each bag came in handy on our 9,000 mile cross country trip!

1. I have had this Vera Bradley weekender & make-up bag for 2 years now (see the post from when I first got them here), & they are the perfect size for my travel needs. On the road, I used these two bags for what I would take into the hotel/AirBnB/friend's house with me. I love that the weekender has 4 roomy inside pockets for storing my various tech cords & jewelry, & the make-up bag has one of the best brush storage situations I've seen in a bag this size.

2. My husband says that I have a purse problem (he's crazy), but the difficulty of picking only one purse to take on the road with us might indicate that he is more on to me than I would like to admit. Of all my purses, I picked this Rebecca Minkoff cross body bag to serve as my purse (often getting thrown into the larger bags if needed). I picked it based on the size, color, & inside storage (all of which are fabulous). And after 5 weeks on the road, I found that it went with everything & I still enjoy using it!

3. If my memory serves me correctly, I have had this L.L. Bean canvas bag since college & I honestly can't remember road trips without it. The XL size was perfect for storing all of the linens we needed on our trip, & now that we are in Denver, I have been using it to tote groceries up to our apartment. Bonus: I have thrown this baby in the washer many times & it still looks great!

4. Some bags are jack of all trades & this one certainly qualifies! The Scout bag is not only super cute (love those bold stripes), but is also super durable. The fabric is waterproof & easy to wipe down, & the oversized pockets are beyond useful! This bag stored all of the dog products we took on the road with us - food zipped safely inside, waste bags easily accessible from the outside pockets. 

5. Like the Scout bag, this Sea Bags tote is made of waterproof material (old sails in fact!) & easily used for many occasions. This bag held our tech accessories, & often doubled as my purse when I needed something larger than the Rebecca Minkoff cross body. I've gushed about this tote on the blog before & you can check out its many accolades (including being made from eco-friendly materials) here.  

6. The Nisolo leather tote is such a classy bag! This leather tote is ready to take a beating & still look great after - I have found that it keeps looking better and better with age! This was one of our camping bags, holding essentials like our cribbage board, lantern & wine bottle opener that came out everytime we stopped at a campsite. Put it on your radar: Nisolo is now having their end of year sale starting TODAY!  Shop now for up to 60% off select items!

7. The ladies aren't the only ones who need to be organized & we have found some great options for Tyler too. This tech bag is perfect for keeping all of his cords & personal essentials in place/not-tangled, while not taking up much space in the car. 

8. This travel duffel bag was recommended by my sister & brother-in-law & Tyler is now equally enthusiastic about its merits. He took it with him on a 10 day trip to Europe last Winter & it was perfect as his "weekender" while on the road (aka what he took in with him when we stayed overnight).

9. Unfortunately, Tyler had to work while we were on the road, but he always had what he needed close by (you never know when wifi is going to strike) in this gorgeous leather computer bag. He got this bag after completing his PhD & I think it looks like a modern doctor bag. 

10. Finally, men might not have as many person hygiene items as us ladies do, but they still need to keep them together in a toiletry bag. Tyler has this "dopp bag" & it is a great medium size to hold his razor & other bathroom products. It is a study canvas lined with plastic, so it is very durable too! 

What are your favorite bags that are stylish & functional?