Weekend Warriors

With Memorial Day Weekend rapidly approaching, Bonnaroo a mere two weeks away, and plans for other weekend getaways in the works, it looks like I will be using my smaller duffle bags quite frequently.

I used to be one of those people who could be mistaken for a bum while traveling. I’d literally roll out of bed, throw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, stuff my clothing into whatever bag I had lying around, and make my way to the airport, train station, bus terminal, etc. While this may have been the most comfortable way to travel, after bumping into a few people I hadn’t seen in awhile and being embarrassed by my appearance, I decided it was time to dress a tad more “appropriate” for my expeditions.

Aside from switching up my clothing from sweatpants to extremely stretchy jeans, I traded in my basic black canvas duffle for a more stylish oversize tote. But like most things that are well-loved and frequently used, my handy dandy stylish bag is beginning to fall apart and thus, I am in the market for a new one.

The key is to find a bag that’s big enough for a couple outfit options, a few pairs of shoes, toiletries, technology (camera, cellphone, ipod, etc.), some reading material, and a little extra room just in case you do some shopping. Anything too big becomes obnoxious or isn’t an acceptable carry-on, and anything to small turns into a bursting zipper…

Well, I’ve scoured the world wide web and narrowed it down to a few weekend bag finalists. Here they are:

1. Venezia Duffle - $269
2. Onward Weekender - $238
3. Carry-on Kat Weekender - $130
4. Leather Barrel Holdall Bag - $110
5. LeSportsac Large Weekender Bag in Vaudeville - $108
6. ’80s Beach Weekender - $38
7. Ottoman Shopper - $129
8. Longchamp ‘Le Pliage Large’ Tote in Lilac - $145