Travel & Toiletry Bags: Essential Carry-On Luggage Items

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Summer finally feels like it’s around the corner. I could not be more thrilled — or unprepared.

I’m at the age where wedding season hits hard, plus my parents will be moving to the beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and my best friend is moving to London. These facts may not seem related, but there is a constant thread: travel. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling in my life, from drivable weekend trips to full-blown jet-setting adventures. This summer will include many types of trips, and if I’m essentially living out of bags, I want them to fit everything I need in the most reasonable and organized fashion.

And so I’ve become fixated on finding the perfect lightweight, easy to carry yet ludicrously capacious travel bag. I’m talking about luggage that an airline would consider a personal item — it’s not a suitcase! — but one that can fit a compact toiletry bag that somehow holds all my essential products. Yes, I have a lot of self-care items, and yes, they’re all necessary. 

In my experience, a suitcase is a suitcase when it comes to either checked or carry-on luggage. Large or small, anything decently sturdy on wheels is going to do the trick if you know how to pack it correctly (and it fits in the overhead bin). I care way more about the travel bag, which I need to have with me at all times. That accounts for what I’m carrying on my shoulders or sifting through constantly to access necessities.

This is what inspired my quest — because I don’t think I can get through another hefty travel season without some sturdy, reliable, and well-designed luggage.