Whenever I go on a trip, I try to bring a bag that will suit my purposes. Each vacation seems to have different needs and my weekend trip to Las Vegas was no different. Mostly, we would be walking from the car to our activity, but even if I would be walking down The Strip, which ended up happening, I needed something lightweight and secure. I found that in Travelon's new Anti-Theft Signature Slim Pouch.
The Signature Slim Pouch is a perfect accessory for a trip where you don't need to take a ton of stuff with you each day, but I found that it held all my essentials in its four compartments. I've been carrying this bag with me on trips around town, especially to the farmers' market, because it keeps my money handy and my hands free, plus it isn't bulky and doesn't compete with other bags for my shoulder. After testing it out at home, I was ready to take it with me on a real trip. First, let's look at the compartments it has and what you can put in them!
This front slip pocket is designed for a cell phone. It isn't too deep, so you don't loose your phone in it. I found on my trip that I had more things that I wanted to keep handy than my phone, so I stashed my itinerary in there, a coupon book and my show tickets. It made it simple to grab things quickly and then put them away easily. I used the back pocket for my cell phone, since I was only using it to check in on Foursquare and to call my mom. I like that it zipped and I could also toss in spare change that i got when I paid cash for things (darn that sales tax!).
This back pocket is right against your body, so it's handy for things you don't need instant access to, but would also like to be a bit more secure. Obviously, I wasn't needing my phone a whole lot, so it seemed like it made more sense there. On my trips around town, I generally use it for lip balm and my powder compact.
When you travel, there are going to be a few things you need handy, but don't want out in the open. While I took my other cards with me - credit cards, insurance cards, etc. - I knew that I would need my drivers license, debit card and rewards credit card. These are the ones I put in the RFID-blocking card slots (so no card-reading devices could steal my information). There is also a larger one intended for a passport. I stashed my cash, room key and receipts there while I was in Vegas. It was easy to unzip the compartment and quickly pull out to flash my ID or pay for a souvenir.
The main compartment is fairly large and can hold many necessities. It was very hot on the weekend we were in Sin City, so I made sure to tote around a bottle of sunscreen for reapplication. Antibacterial wipes are always great when you go anywhere, either for germy places or sticky hands. We used them fairly often. I'm very accident-prone. My help I've cut myself mini-first aid kit was an important addition to my bag as well as the normal stuff: powder compact, concealer pen, aspirin, a pen, a snack and tinted lip balm. All these fit in the main compartment and smaller zipper pocket inside, leaving me room for other things I might pick up along the way and my rental car keys.
The Signature Slim Pouch is just that: slim. It is not meant to be packed full of items and still be able to get to everything easily, but it holds your essentials and then some without being heavy or cumbersome.
The front pocket that uses a magnetic closure is very convenient. I used this for my metal card case with my non-essential cards I may or may not need (turns out I did need one of them for something) and my camera. I liked having the quick ease of getting to my camera many times throughout the day and not having to keep fumbling to get to it or carrying it on my wrist and looking like a target to thieves.
In case you think the slim pouch is so slim it might be hard to get things in and out, check out the one side where the zipper comes all the way to the bottom. There's also a nice little piece of fabric that keeps your belongings from falling out onto the sidewalk, that many other bags don't feature. It makes it so much easier to get to things at the bottom of the bag without having to pull everything out.
Maybe you aren't one that enjoys wearing a bag as a cross body. This bag is for you. You have the option of making the strap shorter to wear on your shoulder, or using it as a waist bag by detaching the side from the caribiner, wrapping it around yourself, or through your belt loops, and then reattaching it. This makes this bag super versatile and a great option for almost every traveler.
Another amazing function to this bag, which has become a staple in all the new anti-theft Travelon bags is the locking zippers. You have a lobster claw clasp on the side that has a little bit of stretch to it, so you can pull it out and clip it through the holes in the zipper pulls of the top and back zipper. This is a deterrent to robbers who just like to stealthily unzip bags and steal whatever's in there. For more outright bandits, the bag has a slash-proof construction, both in the body and the strap. The slash and grab doesn't work with this bag, because of the lightweight mesh embedded in the lining. This is definitely one of the most secure bags I've ever carried and will continue to take it with me on trip, both around town and away from home.
More information
How much it costs: $40.00
Colors it comes in: black | eggplant | truffle (shown)
Other specs: 420 D. Polyester fabric that is easily wiped down if you spill on it, 7 x 9 x 2
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Disclosure: I was provided with the Anti-Theft Signature Slim Pouch for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.
