Review and Giveaway: Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Messenger Bag

Do you have a great day bag for when you travel, or even something to carry your necessities in when you fly? The problem with a lot of bags is that they are either too big or too small for what you need. Many aren’t secure and those that are aren’t attractive and scream “tourist”. The Signature Messenger Bag from Travelon can solve those problems for you. If you hate regular messenger bags that are bulky and hurt your shoulder, take a look at this stylish bag that won’t get in the way, is ergonomic and has an adjustable, wide shoulder strap.

As you know, I’m a bag hoarder. I have been known to buy a new bag every time I travel based on where I’m going and what I’m doing. Obviously, I want a different bag for the plane than I do for sightseeing or than I do for an amusement park or than I do for a beach trip. Do I need to carry a lot of things with me – like a sweater – or not? Yes, I am really particular, but I’m guessing many of you are, too. Here are the pros of this bag for those of you still searching for the perfect bag for your travels.

It’s anti-theft!

Going to any large city? Guess what? There are probably thieves. If you’re really worried about this, like I am going to Paris, then fear no more. The large strap is cut-proof and the lining of the bag has a slash-proof mesh as well, so unless they want to try to wrench the bag off of you and drag you halfway down the street, it’s a safe bet that no one is going to steal it off your person.

The zippers have locking clips so no one can dip into your bag without you realizing it. This is something that would take effort to achieve by a thief, no matter how deft they are. As you can see from the pictures above, there are clips that slip through the holes in the zippers on both the front pocket that holds your credit cards, phone and other small items and the main compartment as well.

Another feature you can use is the locking clasp that you can detach and reattach the shoulder strap to. Say you’re sitting down to eat at a café. You don’t want to hold the bag in your lap while you eat and you don’t want to hang it on your chair where anyone can just make off with it. Instead, detach the strap, wrap it around the table leg or your chair and reattach it. The slash-proof construction basically turns your bag into a mini-safe. It would be pretty obvious that someone was stealing your purse if they had to take the entire chair or table with them.

Keep your information safe with RFID-blocking card slots that hold up to four cards and a passport. It would suck to get to your destination only to find that someone had used an electronic card reader to steal all your info – and maybe your identity – and spend all your money. Worst vacation ever, right? These things have been tested and they really work! You can feel pretty safe that your cards will still have any money on them that you didn’t spend and your passport won’t be compromised either.

A lot of room, but not too much room!

Most regular messenger bags are like un-structured overnight bags. You put stuff in there and it all falls to the bottom somehow, no matter what it is. Yes, everything is in the bottom. How did that happen??? I have no idea, but it’s annoying. I took this bag with me on the plane to Vegas and the main compartment was perfect for my netbook, but it would be more convenient for an iPad. I was able to also get all my travel docs in there and also stashed my airplane magazine in it as I was deplaning. It still closed and I had makeup items in the back pocket.

I’ve also used this bag on several outings, including a day out where I stashed my mini makeup bag in the main compartment, along with a cardigan, keys and sunglasses. I like that the main compartment is just that. The mesh pocket doesn’t go all the way to the bottom, which makes it easy not to lose things down there and also to get them out. If you can’t see the contents, use the included snap-in handy-dandy mini flashlight to check it out.

The back pocket fits next to your body and is good for things you like to have convenient, like your lip balm and snacks or gum. It is also a half-size pocket, like the one on the inside, so you can’t overstuff it, though, like me, you can try.

It’s pretty rugged!

It’s also pretty and rugged. The eggplant might be a bit feminine, but I feel like the black and the mushroom can work perfectly for men as well. Everyone’s going to look good with this bag slung across their body. Travelon bags can really take a beating. I know, we have a bunch and we aren’t gentle with our travel gear. After many trips, the Signature Messenger Bag is still going to look like you just got it.

More information

Where you can buy it: Travelon online

How much it costs: $65.00

Colors it comes in: black | eggplant (shown) | truffle

Other specs: Poly twill fabric that is easily wiped down if you spill on it, 11.25 x 10.25 x 2 

Want to win your own Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Messenger Bag? Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with the Anti-Theft Signature Slim Pouch for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Infographic: Put Away Your Phone - You're on Vacation

On vacation I cut down a lot on my technological distractions. I like to unplug while I'm out sightseeing and tend to only take photos. We watch a lot less TV when we travel and spend more quality time with each other. Of course, when we have been together 24/7 it can get a little stressful and that's when we will chill out separately at our accommodation. I use my mornings for quiet time and decompress by checking and answering emails while eating sipping my coffee and eating a bit of breakfast. This gives me the personal time I need to start the day. When we get back after a long day out, we talk about our day, but we can often be found in different parts of the room reading or playing on a handheld game. This alone time gives us enough decompression to do it all again the next day.

Holidays Unplugged infographic

While I feel like I need to keep my phone handy for emergencies, I don't think I need to use it constantly on vacation. How do you detox from the digital world when you travel?

Super Useful Travel Links

Happy Friday! I've been poking around this week and decided to run a bonus edition of Super Useful Travel Links. A lot of sadness is coming out of Syria and Egypt (again), making it impossible for anyone to travel near those places. I mean, not like most normal people have Syria on their travel list, but a bet a bunch of you have had Egypt on your list for a long time and every time you hear that there are riots and uprising think "Whyyyyyy?????" Yep. Me, too. So, this week I found a bunch of ways to save money on your trips - that other people wrote!

Some people love to make their own travel videos, but carrying an extra electronic device and everything that goes with it - extra battery, charger, etc. - isn't always something  you want to do. And if you're one of those people who just uses their smartphone for photos and video, it's definitely not going to look too professional. Vine is good if you only want to take postcard snippets to share straight to social media, but what if you want a full-length video for your travel memories? Techlicious has the best apps for amazing smartphone videos. I'm loving the concept of Vyclone and may just try it out on my next trip.

As you know, I love to save money. This year I'm using Airbnb for my accommodations in London and Paris and have saved a ton. Not only have I gotten awesome apartments that have all the amenities I need - washer/dryer, kitchen, convenient location - but I am also spending less on places to sleep than I did the last time we stayed in hotels. 7 years ago. A great new blog called Independent Travel Cats also recognizes the awesomeness that is Airbnb and their post on it shows you how to use it, how it can save you big bucks and how to use it to meet locals who can give you valuable travel info.

I'm no stranger to the farmers' market. Not only does it give me a chance to try the local foods, but it also saves you money by giving you affordable food that you can make meals with instead of eating out at restaurants. Many markets even have food trucks and local bakeries where you can buy breakfast or lunch, too. Want to save even more at the farmers' market? VocalPoint has some great tips, though I don't think many markets give out big discounts near the end, nor do I feel like that is the way to treat farmers who put their life and soul into bringing you their amazing foods, but the other tips are spot-on. 

It's been a long time since I've been to Texas for longer than a day, but this list of suggestions on unique things to do and places to eat in Texas from Daily Candy really makes me want to take a road trip. I also just watched an episode of Tripping Out where Alie and Georgia went to Marfa and showed so many funky things to do there and in the area that i was ready to hop a plane to the city I'd never even heard of. Sleep in an antique luxury RV and take pictures of the fake Prada shop? In!

Is the staycation dead? Priceline seems to think so. They polled their users and the majority of them are taking real vacations now. Everyone is sick of staying home and coming up with creative ideas to do to save money. Possibly, the percentage of travelers is so high, because they are actively using Priceline to find places to stay or they are not including staycations that are in addition to their traditional vaca. Do you think the staycation is dead? If you're still taking one, you can get some fun ideas on my Pinterest board. There's everything from turning your backyard into a movie theater to engaging in a scavenger hunt around your city.

Living in the US, we get pretty spoiled with large meal portions, free refills and complimentary bread and water in restaurants. Europe is not the same. You don't get to take your leftovers home if you don't finish your food, free refills don't exist and ice is almost a myth. If only I had known this piece of advice before my last trip, I could have saved a lot. The blog EuroCheapo explains why you should never BUY water in Paris.

Have you seen any great money-saving posts lately?