Travel Duffel Bag-Buy a Travel Duffle Bag

We go to a lot of places. I've been many places in the USA and around the globe. But not everywhere. I am hoping that plan comes through for us, though!

A Travel Duffel Bag makes sense. I always leave the house, when I travel, with my toiletry bag, travel shoulder bag and travel duffel bag - which equals two carry on and one luggage bag that can easily be converted to a carry-on bag.

Whether my travel itinerary is one month, one week, or one day, I always make sure that I have my travel duffel bag with me. Whether I am traveling in just a nearby state or abroad, still I bring all the stuff I need for a meeting, plus my weekend gear with me.

I have one I especially like because it is different and that means that when it comes out of the luggage carousel I see it right away. Immediate identification reduces my chances of bag theft to almost zero.

Being an organized person, it is hard for me to leave a few things behind and pick only a few items for travel. I always have to plan for business, so there are several things on my mind, because my agenda is normally:

1) Get there

2) Chaos and mayhem

3) Leave

That means I always need to bring several items with me for all unexpected emergencies - both business and pleasure.

My travel duffel bag gives me a good-looking set of versatile and handy luggage choices so that I don't leave anything important behind or lose sight of my travel bags in the blur of black bags.

I sometimes have a hard time bringing all these bags especially if the people I go with also bring lots of travel bags. This is why I have two size choices - One for shorter time frames, one for longer time frames.

The longer time frame bag works great for business travel too, because it doubles as a carry-all for files and larger pieces of various office equipment I may need.

However, when you are to buy your own travel duffel bag, make sure that you have these tips in mind;

1. Look at the materials being used for the bag. There are fake duffel bags nowadays. The looks might be very much alike with that of the genuine ones, yet the fabric used for it may be non-weight bearing thin and easily damage. Go for the sturdier canvas and leather combinations that hold up in all kinds of weather and abuse. Look for sturdy handles and watch out for dangling threads usually a sign of poor workmanship. Look for a "D" zip enclosure with a zipper compartment in the flap pat of the "D" closure.
2. Make sure that you will really use the entire bag. When you want to bring duffel bags, yet you only have few things to bring along, it might seem like overkill unless you are bringing several things back with you and you need the extra room.
3. Duffel bags when full are usually heavier and the weight distribution can be awkward. Therefore, make sure you know how far you are walking BEFORE you decide on which size to pick. You want to feel great when you get to your destination, not tired from carrying too large a load, too far a distance.  Get good wheels or a bag that converts with backpack straps if you go too far to carry your bag comfortably.

Be aware that light colored duffels look dirty and ugly really fast and that they are hard to clean once that happens.

Scotchgard is a fabric protector that works great, but you must repeat the process more than once. There are Dry-cleaning places that will perform that service for you for around $5.00 per bag. That's where I take mine after long trips.

Aside from these essential tips for buying duffel bags, here are some other tips:

1. For the adventurous type person, travel duffel bags are perfect. You can bring them when you go camping or you are going on a nature or day trip. Some even double as a backpack the way the straps are positioned.
2. Duffel bags are also perfect for sports. Sports equipment fits well inside and transfers easily when you need those items.
3. Travel duffel bags transfer or store household belongings well too. They can also work in small space areas as storage. They are easily identifiable if you pick a theme - for instance sports duffels in the garage.

Large can hold hockey equipment and pads, or scuba or football gear, medium woks great for soccer or water ski equipment ropes and vests and small makes great storage for extra golf equipment or yard games to keep nets from tangling.

Travel duffel bags are not just for travel anymore.

Airline Requirements

You are allowed to carry on one bag plus one personal item per passenger.

Your bag should meet the following requirements:

· Does not exceed 45 inches when you total length plus width plus height.

· Weighs less than 40 pounds (18kg.)

· Fits in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.

Personal item examples include:

• Purse
• Briefcase
• Laptop Computer
• Camera Bag
• Diaper Bag
• Other same-size personal items

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