Travel Bags

Review: Genius Pack High Altitude Flight Bag and Portable Mobile Charger

a white rechargeable battery with a black cord

A company called Genius Pack has come out with an interesting concept for travel bags: a labeled place for everything, plus built in extras that make trips much easier. They sent me their High Altitude Flight Bag and Portable Mobile Charger to test, and here are my thoughts. Since a few unfortunate incidents with my…

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Review: Victorinox Werks Traveler 4.0 20in

a black suitcase with a handle

Those of you who have been around for a while know that I have a seven year old Ogio suitcase that has gone all over the world with me. I have loved it, but the hard use has taken its toll, and it is time to find a replacement. There are so many great brands…

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Buying a new carry-on

a close-up of a suitcase

One of my close friends will soon be starting a new job that includes a significant portion of time on the road, and she wants my help picking out a new rollaboard. I have had the same Ogio suitcase for over seven years, and it has made hundreds of trips with me, gone around the…

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Help! I need a super small carryon!

a pink bag with a handle

What if you have pared down your packing list to your bare essentials, but your personal item still won’t fit under the seat in front of you? A couple of months ago I got an email from a reader about this exact scenario. I am a pretty well optimized business traveler – I’ve got the…

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Personal Item Packing List

a purse and wallet inside of a bag

The personal item is the most important bag you take on a business trip. Yes, a suitcase may have all of your clothes and toiletries, but those things are replaceable. The information kept in your laptop, cell phone, and any work-related documents in your purse or briefcase would be much more difficult to replace, which…

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I need a rolling briefcase!

a black and white suitcase with handles

After my last couple of day trips, it is very clear to me that I need a rolling briefcase. I just carry too much stuff in my purse for it to be comfortable, especially for huge airports like DFW. Even though I’ve been talking about getting one for almost a year, it just hasn’t been…

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Suitcase calluses?

a handle of a suitcase

Here’s a weird thing about traveling that I have only recently noticed. In 2012, I didn’t fly for about five months due to pregnancy and maternity leave. That’s a long time for a road warrior to be grounded! It’s also a long time to not pull a heavy suitcase all over the country. And apparently…

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Top 5 Quality Carry-on Luggage Brands

a red suitcase with a handle

Several questions have come in recently about what type of luggage a new business traveler should get. I’ve written a post about what to look for in a rollaboard, but wanted to give some specifics. These are my opinions, a different person may come up with an entirely different list. Ogio. I have had the…

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A few fabulous bags

a pink purse with a strap

Technically it’s winter. Even though here in Texas lately it’s been in the high 70s and even 80 some days (sigh) the typical winter colors are everywhere—dark and somber grays, blacks, and other neutrals. I woke up needing a shot of something bright and happy, and not much makes me happier than looking at purses!…

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Answering Readers’ Questions: Carry-on Baggage on Lufthansa

a black suitcase with a handle

From Reader M: On Lufthansa economy out of London Heathrow, I can take one checked suitcase and one carry-on. The rules shown on Lufthansa’s web site mention only the carry-on–nothing about additional item such as a purse or lap top bag. They must, surely, allow such things, but the website doesn’t say, and I can’t get…

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