Few things prickle dread up my spine more than packing. Despite being a former travel editor who still globe trots every time I find enough coins behind my sofa, packing for a holiday is an evil intersection between needing to be organised and my family’s philosophy of ‘it’s better to have too much than not enough’.
However, airlines like Ryanair, British Airways and easyJet are getting stricter and stricter with their baggage allowances. With those baggage allowances comes hidden fees – and with me paying for holidays with said jingling change, those fines and charges are not something I want to encounter. So I turned to one of Amazon’s travel bags, specifically the Lossga underseat carry-on backpack (£17.86).
I’ve travelled to Sydney with just a backpack, but this was for Mardi Gras, so my wardrobe consisted of vests, hot pants and desperation. Las Vegas is a different beast. In the day you need to seamlessly blend with hordes of people glued to the expensive addiction machines and 21-year-olds blasting their livers with tequila-drenched iced drinks the strength of canons. Then at night you need to dress fancy for restaurants and shows and wasting money on tables, this time.
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Eschewing spending £100+ on check-in luggage for a four day trip, I instead picked up next-day delivery for the Lossga carry-on backpack. When the tiny package arrived, immediately my stomach dropped. It looked so small – of course, it is small, at 40cmx20cmx25cm, it even fits underneath Ryanair’s penny-pinching underseat.
The Lossga travel backpack is available on Amazon in four colours
£17.86
AmazonI laid out my items on my bed and did a little prayer to the travel gods. Then once I started placing them inside, they… fit. I managed to pack:
- A pair of dress shoes
- Two pairs of shorts
- Three dress shirts
- Dress trousers
- A pair of jeans
- Five pants
- Five socks
- Four T-shirts
- Three vests
- My Nintendo Switch with charger
- My travel toiletry bag, including hair wax, aftershave, deodorant, moisturiser and face wash
- Passport
The bag boasts four pockets, including a smaller front pocket for bits like your passport and documents, a bigger front slot for anything you have left over and a main pocket that opens up like a mini suitcase, complete with straps. With that much inside, it bulges out, so don’t expect to win a fashion show; I resembled an overgrown Year 7.
The material itself doesn’t feel cheap, despite, obviously, being so. The bigger front pocket and the back one made for slipping laptops has a softer, silkier material that means you can store electronic screens in there without worrying too much. I couldn’t fit the whole Nintendo Switch case inside yet the screen remained blemish free the whole trip.
While it is sturdy, there are a few issues. Firstly, if you’re a big boy like me, the arm straps are quite tight when you’ve packed it to the maximum. I can see that being uncomfortable depending on your size. The bag’s chest strap is also not suited for adults. Maybe if you’re getting your newborn baby to finally pull their weight on holiday.
The zips are surprisingly sturdy for the price too. Since the trip, it’s now my go-to travel backpack. The different sections make organising the bag a dream and its outstanding capacity puts it a step above other bags I’ve seen. Even though the straps are a bit too short, it’s ultimately the most convenient way to travel without breaking the bank – leaving me more dollars to throw into the gaping maw of Vegas’ never-ending cash gobblers.
You can grab the Lossga travel bag on Amazon for £17.86. However, those seeking something a bit more glamourous, Antler are currently hosting their mid-season sale. If you’re still in the market for a backpack, their Essential Backpack in Black, Green and Taupe is cut to £95 down from £113. At 41.5cm x 28cm x 15 cm, the bag will fit in most under-seat restrictions and, frankly, looks way chicer than my bag.
Otherwise, Dunelm has a low cost shoulder bag that may tickle your fancy. Coming in at £20 and 40cm x 25cm x 20cm, it’s the same size as the Amazon one – and is fancy enough to use for work if you wanted.