Which Resealable Bag Works Best for Travel?

Just Zip It: How to Make A Clear Choice - washingtonpost.com

RESEARCH QUESTION: The Transportation Security Administration limits carry-on liquid- and gel- based toiletries to what can be crammed into one quart-size zip-top bag. Plenty more will be cruising the X-ray belts come Thanksgiving. Resealable bags are plentifully stocked in the aisles of supermarkets and other stores, and a few travel product companies sell heavy-duty bags, too.

We wondered: Which bag does the best job of not only keeping your toiletries secure but also acting as a toiletry kit for your travels? The store brand or the name brand? Regular or freezer? The one with a double zipper that changes color when sealed or the bag with the plastic clip? Or do you spring for a more expensive version from a travel goods company?

This article is a couple years old, but still very relevant. I recently purchased some assorted size Aloksaks to carry my toiletries and such, so I was curious to find out how they fared against the much cheaper grocery store brands. Follow the link to find out.



In summary, your priorities determine which bag is best. The Aloksak is the toughest by far, and when closed properly, watertight to a greater depth than you are likely to take it. But, the Aloksak also holds the fewest toiletries. In the first photo, you can see that I can't even close the top of the bag with my regulation size toiletries in it. Conversely, the Safeway freezer bag held the most items.



The bags resealed by sliding plastic clip are the least likely (at least of the grocery/drugstore variety) to tear at the seams with repeat closings. I have found that these Hefty Freezer bags with the plastic clip are quite sturdy, and seem to hold the most 2-3oz travel size bottles. In the second photo, I have all the same items, from the Aloksak photo, in the Hefty bag, and I usually add 3-4 more items to it when traveling (small toothpaste tube, sting kill, shampoo and conditioner in small bottles). It holds them all with ease.

Bag Organizer Insert from Pursesitter

PurseIn is thoughtful bag organizer that looks like it can really keep your gadgets well organized. It uses the same idea as the Butler Bag, namely, compartmentalization. this one looks big enough to hold a travel guide, smartphone/PDA, sunglasses, and water bottle, some of the larger items that previous organizational inserts I've tried have not accommodated. It would also be great for gadet/cable/charger storage when traveling.

PurseIn - The smart Purse Organizer available in 5 Fun Colors Holds all your daily necessities 11 Pockets in various sizes that will keep all your items neat and handy PurseIn will fit nicely inside your bag and is easily transferable to another handbag to match your outfit PurseIn If you are sick and tired of ransacking through your purse for your wallet, keys, lip gloss, check book, parking ticket or cell phone for that important phone call, PurseIn is the ideal purse organizer for you. This clever and sturdy purse organizer has eleven pockets in various sizes that will fit all your life's essentials and it even has a handy clip for your keys. There's a place for everything and you will know exactly where your things are. Best of all, if you like to swap your handbag to match your outfit, simply lift the PurseIn Organizer out of your current purse and the entire contents can be easily transferred to your next bag. Simple, quick and easy and you will never forget any of your essential items again! No more dumping everything out of your bag to find anything. Order a PurseIn today and let it keep the little things in your bag neat and tidy for you! Material: 100% Nylon. Dimensions: 11.5" X 9.5" X 5" 30cm X 24cm X 13cm Available Colors:

Portable Hook for Bags and Purses

I think they made a huge mistake here in the marketing of the terrific portable gadget. The more robust ones also work for messenger bags and backpacks, so they would be just as useful to men as to purse-tote'n women.

This particular one is at the lower end of the cost range, selling for $9.99. Seen at Miles Kimball "Hollywood Purse Hook™ Hang your purse in style in the office, a restaurant, or anywhere you carry your bag! Just put this gemmed caddy over the edge of the table and let your hand bag rest with ease. Holds up to 35 pounds with a slip-resistant back. Includes velvet carrying case with a gold and silver hook inside, each with a gem. Metal. 4" long x 1" diameter. " I chose to go with a couple different types: the first one from ThePurseHook seemed like the sturdiest one. I chose it to try in the dog park, where I need to hang the "dog bag" out of the way of the other curious pups. Then I chose a second pair to try for actual purses when I go out to restaurants and bars. These two come as a set. They looked a bit fancier, and they fold up, which is a big plus for a portable freak or someone with a very small purse. One of them even has a mirror, which works like a compact - perfect if you use it to hang your purse in the bathroom stall or on the counter when you go into a public bathroom. From Silverhooks, through Amazon (picture courtesy of amazon)

Which Luggage is Right For You?

PRACTICAL TRAVELER; PICKING OUT THE RIGHT BAG TO PACK - New York Times:

Great article from the NY Times on what type of bag is best suited for you/your trip. These days there are so many options, but no one best choice. Different styles work for different types of trips, so when choosing, keep in mind the length of the trip, amount of hauling you will have to do yourself, type of terrain and transportation (cobblestones and stairways vs limo to luxury hotel).

"Type of Construction. As outlined by Mr. Meek, there are three basic categories of luggage today. One is the hard box, such as the molded luggage of Samsonite or American Tourister and the aluminum alloy cases of Zero Halliburton (which usually retail from about $325 to $550). These are especially durable, watertight and can usually be handled roughly without disturbing the contents. But they are relatively heavy (the 29-inch four-suiter Halliburton, probably the heaviest, weighs 19 pounds).

A second category is semistructured, which means that there is a basic frame but soft or semisoft sides, usually with zippers, allowing room for expansion. ''If you put an extra sweater in, it's going to bulge a bit,'' Mr. Meek said, ''but you won't wrinkle anything.'' Most of the people interviewed agreed that among the better brands are French, Ventura, Skyway and Hartmann. For the traveler who simply must travel heavily laden, such as a professional entertainer, several retailers spoke admiringly of the French jumbo garment bag, which can carry up to eight men's suits or 15 to 18 lightweight dresses and has suggested retail prices from $505 up, depending on length and type of covering.

The third category is totally unstructured, soft, casual luggage - the most prevalent on the market today. It can be in the form of a duffel bag, a backpack or a suit or dress bag to carry aboard a plane and hang up or fold over and stow beneath a seat. It usually lies perfectly flat for storage, will carry as much as anything on the market and weighs practically nothing. If the material used is of superior quality, such as Cordura or ballistic nylon, it is virtually indestructible. Those interviewed mentioned that among the leading brand names are Bill Bayley, Pegasus and Andiamo. "

I definitely live in the third category mindset. To me, the lighter the luggage, the better, since I already have to haul the weight of all the clothes/shoes/electronic equipment inside. Can you imagine starting out with a suitcase that weighs 19 lbs. (Halliburton 4-suiter), and then adding your 20-30 pounds of stuff to it? Where is that bellman?!

In addition, those of us that live in tiny NYC apartments don't have room to store anything but the soft-sided bags that lay flat when empty, and take up relatively little room. Happy Packing!

Victorinox Garment Sleeve "Werks" For Me

Twice a week I walk the 1/2 mile to the cleaners and back to pick up laundered shirts. Twice a week I struggle to keep from dragging the hanging shirts on the ground (I'm 5'2"), being slobbered on by the dog, or wrinkled as I lay them over the chair when I stop for coffee, on the way home. Twice a week I think there must be a better way to get them home.

Today I went on an online search for a garment bag to carry the clean shirts home in. The requirements were: very lightweight, inexpensive or dual purpose (useable for plane travel) foldable so it doesn't drag on the ground, and a shoulder strap so I have my hands free to hold the dog, groceries, or handlebars of my XOOTR.

This is what I decided on:

Victorinox Werks Traveler 2.0 Deluxe Garment Sleeve at eBags
At $129, it is not inexpensive (there were some for $20), but I'll be using it twice a week, vs the twice a year that many more expensive models are used for. Plus, we are big fans of the duffel bag for travel at our house, so a small sleeve for hanging items will fit in perfectly, since there are always one or two items that don't hold up well in the unstructured bags. Below are the Garment sleeve's specs. This garment sleeve was the best combination of lgihtweight and style that I found on eBags, plus, it has a shoulder strap!

Unique design and innovative materials come together to deliver a bag that is durable, lightweight and stylish.

Product Features

Material:	1682 Denier Ballistic Weave Nylon With Teflon Coating
Size:	23" x 23" x 1"
Linear inches:	47"
Weight:	2 lbs , 10 oz
Warranty:	Lifetime guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship

Best Products: Bags

Butler Bag by Jen Groover

This is one of those products that is so good I just had to post it, though it is not specifically a travel gadget, it looks like it will help keep you organized at home or on the road, but especially in transit in the car or on the plane. And the best par about it? It is not ginormous, as most of these super organizer totes are. Well done!

I am going to order one personally, and I will road test it and report back.