How to Pick the Best Travel Bag for Your Next Trip • The Blonde Abroad

While picking the perfect piece of luggage is one challenge, deciding which travel bag to pack for day use on a trip is another.

Depending on whether you’re backpacking Europe, spending the weekend in New York, or have a business trip to Bangkok…

Here are some helpful tips on how to pick the best travel bag for your next trip.

The Ultimate Carry-On Bag

The Lo & Sons’ Overnight & Gym Bag is my go-to carry-on bag. It’s lightweight, has normal purse style handles, plus a larger cross-body strap which is great if you’re lugging around a lot of stuff.

For business travelers, there’s also a padded laptop compartment and a side pocket for carrying an extra pair of shoes- so you easily can go from flats to heels before you even exit the aircraft!

Lo & Sons OG Bag

A Place for Everything
Travel Ready
Premium Materials

The Stylish Camera Bag

If you’re like me, you never leave home without your camera. But, it’s important for me to store my camera in a bag, rather than wearing it around my neck so I don’t stick out as a tourist and don’t become a target for theft.

My Lo & Sons Claremont Crossbody Bag is the ultimate blend of style & versatility, while still being perfectly practical. The leather exterior ensures durability and the padded interior protects my camera while I’m out exploring.

Claremont Crossbody Bag

Designed for DSLR Cameras
Doesn’t Look Like a Camera Bag
Thoughtful Features

The Versatile Day Bag

For the perfect everyday travel bag, I love my convertible leather crossbody bag and clutch by Lo & Sons. The Pearl’s buttery leather exterior is ultra-luxurious making it perfect for transitioning from a day of exploring to a clutch for a night out.

It even features a padded zipper compartment for protecting a mini-tablet or smartphone and has tons of pockets for traveling with your essentials.

The Pearl Convertible Crossbody Bag

Fits All the Essentials
Convertible Strap
Premium Materials

Instagram

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18094787833947297

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18083248064243187

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

🚨 FINAL SPOTS. 🚨
Our @tbaescapes Luxury Peru Journey is nearly sold out — and we are down to the last remaining spaces 🇵🇪🦙
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We shared this experience first with our email waitlist… and it filled fast. Now, we’re down to the very last spots — and this is it.

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

This is your chance to join one of the most extraordinary trips we’ve ever offered!

Think: luxury accommodations, a fully all-inclusive experience, a bucket list rail journey and overnight stay at Machu Picchu, and a once-in-a-lifetime finale cruising the Amazon Rainforest aboard a privately chartered luxury riverboat.

📍 Peru
🗓 September 6–16, 2026

No planning. No second-guessing.
Just iconic places, seamless logistics, and the kind of sisterhood that makes these trips unforgettable.

🚨 Spots are extremely limited! 🚨
For full details and a direct link to apply, drop “PERU” below ⛰️✨
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#tbaescapes #peru #machupicchu #amazonriver #luxurygrouptravel

400 25

Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18077029469525814

🚨 FINAL SPOTS. 🚨
Our @tbaescapes Luxury Peru Journey is nearly sold out — and we are down to the last remaining spaces 🇵🇪🦙
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We shared this experience first with our email waitlist… and it filled fast. Now, we’re down to the very last spots — and this is it.

When they’re gone, they’re gone.

This is your chance to join one of the most extraordinary trips we’ve ever offered!

Think: luxury accommodations, a fully all-inclusive experience, a bucket list rail journey and overnight stay at Machu Picchu, and a once-in-a-lifetime finale cruising the Amazon Rainforest aboard a privately chartered luxury riverboat.

📍 Peru
🗓 September 6–16, 2026

No planning. No second-guessing.
Just iconic places, seamless logistics, and the kind of sisterhood that makes these trips unforgettable.

🚨 Spots are extremely limited! 🚨
For full details and a direct link to apply, drop “PERU” below ⛰️✨
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#tbaescapes #peru #machupicchu #amazonriver #luxurygrouptravel

Cancel reply

Erica

Hi, I am interested in purchasing the camera bag but want to use it as a purse too. However it doesn’t seem like there is room for my travel wallet and camera. Can you fit everything in one bag as a day bag? I don’t want shlep a camera bag and a crossbody bag when i’m out and about.

November 29, 2016 at 1:52 pm · Reply

Kiersten Rich

Hi Erica! I’ve used The Claremont for over a year as a day bag– it fits a thin wallet, sunglasses, my DSLR camera, extra batteries and even has room to spare for the random items I collect lol. If you check out Lo & Sons website, you can see some images of The Claremont packed with a camera & lens so it might help you visualize if the bag would work for you 🙂

November 30, 2016 at 5:13 pm · Reply

Patricia Haynes

I love reading your post, really good to carry these bags, I use this type of bag, which is very much my favorite

September 15, 2017 at 10:36 pm · Reply

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Here are some helpful tips on how to pick the best travel bag for your next trip.

The Ultimate Carry-On Bag

The Stylish Camera Bag

The Versatile Day Bag

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