Happy Holidays from snowy Austria! My family and I have gone on our annual ski trip, to a place that may as well have the motto, “work hard, play hard”. Families ski all day in Bogner, Moncler and Frauenschuh, afternoon at the ice bars and cafes, walking along the street and shopping at the boutiques, and then have long, meat-laden meals at the local hotels and restaurants – all in a town center that is perhaps 1/2 mile long. I begin packing for this trip about two weeks in advance, as not only do we need all the requisite ski gear (of which there is quite a lot), but I also have to plan what I should wear for the various meals, some more formal than others, which also require some amount of walking (or even waiting) in the snow.
The question then asks itself: do I need a bag? And then – because obviously of course I do, who am I kidding – What bag should I carry? Finally, how do I get it there, without any issues? Whether you are traveling on a ski trip, or to a city like Paris or Rome, or on any other holiday or vacation, once you have decided to carry one of your good bags (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this, at some point in time you are probably going to do so), you have to figure out the best way to go about it.
I am not the first person to write about this, and I was a bit wary of covering ground that has been covered before, elsewhere, but I have yet to read a realistic article on this subject. My issue with the articles I have read on traveling with your bag is that they seem so impractical; whether it was spending notable sums on bags for your bags, or using packing methods which require you to actually hand carry more on top of whatever it was that you were already going to carry (I envisioned myself struggling to carry three bags nested within each other, all stored inside an even larger expensive bag, struggling with that bag and my wheeled carry-on behind my family, who were ready to leave without me as I held up TSA screeners and continually lagged far behind). It just seems to me like those articles were written by people who didn’t have children, or only two hands, or – aha – were much more concerned with the appearance of traveling luxuriously, ignoring the realities of travel. This may not be the first Traveling-With-An-Expensive-Bag article you have ever read, but it will truly be the most honest and practical.
The answer is really one easy word: backpack (more specifically, an ultralight packable daypack, but I’ll use “backpack” to keep it simple). Maybe that’s a word that you don’t want to hear with regards to your expensive bag, but once you find the right backpack and worry less about how it looks, and then you actually travel with it, you will find that it solves a number of issues at once and makes your travel situation quite a bit easier.
There are a number of benefits to using an understated backpack as your bag travel companion. First off, all those nice bags inside nice bags, or on their own, do tend to attract some attention – at least, *I* certainly notice whenever someone is carrying something expensive through the airport, and I know I’m not alone. Is this really the place you want your good things to be seen and noticed? Of course not.
Another benefit is a worry-free layer of protection for your bag, depending upon the material that the backpack is made of. Most are rather sturdy and can protect against unwanted jabs and even spills.
I love backpacks because they are totally hands-free and, even better, you are wearing your bag, so it’s on you all the time. You know it’s there, though no one sees it (we were waiting to get on the plane when my husband asked me whether I had even brought a purse), it’s protected, it’s on you, it’s light, and the backpack will likely have extra external zippered andside pockets so that everything else you need for your actual travel is handy and easily accessible.
Finally, chances are good that there will be some times on your trip when you are going to need a bag other than your purse or where a purse isn’t appropriate. For example, today I decided to take a day off from skiing and needed to find a treadmill and go for a run. Fortunately there was a place in town with the facilities I needed, but maybe walking in with my 25cm Kelly wouldn’t be the best idea and might even garner some unwanted attention. I had no worries, though, because I had the backpack with me, and so I was able to bring my Kelly and workout necessities while still remaining appropriate and under the radar.
Now of course, you have to make some decisions when choosing what bag(s) to bring with you on a trip. As always, the fewer, the better. Frankly, unless you are traveling with small children, you do not need a large bag. The more you carry, the more you will have to keep track of, and in most places it’s not a good idea to leave a purse in your hotel room so it will have to go everywhere with you. The exception to this, as far as Hermès goes, is that bags which are 25cm or smaller fit in most room safes. I may have even gotten a 30cm Birkin into one years ago, when my children were little and we went to go swim with Dolphins. Also, if you are in a place like Las Vegas, which is very concerned with security, you can use one of the hotel safes on the main floor. Regardless, I do not travel with more than one bag and one clutch: usually a 25cm Kelly (because of the strap) or Birkin, and something like a large Constance or Kelly wallet. This provides enough variety and is not too much to worry about, although on this trip I have just brought the Kelly, and we are away for ten days. Keep in mind the material your bag is made of; as there is so much unpredictability with regards to travel, sturdy leathers that can withstand some inclement weather (or possibly the occasional Disney water ride, yes, I’ve done that) are key.
Once you decide which bag or bags you are bringing, you need to find the right backpack. I was fortunate that the right backpack actually found me a few years ago, when I was was staying at Mohonk Mountain House in New York with my husband and older son. The hotel, which is very well-known for its hiking and rock climbing trails, lacks room safes. How was I going to manage a two-hour hike with my 25cm Birkin? I found the answer in the hotel’s store: a small black daypack by ChicoBag which easily stretched to fit my purse (and even my iPad behind it) with some useful exterior zippers and bottle-holding pockets on the sides. Problem solved! I made it up the mountain with that Birkin safely protected on my back, and it’s been my constant travel companion since.
While my solution may not work for you, you should definitely take some time to look at your options and decide what will work best for your travels. I will only suggest that a thin, light backpack that is sturdily made is your best bet, as you don’t really need cushioning and you don’t want to add any unnecessary weight.
Here are some good places to start, just based on my personal research (I am in no way affiliated with these companies):
This is the bag I use. It is made from completely from “100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles”, which is a total win for me.
Some of these also look like good options.
Reviews of other Ultralight Travel Daypacks.
Safe travels!!
I actually thought this was a great article until you talked about bringing your Kelly to the gym and Birkin while rock climbing. Good grief, don’t bring a bag at all or travel with a smaller bag. Where did you put your Kelly while you were working out? In a gym locker? yea that’s how things get stolen. but why did you even bring it to begin with? carry a wallet. Problem solved. Honest, sure but not practical at all.
Ummm…… well this was quite an intriguing article. But, if I wanted to take an expensive bag like an Hermès Kelly on vacation then I would not use this method at all; in fact I would unapologetically carry my bag regardless of the looks. It seemed like the author overthought the entire process and this kind of took the “fun” out of the article.
Agree. I travel overseas for work all the time and I rock my bags, and so do my female colleagues! And no one singles me out. As a matter of fact, I get better treatment everywhere I go.
Let’s continue the conversation here on PurseForum!
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/purseblog-article-traveling-with-your-hermes-bag.1022399/
Depends on location I lock mine in the roll on bag …
Same here. I also check with my insurance agent every so often to make sure they’re covered by my insurance, so in the event they are stolen, I know that, at a minimum, they’re insured.
Great advice! I have a few nice Dooneys (hoping to have a Birkin one day lol) and now I know how to travel with them.
Great article!!
I started travelling with a Fawn Design/Miss Fong diaper bag. That’s right a diaper bag, and no I don’t have any children. It’s super roomy, loads of pockets outside and in (2 of them are insulated so if you fill a bottle at an airport water fountain it remains cold), it’s durable as it’s build for heavy loads, it has 2 stroller straps that I use to attach it to the carry-on. It’s a backpack but also has a shoulder strap. And the best part it doesn’t look like a diaper bag…looks like a regular fake leather backpack…super stylish…
I actually love this idea! I had never thought about carrying a bag in a backpack. Great idea!!!!
I actually thought this was a great article until you talked about bringing your Kelly to the gym and Birkin while rock climbing. Good grief, don’t bring a bag at all or travel with a smaller bag. Where did you put your Kelly while you were working out? In a gym locker? yea that’s how things get stolen. but why did you even bring it to begin with? carry a wallet. Problem solved. Honest, sure but not practical at all.
First world, white people problems. Either use the bag or leave it home..but carrying it around in a bigger bag is just nuts. The day I have to spend this much time and energy thinking about a few ounces of leather is the day you can just shoot me and put me out of my misery.
What does white people have to do with this? There are many women that aren’t white that carry high end luxury bags such as Hermes.
Good point.
They too are idiots if they take their Brkin in a backpack when sightseeing.
Edit; First world, shallow woman problems.
There I fixed it. Didn’t mean to exclude anyone from my scorn!
I’m just carrying a backpack around and telling people there’s a Birkin in there. So much cheaper!
Started out well, then I wondered if this article is a joke. Taking a backpack with an expensive bag hiking or to the gym? Really?
I agree, thought it would be a great article but wondered why you would travel to the gym or go hiking with a Kelly or Birkin. I am not a “back pack” person so usually when I travel, I take one bag with me which can multitask for the trip & during the trip.
I liked this article – I just did some traveling by air for the Holidays and did the same thing – put my “good” bag in my very non special backpack and it worked out great.
Travel bag of choice…. Hermès Danse or Mini Constance. Tuck a folded plastic bag inside the bag in case of rain. At least you can cross body under a longer jacket if you are not in a super safe area.
I cringe when I have to place a bag on a security belt or those tiny bistro tables where there is no where to protect my bag.
Oh jeez! why not just find stylish and affordable alternatives!? My friend is an independent handbag designer, she started her own handbag brand and designed a really cute backpack for travel. I bought her (Leisara) Elena maxi backpack- saffiano Italian leather, spacious and affordable. Plus super low maintenance and stylish. Not that ugly thing used in the post. We do not have to sacrifice style ladies!!
Was my comment deleted ?
White people really are afraid everything’s going to get stolen. I lived at a hotel 250 days out of the year for eight years and never once got a piece of jewelry, clothing, handbag, or even change stolen.
What? I’m a black woman, and I’m afraid that everything is going to get stolen – even at the Four Seasons! You are taking a chance if you leave valuables in your hotel room and they’re not locked up. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen. That is the kind of rationalizing that will get you into trouble. “Well, I’ve left my baby in the car by herself for 3 years now. And she hasn’t died of heat stroke yet.” Really?
Babies and Birkins are two things the world needs less of, Donna.
What is wrong with you that you make such an outrageous statement that “white people really are afraid everything’s going to get stolen”. Who talks like that? You also state that you lived in a hotel “250 days out of the year for 8 years…”, but you are trying to draw a correlation between living in a hotel and white people being afraid their items will be stolen? Your statements are very insulting and should be thoroghly examined for the hatred towards whites that you feel and that shows through in your words.
The correlation, since inference isn’t really your strong suit, is that I have never had anything stolen from a hotel in my extensive time spent in them. My outrageous and very insulting statements are what they are, go ahead and tell me about reverse racism please. Also, I’m white and yeah you fellow whites are fucking embarrassing.
Oh, honey bless your heart! Let me give you some advice! Take a hard look at yourself instead of attempting to denigrate others with your “sarcasm” and ill wit. I have no idea the reason that you lived in a hotel for an extended period of time, but you seem to resent it and place blame on “whites” for the cause of your problems. And to say that “fellow whites are fucking embarrassing” says more about you, and the type of people that you associate with, than anyone else. You are lashing out with your hatred towards mankind and your name says it best “Wow”! BTW, as a reminder, this is “Purseforum” and not “Hateforum”. You need to search out the site you are looking for because this isn’t it. Thx!
A bunch of women who obsess over handbags like you do are definitely not my type of people. Maybe you should reevaluate what you’re doing for mankind. Thank you for the laughs, boomers don’t know how to not feed the troll clearly.
I am sure your fellow white people don’t want you either. By the way, knocking your own race doesn’t give you a guest race card with my race. We don’t want you either so don’t mock defect and “identify” with us by patronizing a group you cannot possibly understand . What a train wreck you are! Please continue to bring your clearly infectious joy, kindness, love and tolerance to others (and ummmmm love of luxury handbags – why are you even here?) ….by moving to a deserted island away from them.
Wow what a twat
Well by your account it must be only white people that are targeted. My experience in staying at 5 star hotels is this: 1) passport stolen out of the safe in Paris 2) travelers checks and passport stolen out of the safety deposit box in Munich 3) clothing out of my suitcase stolen in Vegas 4) credit cards stolen out of the safe in Puerto Rico (with a nice 10k charge within the hour) 5) Purse stolen in Rio out of the room while showering 6) Prescriptions stolen in Hawaii out of the bathroom 7) iPad stolen in London and 8) Jewelry stolen in Aspen while the cleaning lady was in the room (I was there also waiting). It magically appeared at the front desk later though. So you’re right, maybe race has something to do with being targeted.
Wow. Why have you had such bad luck? After the first time or two, I would be extremely leery of travelling for sure.
Sucks to be white, huh? You should probably stop traveling.
Again, “sucks to be white”? Take a close look at yourself because something is missing from your life that makes you such a racist! Good God!
You’re not very familiar with sarcasm, are you? Must be a white boomer.
“Sarcasm”? Really, you should look up the definition because you are way off base and…a bit ignorant. You can’t hide behind “sarcasm” when you are called out. Go away now and learn from your mistakes!
Is it me, or does the whole concept of packing a beautiful Hermes bag into a crappy backpack & then not really using it, seem idiotic?
I agree that putting a nicer bag in a backpack, when traveling, is a great idea! It prevents unwanted attention and protects the bag. When I travel I usually only carry my Hermes Evelyne because it packs well, carries a lot and is very versatile. I also carry it the “proper” way making the bag fly under the radar and nondescript. However, knowing that theft is problematic, especially in Paris at the tourist attractions, I never travel with my Birkin or Kelly. Based on this, I don’t understand why some ppl see this a “white person’s problem”? Anyone, with an ethnic background (i.e. everyone) should understand the importance of protecting personal and expensive property. To state that this is a “white person’s problem” demonstrates a racist, narrow minded and ignorant mentality.
Well said. I’m brown and I rock my bags everywhere (my favorite travel bag is my Hermès Evelyn too!). And Pickpockets beware. This Bronx girl is not letting anyone near her bag!
Years ago in New York a man hit me hard as I was getting off the City bus. I was angry and addressed him, but my husband pushed us along not wanting a confrontation. I realized my bag had been opened and hundreds of dollars in money orders were stolen, but they were insured so I was compensated. This taught me well and in all my years of traveling abroad no one gets near me or my bag! The glares and stares I give them keep them at bay! ?
I thought about this every time I travel since some places its ok to be more obvious while other places I am afraid my bags will get ruined by weather, stolen, or not easy to carry around. If its a shopping trip (I am in Paris at the moment), I try to pack less and bring extra Longchamp bags to bring my new purchases home. I usually end up bringing 1 cross body bag and 1 WOC.
The backpack idea is interesting since I end up buying a new cheap suitcase for my new purchases
For all the criticism towards her taking her bag rock climbing go to Purseforum and she explains her reasons. However, it’s also her bag and why criticize what she does with it? If she wants to carry her dog in it or set it on fire…who cares…it’s her money and her bag.
Because she talked about other articles being unrealistic and that her way was going to be practical. And we shouldn’t have to go to the forum to read her reasons, they should be in this article. That said, I don’t care what she does with her bags. I would never do that and it seems many other here agree with me. So good for her, but I’m betting no one will take this advice.
No worries. I have actually gotten a lot of positive feedback from this article for my recommendations, as well as the criticism here. Yes, I forgot to include in the article that when I went to Mohonk, I had not planned to go hiking, but my husband had back problems so he couldn’t go with our son. I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I went instead. It turned out fine. Not everyone will agree with this article, and that’s totally ok. My point about being “practical” (as far as this sort of thing can be practical!) is that this article is a response to other traveling-with-your-Birkin articles, which some people may have read. Cheers!
Mom hiking with kid because dad has back problems = dad hanging with the Birkin. I would still love to know what you did with it while you were working out at the gym.
Maybe Dad was in the sauna or jacuzzi for his bad back and couldn’t “hang” with the Birkin so she took it with her. She strikes me as an intelligent woman (she is an Attorney, too) so don’t you think she figured it out in order to maintain its safety, in the gym? You seem to be hounding her and don’t you think it’s time to let go of your obsession? ?
Sounds like she called up her friends to come log in and defend her. Good grief, you never even commented on the article to begin with. She also never answered what she did with it while she was at the gym.(which I think it a legit question)
No, I’ve never met her, but didn’t know I couldn’t express my opinion. Honey, you keep asking and asking why she made the decisions that she did, but she doesn’t owe you or anyone, including myself, any further explanations. It’s just NOT that important of a question. You need to ask yourself why it’s so important to you that she answer such a silly question that you consider “legit”. Really, legit? If you come up with an answer then that is the definition of obsession. At this time, I think this conversation has been talked to death and it’s time to end it, don’t you agree? Try to have a pleasant day and I’m really being serious! Bye!
Funny you say you don’t know her, but know she’s a lawyer. Time to end a conversation because you say so. Talk about contradicting. I really did want to know where she put the bag while at the gym. I can relate more to that than backpacking with it while hiking. But you are right, she doesn’t have to answer. Does anyone even care at this point? Whatever.
Sorry, I don’t receive notifications and haven’t checked in for the past few days. As far as hiking goes, I wouldn’t ask my husband to “look after” my bag, that’s my responsibility. Let him do what he needs to do to feel better.
If I told you what I did with the bag at the gym you would probably not like that, either (NOT the locker ;), so it doesn’t matter. I’m just being me.
These articles are just supposed to be fun. If you like my suggestions, great; if not, that’s ok, too.
As far as the other comments here, if I get criticism, I can take my lumps. If I put myself out there, that’s part of it. Anyone who wants to vouch for me is, of course, appreciated, but I wouldn’t ask. Also, my bio (above) states that I’m a lawyer.
Travel bag of choice: Nylon backpack. After spending a week in a hut in the Amazon Jungle, traveling along the Nile River in a felucca, camping in Tunia’s Sahara Desert and sleeping on a sand dune in a sleeping bag, whitewater rafting on the Urubama River in Peru, hiking the mountains of Romania and traveling through Vietnam by train, I’ve learned to leave the Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, YSL and Louis Vuitton at home.
Yes, there are definitely travel destinations where the good bags should stay at home! 🙂
Would never carry a designer bag on an adventure trip, but Europe city trips are another story.
Even then, it depends. I’d carry a designer bag that can take rough and tumble travel. I just don’t want to have to worry that I’ll scratch the leather when I’m trying to grab my suitcase or I’m getting in and out of cabs. I can’t baby a bag when I’m traveling. Even when I take my Kelly 35 Sellier to work, I find more scratches on it at the end of the day.
I am not sure if I understand the message.
I start thinking that we, the European living in compact cities, taking public transports, with busy profession and careers could have a different way of interacting with our luxury handbags. I take my Kelly in planes with European connections and I am not unique. I can often see those Hermes (both Kelly snd Birkin) in the floor of the cabin in planes landing in Brussels. I have colleages with discrete Birkins around in scientific meetings. I have seen people doing the grocery shopping with Kelly in the shoulder in my closest supermarket. One point is that in most of those working, flights, daily life activities that I mentioned nobody ( just we, handbag lovers) pay any attention to our handbags so risks is very low. My only concern is to take a portable proteccion to avoid the handbag touch the floor. I use one of those rain covers for racksack, a small one. I only buy handbags that I would use and enjoy touching, watching, transporting my stuff around, those ones are for city life. For outdoor activities I have another collection of technical racksacks or bags.I do not see the reason to mix.
I dont own a Kelly or Birkin but I do own some nice bags like Chanel and Celine so of course I dont want them to get ruined! I always put them inside a Large Le pliage and only take ONE nice bag per vacation in case I go to a nice place / concert, etc.
Personally, I find Bensimon range of nylon soft messenger or cross bags extremely use either as a cover for your more prized bag or as additional extra shopping bag during yr travel. It is so lightweight, you barely feel the presence.
What’s with all the hate for this article? Is this Purseblog or Snobblog?
I personally LOVED your article! It’s very realistic – I travel a ton, and deal with this problem every time I go somewhere where I’d want to use my beloved bags, but also want to avoid unnecessary scrapes when in transit or doing more practical activities, or when travelling with just carryon. Personally (purseonally?), carrying your beautiful Kelly then stowing it under your seat sounds horrendous- not that there’s anything wrong with that, but knowing that you’ve got a great solution with the daypack to stow it in for extra protection, is really brilliant.
People would REALLY give you an earful if you decided to stay in your hotel room guarding your Birkin instead of popping it in a cheaper backpack to hike with your son. That tunnel looks like part of an incredible hike- I’m sure he has many special memories of the trip with your family!
Of course there are many places in the world where you could choose to leave your designer gear at home. But Austria isn’t the place for that.
Remember, The Notorious Pink wrote about a ski lodge in Austria requiring a mix of outdoor and dressier events- of course she’d want to bring a delightful luxury purse to wear for après-ski! That Kelly is so gorgeous and compact!
Would love to hear how you avoid scraping your nice bags when going through airport security, by the way! Keep up your great work!
Well said, I completely agree with you! I read the comments here and then, out of curiosity, went to Purseforum to read those comments. There is a huge disconnect on this site because the comments can be brutal, mean and downright personal. However, from what I read on Purseforum it’s a different echelon with more sophistication, class, kindness and respect. IMO that’s how it should be on both sites, but sadly it is not and I don’t know why.
Thank you so much! :):):)
Hey, thank you! You are SO kind! I figure that if I’m going to “put myself out there”, I ought to be able to take the criticism, so I’m ok. The funny thing is that I have gotten a much larger social media response from this article than any of the others I’d previously written, so it definitely resonated with some people! Yes, the dinners were 2-3 hours long and you had to be dressed. We have lots of great memories, and my boys know that I am just going to be unapologetically me. 🙂 Thanks again!!!
Funny, when I travel and bring my expensive bags, on the days I’m not using them, I lock them in my suitcase and leave them in the hotel. I’ve actually never thought to put them in the hotel safe. Also, I keep records, so if they are stolen, I would put them through my homeowner’s insurance.