International travel for work with a laptop - what bag / bags do you use?

[WeAreJamming]

My current work bag is a 10 year old Furla shaped like a doctor’s satchel, it’s compact but roomy. It has top handles and quite boxy, so not ideal for travel as at least one hand is busy holding it, and it also has no outer pocket to put phone and passport, and it’s a faff to get inside given its shape, handles etc. So, I need another logistical solution.

I do want to retain a bit of glam, so do I get a basic back pack / laptop bag for the laptop and wear a sassy cross body for personal belongings? A tote bag? Most have a button only, so the contents must spill? I only have a beach tote…

I use a larger sized Longchamp Pilage (sp?!)

Ubiquitous I know but works for me as the bag itself is light. I put things like charging cables in a little toilet bag to avoid the black hole of doom you get with a tote with no compartments

Then I have small cross body for phone, passport, tissues and what have you.

Dh used a nordace rucksack but it hasn’t worn as well as he expected. Though tbh he gave it a lot of punishment. I have one too, I like the compartments.

Le pliage size L

Backpack and crossbody bag here.

Laptop in the backpack along with my plastic bag of toiletries/liquids, water bottle, chargers, work notes etc. Depending on who I am flying with I leave enough room for my crossbody bag to squash in the top if it’s a ‘strictly one bag’ policy.

And then I have phone, kindle, passport, tissues, AirPods, boarding card etc. in the crossbody bag.

I’m not a particularly stylish traveller but it does the job.

I am more practical than stylish - I use a Samsonite matching backpack and carryon wheelie case. I use the backpack daily for work.

I used to have a North Face backpack which had an in-built battery pack, which was great. But it was over 10 years old and needed a good wash (non-washable) so DH bought me the set as a birthday present.

both backpacks have laptop sleeve and space for papers, and a second pocket for pens/cables etc, and at least 1 small front pocket (NF had 2).

As an alternate, I have a lovely leather satchel that I can put over the handle of my carryon, but it’s just not so practical as the backpack.

I travel with a Rains backpack. Laptop pocket and enough space for water bottle, umbrella and a snack, then a camera bag style cross body in the top. It has a zip pocket in the back so keep my passport there.

Then carry on for my clothes.

Samsonite backback - I had the light pink Zahlia and now have the dusty blue, very pretty and pretty indestructible too. And little crossbody bag for cards and money.

I'm assuming you're putting clothes in an actual suitcase or some kind of carry on?

Weirdly, I've bought for myself and for my sister, backpacks from Oliver Bonas that work well. Hers has better outside pockets which i wish I'd done for me so I've started using a small cross-body bag to hold my phone and kindle etc. and it can fit in my laptop backpack if necessary while going through security etc.

I’m just waiting for a delivery of an Antler bag - the Urban Core Tote Bag. I’m hoping it will fill this gap for me.

I love my KAAI pyramid bag. Not cheap but it’s structured, glam, lots of pockets, zip across the top.

I use to travel internationally a lot for work and have dragged a lot of laptops around with me, sometimes 2 per trip - one for my client work, one for my employer’s work. And let’s not even get into the personal gadgets. Or the 3 mobile phones on some trips. 🙄I was once stopped for additional security checks at Heathrow due to the amount of electrical equipment their scan showed up. They opened my bag and said “OMG it’s like a branch of Curry’s in here!” 😂

My best laptop bag was from Mandarina Duck and was a briefcase/laptop bag combo (part leather, part nylon) with a (removable) shoulder strap as well as a handle (and those bits you can slip over the handle on a wheelie case to use that to keep it on). It was padded so protected my tech and could fit a hell of a lot of gadgets in but still looked modern and chic (as far as these can things can). It took me years to find a bag that did the trick, and stayed looking good while handling a lot of weight and a lot of travel.

I have a Wenger Swissgear Rhea, which is fab, lots of pockets plenty of space, and long straps which I tend to loop around my suitcase handles. I also live that the lining is lovely and bright too.

I either use a Mia Tui tote bag (as they fit over the handle of my case) - they hold loads and have a few pockets etc. Or I have a laptop rucksack if I don't want to kill my back (like this https://amzn.eu/d/iExK2sK)

I’ve bought this and it’s excellent. Room for laptop and papers, cables in internal open pockets, internal zipped pocket for pens, two water bottle holders inside, two big pockets outside and a flap to put it all over the handles of a wheelie case which if you aren’t using it also zips into a secure pocket thatmy big iPhone slips into nicely. Good length handles for over shoulder wear. Wipes cordura fabric. It’s great.

I’ve got it in brown but also comes in black.
https://www.antler.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/antler-luggage-urban-core-tote-bag-in-clay-brown-tote-bag-4732238137-1147153824.jpg?v=174197

https://www.antler.co.uk/products/urban-core-tote-bag-clay-brown

Snap! I’m so pleased with mine. Hope you enjoy it.

@DelphigirlOh, I’m really excited for mine to be delivered now based on your description!