Whether you’re in the northern or southern hemisphere, chances are, your weekends are getting busy already! Welcome to the silly season. You’re going to need a companion to dart around family gatherings, weekend getaways, work excursions, and everything in between.
Finding the perfect weekender bag will make or break your trip. Finding something reliable, practical, long-lasting, and made with the environment and fair business in mind, is crucial to a smooth journey.
So here are my top five ethical, functional, stylish, and durable travel bags to join you on every adventure.
The Rhodes Duffle: Duffle & Co.
Made of a premium cotton canvas to protect your essentials, The Rhodes Duffle is perfect for a few days away, or a quick overnighter. This duffle is vegan-friendly, and handmade in small runs to reduce waste and ensure quality and originality. The Rhodes Duffle is designed with one spacious compartment, two secure access pockets on the sides, and two little zip pockets. As a New Zealand based brand, Duffle & Co. always ensure they’re giving back to their community. With every purchase made, Duffle & Co. support Kiwi Harvest with a portion of the profits.
The Pike Weekender: Krochet Kids
The Pike Weekender is a bag that won’t only store your belongings, but force you out of the house just so you can be seen with it in public! The perfect size for your carryon, The Pike Weekender is made for short or even week-long trips. It’s slightly bigger than your usual duffle, but still within the sizing requirements for airline carry-on baggage. Made ethically in Peru, The Pike Weekender comes in five different colours and patterns, each including vegan leather straps. Krochet Kids are passionate about breaking the cycle of poverty. They employ women who come from impoverished backgrounds, pay them a fair wage, and empower them not only in the workplace but all areas of their lives. Each bag is signed by the woman who made it. Customers can hop online to see the face of the maker, and even send them a thank you message.
The Nylon Weekender: Everlane
Holding functionality at the forefront, The Nylon Weekender is a bag for the minimalist. We’re talking about the padded carry handle, two exterior slip pockets, a removable padded shoulder strap, and a water-resistant exterior. Reviews rave of its spacious size, but adaptability to compact down when it doesn’t need to hold much. Everlane takes transparency seriously. They’ve published detailed information about the Ho Chi Minh City-based factory where the bags are made in fair working conditions by skilled artisans.
Arbor Classic Pack: Patagonia
If you’re the type of person, who needs their arms free and prefers a backpack: The Arbor Classic Pack is for you. This pack contains everything in one main section, with a drawcord and large flap to clip down with sturdy buckles. The internal laptop sleeve protects your computer from knocks and scratches, and the external zipper is especially for the necessities you need to access in a hurry. This pack is made from recycled polyester fabric, with a durable water repellent to finish. Patagonia are leaders in the ethical sports, active, and adventure wear space. This pack is a beautiful example.
Weekend Bag: Elvis & Kresse
The Elvis & Kresse travel bag will turn heads: it’s made from genuine decommissioned fire-hose. That’s right: your bag could have fought fires in its past life. The strong fire-hose material means your bag will most likely outlive you, your children, and your grandchildren. The lining is made from old auction banners, previously used to advertise products, sales, and events. No Weekend Bag lining is the same. Elvis & Kresse donate 50% of profits from their Fire-hose Collection to The Fire Fighters Charity and continue to rescue retired fire-hoses all over London. The Weekend Bag has an external pocket, an internal zip pocket, and three other internal pockets without zips. A key feature of the bag is the wide mouth, designed especially for easy packing and unpacking. If you’re frequently on the go, this is your ideal escort.
