This One Product Changed the Way I Travel Forever (I Use It on Every Trip!)
I used to check a suitcase every time I got on a flight — even when I was in college and was flying home to visit my parents for a weekend. At the time I could check a bag for free, and I really didn’t want to “plan” how I packed for the weekend. What if the outfits I put together just didn’t feel great on that day? Add that to the fact that I couldn’t be bothered to buy travel-sized squeeze bottles for my soaps and lotions and, well, a checked bag it was.
I was totally fine with this arrangement — until I had a handful of back-to-back flight experiences with lost bags, delayed flights, and being forced to stay on diverted flights because my bags were below the plane, not above my head. Not to mention that I got tired of waiting at baggage claim for 30 minutes or more just to get my stuff!
After one particular bad string of travel luck, I knew I had to make a change — and a big one. I needed to start planning (and basically stop chronically over-packing), invest in mini-toiletries, and get real, TSA-approved travel bags that would ensure that, barring going on a two- or three-week vacation, I could travel almost anywhere — for almost any period of time — without having to check a bag.
Almost magically, I started getting served ads for Baboon to the Moon bags. Their Go-Bags in particular, which come in three sizes, started to intrigue me a great deal. They come in super-cute colors, and two of the sizes they sell (the Mini and the Small) are TSA-approved as carry-ons. The mini is “personal item”-sized and the small a carry-on size. Their volume capacity is 32 and 40 liters of goods, respectively.
The bags are basically big backpacks with thick, cushioned shoulder straps, handles around the sides of the bag for easy carrying, and hard, rubberized waterproof shells. They weren’t cheap — the small bag is $199 and the mini is $169 — but I had never really bought myself any travel bags, and I knew I was investing in the saved money of no longer paying an extra $35 every time I flew to check a bag.
Go-Bag, Mini
Baboon
$169
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Baboon To The Moon advertises that the Mini-bag can carry one to three days’ worth of clothing and the Small about three to five days’ worth. I think this is an extreme understatement.
Your mileage may vary, but I’ve found that I can pack all the clothes I need, multiple pairs of shoes, toiletries, my laptop, a book, and other carry-on items for 10 days’ worth of travel with absolutely zero issues when I combine the packing power of both the Small and the Mini. I’ve gone on 12-day vacations with these babies with no issues. (Granted, the travel is usually to warmer-weather locations, meaning that I have less bulky clothing.)
In other words, the bags are deceptively large, and even though they don’t expand, I find I can keep cramming and cramming T-shirts, socks, and whatever I’m packing into them well beyond what I thought I could. I’m a big follower of the rolling method for packing (as in, I roll up all my clothes as I fold them), and using that and being smart with my packing has changed my life — no more useless airport lines included.
Go-Bag, Small
Baboon
$199
Buy Now
The bags are limited on compartment space, so these bags aren’t for everyone. There are external mini-pockets, two internal mesh pockets with an elastic band in the body of the bag, and a big zipper mesh compartment on the lid of the bag, but that’s about it. Also, they’re notably not roller bags, so while for me it’s not a problem to carry two bags (usually one on my back and one on my front), it’s not an accessible solution for everyone.
I bought my bags in a bright, neon orange — which they sometimes bring back as a limited-edition color — which I love. If I’m ever gate-checked on my flight, it means the bag will be super-duper easy to spot on any baggage claim tarmac, and it’s very easy to spot in the overhead bins, too!
And I know one other thing: I’m never going to check a bag again, as long as I can reasonably help it. These bags help me do just that!
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
