A Gentle Weekender: 5 Bags for Your Next Trip
Jessie + Céline forever.
With the recent changes to baggage fees on many Canadian airlines, I’ve been finding it challenging to pack for trips lately. Part of my issue lies in feeling torn between wanting to avoid paying what I consider to be ridiculous and unnecessary fees, while also not wanting to be stuck re-wearing the same outfit every day on my trips.
Towards the end of last year, I went on the hunt for a great weekender/carry-on/personal item bag. I did a deep dive on what options are out there, and I thought I would share them here in case the information is useful to anyone.
Ultimately, I did purchase the Everlane bag (see below) but I’m also still eyeing the others—that’s how good they all are.
Everlane’s ReNew Transit Weekend
This is the bag I bought. I love it.
It’s got a lot of practical features like:
two interior water bottle holders
padded laptop sleeve
exterior zip pocket
luggage handle pass-through (that's also a second pocket)
multiple ways to carry it—crossbody, shoulder, or in-hand
made of 100% recycled polyester from recycled plastic bottles
One of the things I look for is a bag—especially a weekender that’ll I’ll be carrying over my shoulder or in my hands—is something light. This bag is that.
Technically, it’s too big to qualify as a personal item on Air Canada though, on a recent trip to Mexico, I used it a such and no one said anything. Once the bag is filled, it definitely won’t fit under the seat in front of you so you’ll need to sneak it into the overhead bin.
It would also be perfect as a regular weekender bag, for a car or train trip.
Before I met my husband and started spending a ton of time in Los Angeles, I wasn’t familiar with Cuyana. But I came across one of their stores one day as I was out shopping, and I was like: “Oh! WHAT do we have here?!”
They make simple and beautiful bags, and I’ve been eyeing a few different models for a while now. For the purposes of this post, let’s talk about their lovely Overnight/Weekender bag.
Here are some of the things it has going for it:
it’s really beautiful—you can’t tell from photos but the weaving of this fabric is lovely, and the hardware is really elegant
it’s made of recycled plastic taken from landfills
it’s washable
metal feet
sturdy handles
cross body strap
comes in two sizes—overnight and weekender
also comes in leather
It’s substantially more expensive than the Everlane bag but it’s also much more elevated. It’s also not as light as the Everlane but it is truly a lovely bag.
I haven’t actually seen this bag in person yet but I love the look of it. It packs like a suitcase but it’s the size of a personal item
Here are some of its other features:
removable & adjustable crossbody strap with padded shoulder pad
wrapped webbing handles on top
clam shell main opening
trolley passthrough with zipper on bottom to covert into pocket
padded laptop compartment
personal item size compliant with many airlines
Herschel’s Bowel Duffle Tech
I saw this bag at the Herschel kiosk in Pearson airport while I was on a layover, and I was seriously intrigued.
Features I like:
made from recycled polyester
clamshell opening
opens like a suitcase
padded laptop sleeve
removable padded shoulder strap
luggage trolley sleeve
front compartment with organizers and key clip
Canadian company 🇨🇦
I feel like Herschel really nailed it with this bag—sleek design, relatively affordable for a bag, and seems efficient.
They didn’t have this pink one at Pearson when I saw them but, if they had, I’d probably own it.
Niru’s 48h Weekender
This is another bag that I have not seen in person yet but that I really like the look—and colour—of.
It’s a much simpler bag than than the others in that it doesn’t have as many bells and whistle but you still get:
made from recycled nylon
handles + adjustable strap
fastening trolley strap
2 year warranty
includes removable packing pouch
lightweight + foldable
Canadian company 🇨🇦
Some of these bags—as well as a number of other products I like and own—are linked in my brand new ShopMy page, if you are of that persuasion.
Do you have a bag that you love and recommend? If so, I’d love to know about it (as would the comments section below).
*The image for this post on the main blog page features a custom, one-off bag designed by Louis Vuitton for the film The Darjeeling Limited. While it's not for sale, you can find bags inspired by it here.