Is a sling bag a good travel bag? If you’re struggling to find the perfect combination of day bag and in-flight personal bag, a sling bag could be a good fit. I figured it was worth investigating, and here are the results.

What’s a sling bag?

• It’s a one-strap backpack.
• Worn in front, it resembles a crossbody purse. Worn in back, it’s a backpack. Worn at the side, it’s similar to a messenger bag.
• It’s gender neutral, worn by both women and men.
• Compared to a backpack, it’s easier to deal with on public transportation. Wear it in front to sit down, or in crowded spaces.
• Worn in front, it’s better than a backpack for deterring pickpockets.
• Wear it in front to access your stuff. There’s no need to remove the bag to grab your water bottle, camera, rain jacket, or anything else.
• Like many other travel bags, it facilitates going hands-free. And, when worn in front, it’s a comfortable place to rest your arms.

My sling bag journey

On a recent trip to Malta, I was introduced to the sling backpack. While I was awkwardly working with a flimsy packable daypack, my two travelling companions seamlessly shifted from one activity to the next with their sling packs. Their bags were comfortable and functional, and my friends worked with them effortlessly. I developed a serious case of bag envy.

There’s no perfect bag. Activities, body types, and preferences on what needs to be carried all influence our choices. Different bags work for different people and different trips. For traipsing around Malta, the sling bags were a good fit for my friends. They loved them.

I was keen to try one myself, and decided my next trip, to New York City, might be a good opportunity. But first, some research.

What would it carry?

The size and security features of the bag would be influenced by what I intended to carry. I made a list of things I usually like to have with me while out and about, and in transit when it would double as an in-flight personal bag.

• comfort pack (e.g., tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer, moisturizer, lip balm, sunscreen)
• small first-aid kit
• flashlight
• pocket shopping bag
• packable rain jacket or travel umbrella
• warm merino layer(s) and pashmina in a compression cube
• sunglasses
• water bottle
• iPad mini
• iPhone X
• chargers, perhaps an external battery
• in-ear headphones
• pocket camera
• slim wallet
• passport sleeve with travel documents
• pen

Desirable features of a sling backpack

Based on my friends’ experience, and my own with various day bags, I had a list of features in mind:

• padded breathable strap that doesn’t chafe exposed skin
• padded breathable fabric where the bag comes in contact with the body
• adjustable strap allowing the bag to be worn at different lengths in front or back
• hardware on the strap and both sides of the bag to make it easy to switch positions from front to back and shoulder to shoulder (‘reversible’)
• loop for carrying, clipping to another bag or object, or hanging on a hook
• roomy main compartment
• internal organization with pockets and sleeves for storage, security, and quick retrieval
• sleeve for a laptop or tablet, protected by padding or where it’s positioned
• external organization (e.g., pocket on the strap for sunglasses, hardware or attachment points to clip light objects)
• water bottle pocket
• back security pocket with a zipper, preferably concealed
• durable zippers on all compartments (no Velcro), that are lockable or securable
• internal zippered security pockets
• internal bag hardware to connect pouches and keys
• RFID-blocking features
• pockets face upwards (or to the side, not downwards) for access and security
• ability to pack flat, or easy to roll for packing in a standard carry-on bag
• lightweight
• water resistant
• durable
• capacity between 10 and 20 litres
• available in black or grey
• available in Canada
• excellent reviews

Possible sling backpacks

Scouring recommendations and reviews helped, and led to a shortlist of possibilities. Front runners included bags from OutdoorMaster, Waterfly, Kaka and NeatPack.

My choice: NeatPack Versatile Canvas Sling Bag

The NeatPack is heavier than I would have liked at 408 g / 14.4 oz. But ‘lightweight’ comes with sacrifices. As a general rule, I’ve found that quality and durability weigh more.

The NeatPack checked so many features, it was difficult to make a second choice. Amazon.com’s price was reasonable at $34.95 (USD), but Amazon.ca’s price was obscene at $98.28 plus $15.98 shipping (CAD). I found a price comparable to Amazon.com’s on eBay.

Features of the NeatPack Sling Bag

What attracted me to the NeatPack? Now that I’ve travelled with it, what are its key features? 

It’s a good size at 18.5 x 12.5 x 4 in / 47 x 32 x 10 cm. If my calculations are correct, its capacity is around 15 litres: not too small and not too large. About right for what I like to carry. As many of the poorer reviews at Amazon complain that it’s too small, here’s a video that might help put the size into perspective.

It has four compartments, and two external pockets. Between them, they hold a lot of stuff. It’s triangular in shape, so it’s more useful as a travel bag than a ‘school’ or ‘office’ bag. It can’t accommodate letter-size folders or paper unless they’re folded.  

The water bottle pocket is 8 in / 20 cm high. It’s aligned with the triangular shape of the bag. It’s one of the most secure water bottle pockets I’ve used. However, this depends on the size of your bottle. My Water-to-Go is 8 in / 20 cm tall and about 3 in / 7 cm in diameter. The toggle strap can be cinched to keep a water bottle in place, but for mine, the pocket itself keeps it snug. For extra security, an S-binerclip can be attached to a water bottle strap and the toggle strap. If your water bottle is slim, it might be possible to add a travel umbrella to this pocket. 

Another external pocket is on the strap. Unlike many other packs, it’s large enough to accommodate sunglasses, a phone or other items. There’s a slotted grommet at the top of the pocket for the cords of wired headphones. Its dimensions are 7.5 x 3 x 1.5 in / 19 x 8 x 4 cm. I use it for sunglasses, a microfibre wipe and a travel pack of tissues.

The compartment that rests against the body has RFID-blocking capabilities. It’s ideal for a slim wallet containing financial and identity cards, and a passport sleeve. I keep my iPhone X in this pocket as well.   

Next is the roomy main compartment. At the back, there’s a laptop/tablet sleeve with elasticized trim. I use it for my iPad mini, but my 11-inch MacBook Air slides in easily. It’s rated for a 12-inch device. Besides the sleeve, there’s no other internal organization — just a cavernous space for odds and ends. I use it for clothing layers packed in a compression cube, a packable rain jacket, first-aid kit, comfort pack, and a pocket shopping bag.

The other two compartments decrease in size towards the front. The larger of the two has internal organization in the form of two open pockets, and one zippered mesh pocket. In the two pen sleeves, I keep a pen and a small flashlight. There’s also a key strap. This compartment is a perfect size for my pocket camera.

The small compartment on the front is, well, small. It’s great for small, flat-shaped objects, or little things requiring quick access. It has an elasticized strip with three loops that can accommodate lip balm and hand sanitizer (if the container is the right shape).   

Metal D-rings at the base permit easy changeover of the strap. A one-strap bag places the weight on one shoulder. So it’s a good practice to change shoulders from time to time, and the position of the bag from front to back.

The loop at the top is conveniently positioned for hanging on a hook.

My own additions

As already mentioned, I believe there’s no perfect bag. With this in mind, I always expect to make the odd adjustment.

The bag comes with only one internal attachment point. It’s a very handy key strap sewn into a seam of the second compartment from the front. I like bags with several attachment points to attach small pouches with tethering straps or clips. It improves organization and enhances security. It’s more difficult for pickpockets to get at stuff, and not so easy for something to inadvertently slip out of the bag. I had several plastic D-rings attached to the lining or a seam with sewing tape, spread throughout the four compartments.

An S-biner clip can be attached to the toggle cord of the water bottle pocket. I used it to clip the bag to a bike basket while cycling in Central Park. A carabiner could serve the same purpose, clipped to the carrying loop or one of the metal D-rings.

The zippers of the front three compartments close near each other. They can be joined with a cable lock, or a lightweight cable.

A web dominator clip manages excess webbing after the shoulder strap is adjusted. The shoulder strap becomes one-inch webbing under its external pocket.

I didn’t have one with me in New York City, but a simple hip belt works beautifully with this bag. I have one made of one-inch webbing, with a plastic swivel clip at each end. It has a quick-release plastic clip in the middle. When attached to the metal D-rings on the base of the bag, it sits on the top of my pelvis. This transferred 100% of the weight from the shoulder to the waist. Until I readjusted the length of the shoulder strap, the waist belt lifted the strap completely off the shoulder. Tom Bihn offers something similar in its Gate Keeper Waist Strap.

For my daypack, I have a packable Osprey High-Visibility Rain Cover. The XS size fits 10-20L bags. With its wrap around cinching capabilities, it works just as well on sling bags.

How did the NeatPack fare?

A sling bag took some getting used to. I spent the first day shifting it from shoulder to shoulder. For the second day, I was tempted to downsize to my small packable travel purse. But no, my goal was to take the sling bag for a spin. Besides, it would have been just my luck to need my rain jacket, first-aid kit, or warm layer when it was most needed. I’m glad I persisted. I found my groove, and the sling bag preferred my left shoulder and being worn in front. It was comfortable for the remaining seven days.

It’s a small thing, but I liked the key strap. Keys were securely stowed, and retrievable on the walk from the subway station to the apartment, without missing a step.

The pocket on the shoulder strap is a good size. However, its position didn’t feel right. When I wore the bag in front, it would have been more convenient to have the pocket sitting at the peak of the bag. It needs to be lower. When I wore the bag on my back, it sat on my shoulder, which was both inconvenient and a little uncomfortable. A better design would be to have the option to slide the pocket along the shoulder strap.

The bag performed well in wet weather. It’s water repellent, not waterproof. I wore it over my rain jacket and everything stayed dry inside. Mind you, the exposure to rain was short — between buildings and subway stations, and limited to walking no more than a dozen or so blocks in the rain.

At the Guggenheim Museum, my friends had to check their small backpacks. Because a sling bag resembles a crossbody purse, I could carry it with me.

I LOVED how everything was accessible. There was never any need to remove the bag to access anything inside. This is the BEST feature of a sling backpack.

With the D-rings, tethering straps and pouches, my phone and slim wallet felt secure in the back RFID pocket. Without them, I would have been concerned they might have slipped out. In New York City, pickpocketing isn’t the problem it is in other countries. Without the extra security, I would have felt much more vulnerable to both loss and theft.

I packed the waist belt for a trip to Toronto. Wearing the bag for extended periods with a waist belt was much more comfortable.

Bottom line?

The NeatPack is a great bag. It seems to be well made, with materials consistent with the price. The zippers aren’t YKK quality, but they performed well. The seams are tight, and stitching held up well. It will be interesting to see how it holds up over the long term. If not, the bag comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Any qualms I have about the bag are more to do with a one-strap sling vs. a two-strap backpack. A two-strap backpack with a sternum strap and hip belt reduces stress on the shoulders. For trips involving hiking and cycling, I prefer a two-strap backpack. It became clear that without a hip belt to reduce shoulder stress, the packed weight of a sling bag needs to be kept to a minimum.

For urban travel, a sling bag is a nice option. For trips with trails, I’ll be sticking to a backpack.

What about you? Would you care to weigh in on whether or not a sling bag makes a good travel bag? If so, please do so in the comments.

 

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Disclosure: This post is neither sponsored nor solicited. I’ve not received any requests, instructions, or rewards from the manufacturer or the retailer. I purchased the product for my own use, and paid the full price, plus shipping costs, as advertised on eBay.

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