When traveling, having the right gear is essential and staying organized can save you a lot of headaches.
The sling bag can be a valuable partner in your travels. It is a smaller, more portable version of the backpack. They come in many different styles and sizes with some being able to fit over one shoulder like an attaché case while others will have two straps that cross at your chest level when worn across body height for hands-free carrying
A “sling” may also refer specifically to its design; this type has no closure system but instead relies on elasticity from within via drawstrings or velcro closures which makes them versatile enough to work anywhere you go.
That’s why finding the perfect sling bag is so important. With enough storage for all of your essentials, a sling bag will make your travels a lot easier.
There are a lot of options when it comes to finding the best slings for men and women. You can wear them over your shoulder or around your waist, depending on what works better with how much gear and personal belongings you have!
Check out our list of the best sling bags for travel and find the perfect one for you.
Best Travel Slingbags
There are tons of reasons to love sling bags. For starters, they can be used as both an overhead bin for your carry-on or checked bag and a place to store all those pocketable while traveling! They also come in so many styles that it feels like there’s one perfect design just waiting at every turn – which means you won’t have any trouble finding something suitably stylish when picking up new gear before taking off again soon enough 🙂
Available in four colours,(blue, camo, gray, and black). As it stands, the bag is okay for nicer restaurants, but it’s more casual than Haute.
The exterior, interior, and lining are all 100% polyester. There’s a minus because of this because usually, it’s not as durable or lightweight as nylon.
The shoulder strap is pretty good because the part that comes in touch with the body is made from a thicker, softer material than the rest, ensuring comfort and reducing the chances of damaging your clothing. It is hard to adjust though and this could have been better. And due to this, the Herschel sling bag for travel hangs loose and hits at the hips. Therefore it is not ideal for crowded places or public transport. Usually, you want the sling bag to be tight on the body and up on your torso.
There is a loop at the top of the sling bag for quick handling and hanging.
The interior is not that large actually. However, you can store in this sling bag more than you think and will keep your items organized due to its different size compartments.
In the largest compartment, you’ll find a back sleeve and a small pocket. You could store a phone, IDs, and other documents inside the sleeve. In the smaller pocket, we’ve tossed some ibuprofen because you never know when you’ll need some.
The middle pocket doesn’t have any organization. That’s a place where you can store a lot of things because it’s a relatively big pocket.
Founded in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, Herschel Supply Co. adopted the name of the town where three generations of their family grew up. Herschel Supply Co. is a design-driven global accessories brand that produces timeless utility products.
Key Features
- Signature striped liner
- Two-way zipper with Prusik cord pulls
- Clip-fastened adjustable webbing crossbody strap
- Internal storage sleeves with hidden key clip
8 / 10
Good
Chrome Industries is known for its unique, cool gear aimed at city people and cyclists.
Featuring military-grade materials and signature design details like the iconic aluminum buckle, it’s built to carry only what you need, without weighing you down. A hybrid between a sling bag and a messenger bag, the Chrome Industries Kadet Sling Bag will fit most of your usual items.
Larger than several slings out there, it should not be worn like a fanny pack. It does look large too when worn across the chest, especially if you have a smaller torso.
Overall, wearing it on your back makes the most sense and looks best.
The Kadet features a 1050D nylon exterior and it comes in Black, Ranger (brown), and Navy Blue. It has durable YKK zippers, including a YKK AquaGuard® zipper on the main compartment for some solid water resistance. However, the bag is not waterproof.
There’s an elastic strap keeper, ensuring that all of the excess straps stay nice and tidy. This is a great way to ensure that it won’t dangle.
The strap itself has a good amount of padding and breathable mesh, helping keep the carry comfortable even when the bag’s fully loaded out. There’s also a removable strap that comes up under your arm to hold the bag tighter to your body. We like that this strap is removable since we haven’t needed to use it during testing. To be frank, we think it’s unnecessary for a bag of this size and weight (at least for most circumstances).
When it comes to external components go, there is a U-Lock holster on the back of the bag. This is a nice touch and helpful for the bikers out there.
INTERIOR
The interior of the Chrome Industries Kadet sling bag is pretty simple. If you like many compartments and organisation, then you won’t be happy with Kadet’s interior setup. However, if you just want to throw at it things and store them somewhere, then the Kadet is what you need. You can also use accessory pouches to keep all of your smaller items from getting jumbled up. There are two grey compartments inside for minimum split.
Key Features
8 / 10
Good
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This 8L sleek and stylish sling bag is the perfect size to hold all your essentials while you’re off exploring this world.
The Patagonia Atom Sling has an outdoor design (similar to the Osprey Daylite Shoulder Sling) because of its sporty look and the fact that it’s available in a wide variety of colours.
The body of the bag is made from 630D nylon while it’s lined with 100% recycled 200D polyester. For additional abrasion and weather resistance, the bag is finished with both a polyurethane and DWR coating.
Overall, this sling bag is really good quality and can take a lot, including rainy weather and scratches.
One of the biggest positive points of this bag is comfort. It feels very nice and easy to carry. This is because it’s lightweight, with a soft and breathable mesh on both the back panel and shoulder strap. The air circulation on the back of the bag is great due to its special padding and will leave your back dry, even on hot days. Hence, this sling bag is a great choice for little outdoor breaks or long days of touring in hot climates. (e.g. your digital nomad journeys in Asia – Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, etc)
Another cool feature you’ll find on this bag is the stretchy pocket on the shoulder strap. It has a decent size, so you can fit snacks or even a smartphone inside.
Moreover, you will see a loop to attach some accessories. Some people can use a carabiner to attach a water bottle here maybe, or a packable jacket.
INTERIOR
You should note that the zippers aren’t lockable so If you’re going to be traveling out in crowded markets take the transport, maybe you should wear them in front. That’s one of the minuses this bag has by the way.
Key Features
8.5 / 10
Very Good
The Pacsafe Venturesafe X Anti-Theft Sling Pack is a cool, durable, and comfortable bag that will keep your stuff safe on the road.
This is probably one of the most secure if not the most sling bag on the market and it offers a lot of peace of mind to everyone wearing it but mostly travelers. Moreover, It’s a great size, comfortable to carry, and made of quality materials.
The Pacsafe Anti-theft is available in three colors for now: Plum, Blue Steel, and Black. All of these colors will help you blend in with the crowd, however, most of them are dark so if you wear a light color t-shirt, it will stand out. So just pay some attention to that.
Its exterior is made of 210D Nylon Diamond Ripstop coated with polyurethane which adds water and abrasion resistance. This means if it will get a hole in this bag, it most likely won’t expand.
The zippers are all from YKK, so pretty solid. More importantly, they are also lockable (maybe the best feature) and water-resistant. This thing won’t keep your stuff dry if you submerge in water but it can fight the rain a bit.
On the exterior, this sling bag has two metal hooks so you can attach it to a larger backpack via chains, webbing, or cleverly placed carabiners.
The back panel has the same breathable and comfortable mesh as the strap. This breathability does a great job of limiting the sweat and this is a nice bonus from the bag.
Moreover, you’ve got a top handle, which is smooth and great if you want to carry it with ease instead of wearing it.
INTERIOR
The Venturesafe X Anti-Theft Sling Pack has four pockets, two with top security features.
The front mesh pocket isn’t not really secure, mostly because it closes with a g-hook, even though it’s made from slash-resistant eXomesh®.
The eXomesh® is super stretchy, so this pocket fits a lot. It’s a great spot for a jacket or water bottle.
There is a back pocket that is as deep as the sling with no internal organization. The pocket is ideal for valuables because it sits against your body when you’re wearing it.
The front pocket is also a deep one and it has a small zippered mesh pocket to organize your smaller things like headphones, earplugs, cards, phones,etc It also has a key clip which is pretty cool to access your keys fast.
The main compartment is very generous and it can fit a lot in there. And this one has a good amount of organization. On the back, the padded sleeve will fit small tablets or e-readers. In front of that, there is an RFID safe pocket. You can fit passports, phones, and cards in there so can be ideal if you travel with family.
Next to the RFID pocket, there are two small pockets designed specifically for keeping pens. But maybe you can fit something else there in your long journeys.
The open space is good for plenty of things – hoodies, books, maps, eye masks, magazines, etc. You probably can fit even 2 bottles of water in there so yeah, awesome space on this one!
Key Features
9 / 10
Excellent
You can’t go wrong with the Timbuk2 Mission Sling. This simple bag is perfect for any adventure, whether you wear it across your shoulders or around your waistline, and no matter what shape or size items are needed! The roll-top closure system ensures that everything stays compact when not in use but also gives plenty of space if need be; unrolled clutches give instant gratification without sacrificing comfort.
Here''s a nice product video from the Offical Timbuk2 Website
Key Features
8 / 10
Very Good
What is a sling bag?
Good question as this type of bag is kind of a mystery. It’s a combination between a backpack and a fanny pack, this is the best we can say for now.
The bag is usually off-center, the straps are connected diagonally and it has an oblong shape. There are quite a few exceptions though so don’t count this one out yet!
Even though it might look like a messenger bag, they are not the same. The messenger bags are usually bigger, squarer, and don’t mold onto the body. Obviously, there is no exact science to differentiate the two.
Why use a sling bag for travel
1. Sling Bags Are Perfect for Flights, Long Passages and City Walks
If you’ve ever had the hustle of traveling with an oversized carry-on (you probably did ha!), then there is a high chance that your experience was marred by long lines and frustrating experiences. But not anymore. You guessed it. The sling bag is a simple solution for getting through airport security without any hassle or it can be your trusted companion in an all-day city walk – store a bottle of water, keys, phone, documents, and much more in any situation when you need them quickly.
A sling bag will fit almost everything you could ever want in-flight or during a day out, but you won’t be able to store bigger items like a laptop. However, there are a lot of thigns you can carry in your sling bag Here are a few suggestions based on popularity:
- A smartphone
- Toiletries
- Healthy snacks
- USB cables
- Battery bank
- Earplugs
- Headphones
- Pen and Paper
- Tissues
- E-reader or book (if you own a bigger one)
2. Sling Bags Are Lightweight and Packable Bags Provide Easy Access
Sling bags are the perfect option for travelers who are looking for a lightweight and packable bag. These bags provide easy access to all of your belongings, making them ideal for carrying everything you need while on the go.
3. Sling Bags Are Perfect for Day Trips, Long Haul Travelers And Short Hikes
Sling bags are light and you can attach them to your travel backpack. Moreover, you can put them in your suitcase because they are packable and take them out wherever you need them.
They are also very practical to wear. Put them on your chest and the pockets are very close. When worn on your back, you can shift it around to your front and vice-versa.
Last piece of advice and Recap
If you’re looking for an easy way to take all of your necessary belongings with you on your travels, a sling bag is a perfect option. They come in many different sizes and styles, so it’s important to do your research before purchasing them.
But once you find the perfect bag for your needs, don’t hesitate to buy it! Having a smaller, more portable backpack can make all the difference when exploring a new city or country. We’ve presented a few solid options which are suitable for both males and females and of very good quality.
We hope that you’ll make the right choice and your future sling bag will be a great complement to your existing gear.
Safe travels !
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