Tomorrow we leave for the Robinsmith Family Vacation Kaua’i Edition. Seeing as, I thought it best that I begin to throw together a few things to take along in my Saddleback Leather “carry-on bag.”
A few years ago I discovered Saddleback Leather. They do not make or sell saddles and they do not make or sell motorcycle bags. They do however make the finest, most beautiful wallets, briefcases, suitcases and other leather goods that you will ever find. Anywhere. Full stop.
Briefly – I was not paid to write this blog nor provided any incentive from the good people of Saddleback Leather for writing this post.
My first Saddleback Leather piece was my large briefcase.
This was a birthday gift from my mother. This was the piece that got me hooked on Saddleback Leather goods.
Now, before I go any further, please understand that these are not inexpensive leather goods. Rather, they are expensive. I believe this briefcase was somewhere north of $500 US. That being said, this is the last bag that I will ever have to buy. It comes with a 100 year warranty and I do not see how I would ever need to make a claim on that warranty. The design and craftsmanship are second to none.
Because they are so well constructed, these bags are heavy. Empty, this case weighs something like 7 lbs. Loaded with books, cameras and computer gear, it needs wheels. Or, you can convert it into a back-pack.
Perfect for a guy like me who will be travelling with twin 2 1/2 year old girls. The back-pack feature means that I have my hands free to wrangle toddlers.
As you can see in the photo, there is a little pouch like thing attached to the briefcase-back-pack.
That is a Saddleback Leather Pouch. My most recent acquisition. This piece clips onto the handles of the briefcase. The pouch is perfect for carrying passports and wallets.
A nice little man-purse when the strap is attached. Or, a great clip on the main luggage piece for quick and easy access to travel docs and cash.
As you can see, inside the Pouch is my wallet with my passport. This is the Passport wallet. Inside is room for another passport (my kids are not yet responsible enough to carry their own docs). There are also slots to place credit cards and a cash section.
Because the Passport Wallet is so bulky, I choose to carry the small wallet.
This is perfect to slip into my jeans pocket or even my shirt pocket. However, when travelling, I slip this into the Pouch along with my Passport Wallet and a point-and-shoot camera.
It is a very tight squeeze but the leather does loosen up with time. I expect my grandchildren will find it has stretched out more than I ever will.
Once you have all your documents and wallets safely stowed inside the wallets inside the pouch, it clips onto the briefcase quite conveniently.
You can also see the water bottles hanging from each end. I have attached two carabiners to each end in order to provide external capacity to the bag.
Seeing as we are going to be on a relatively long flight I thought it would be wise to bring a couple of empty water bottles that we can fill up on the safe side of the security check.
Inside the briefcase-backpack I have packed my Macbook Air, my iPad, my Canon G11 and the chargers they require. I have also packed a “night-night” and a teddy bear that is essential to one of my girl’s sleep. There is a change of clothes for one daughter and one for me. There is a toothbrush, a pad of paper and a pencil, enough diapers and wipes to get us through the next month (it just feels that way).
The good thing is that there is still plenty of room for more if my Sweetheart sees the need for me to carry more.
Disclosure: Saddleback Leather (or Starbucks) provided absolutely NO financial or other incentive for me to write this blog post. This blog post is based upon my personal opinion and as always, I maintain complete editorial control over all content posted here.
Comments
6 responses to “Saddleback Leather travel gear”
You may be surprised to hear that the only surprising thing (to me) in this whole article is that you travel with a pencil and paper!
Also a fan… I’ve met Dave and he’s a spectacular person!
Good to see how you use your SBL… Enjoy your trip!
Thank you Amy. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Dave IRL but I “know” him through his products and his YouTube videos. His YouTube video of Manny in Jamaica converting the briefcase into the back-pack is where I got the idea. I did modify it a little by sliding the shoulder pad through the leather loop so that it sits more evenly and more comfortably on my shoulders. I do love my Saddleback gear!
Pencils never fail. Paper. On of life’s essential. The kids can doodle, I can jot down names and ideas and anything else that strikes me as noteworthy. I never leave home without my pencil and paper.
[…] As some of my regular readers may know, I have a leather addiction. Not that kind of leather addiction, you dirty birds! An addiction for top quality leather briefcases, bags and wallets. I have written about my Saddleback Leather (SBL) acquisitions in the past on this very page. […]
I just wanted to thank you! You have given me an idea with the leather pouch. I too, am a SBL addicted and as a pilot I am often looking for innovative ideas to help me pack more efficiently!