Customer Reviews

Rick Steves Veloce Bag, Black

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This bag is like Hermione's beaded bag in the last Harry Potter installment. You can cram a whole lot into this bag, even before you expand it. I carried a laptop with all the junk plus water bottle, books, jacket, iPod, and more on recent trips through Alaska and to San Francisco, all with relative comfort. While it takes some getting used to, I really appreciate the top loading zipper versus having to open the flap. Why is there a flap? Well, near as I can tell, it is so the additional outer pocket has room to expand when the main unit is expanded, a thoughful design. I would imagine I could also strap my jacket in there versus putting it inside.

I have used my Rick Steves Veloce Bag on numerous trips, and I find it to be perfect for my needs. I have used it as my carry-on luggage on flights when I have checked in my 24" roller bag. Once I am on the ground, it becomes my everyday backpack.

Some people have said his bag wasn't "just right" for them. Well, nothing is going to be perfect for everyone, but this is darn close to it. You can carry enough in it for your day pack, and it hasn't hurt my back at all. I like the water bottle compartment on the outside so it is easy to access.

Here's a little tip if you are concerned about "pick pockets" in crowded places. I keep a split-ring key ring on the zippers. If I feel the need for more security, I just hook the two zippers together and know that someone would have to be extremely deft and quick to remove the key ring without my knowing it.

If you are looking for an all-purpose durable lightweight travel companion -- this is definitely the one you should use. (p.s. -- it will be my daypack on our 4-week trip through Europe)

Happy travels.

Stuart Gustafson, author

ww.stuartgustafson.com

I bought this bag because sometimes my "Buzz" from Tom Bihn was not quite big enough for everything I needed to carry. Well this bag can definitely carry more. However there were a few things I didn't like that caused me to return it. My main dislike was the flap. It covered the small pocket in the front where you were most likely to store small things that you wanted to get to quickly. So you had to unbuckle the flap and rebuckle it every time you wanted to unzip something from the pocket. I also didn't like that the bag was taller than it was wide, so that when putting file folders in it, things could fall out.

The good things were that it's a convenient size, shoulder strap was good quality, the bag is expandable, and lots of pockets for organizing things.

This bag is amazing! Whoever designed it has definately done a lot of traveling. All of the annoying things about usual bags were fixed in this bag. It has lots of compartments to minimize clutter and while its small enough to fit under the seat in front on an airplane it easily fit my winter coat, souvenirs, camera, water bottle and lots of small stuff. The straps are comfortable. I love the hidden passport pocket and it has a secure zipped pouch with a flap and buckle to deter pick pockets but also has an easy access zipped pouch that kept things I needed to grab with one hand quickly. Not so water proof though. Definately worth the price!

This bag has become my purse/laptop bag/carry all! I bought this to take on a family trip it Italy. It performed brilliantly there as my main "purse" and I have been using it as such since we got back six months ago! It is roomy, yet can be compact and can be worn as a backpack or as a messenger bag, it has plenty of pockets and organizational components inside and it is very comfortable to tote around!

I travel a lot internationally. I bought this bag because I wanted someting larger and more substantial than the Civita day pack, but also able to hold a laptop and a bottle of water, and able to sling over shoulder as messenger bag or wear as back pack. This bag worked great. It has a padded compartment for laptop (at least fits 14.1 inch, maybe 15.4 inch), though padding is limited. Main compartment has zipper to expand. Zippers for openings have pulls with holes in them for either lock or other means to secure (I used a small clip). Bottle holder worked well, flap over smaller pouch has a nice pocket for maps, small guide books, etc. I will definitely take this on future trips.

The bag is easy to carry as a messenger bag and then convert to a backpack when needed. The backpack straps are cushioned and comfortable.

I like the top zipper to the main compartment for the easy assess.

The inner pockets are nice to hold smaller items. I like the water bottle pocket. It is easy to carry on the subways and buses.

I originally purchased this bag for a trip but used it in the weeks leading up to it as my work bag and will continue to do so.

Pros:

- The main compartment has an internal notebook pouch. My guess is it could fit a notebook of up to 14". I can fit my 9" Aspire One in its own sleeve into the pouch and have room beside it for the power cable.

- It has no shortage of pockets. There are various internal and external pockets for whatever level of security/access you need.

- The buckle to secure the flap makes the small pocket underneath and the outer mesh pocket versatile. When buckled, it would be difficult for someone to grab something out of the mesh pocket and the zipper pulls on the small pocket can be situated so that someone would have to stick their entire hand under the flap to pick something.

- The outsize zipper pocket is good for maps or pamphlets when traveling

- The water bottle pouch is handy for extensive walking.

- It's a good size. It's not overwhelmingly large but the expansion zipper makes it larger if you need it to be. We were caught a few times in warmer-than-expected weather and I was able to fit a wool pea coat into the bag WITHOUT expanding it. It was crammed, but not impossible.

- It's convertible to a backpack, which can be more comfortable if you pack heavy stuff into the bag.

- The vertical configuration makes it less cumbersome. While most messenger bags have to swing to the back when you walk, this can be work at your side or in front if security is a concern.

- The shoulder strap pad is rubberized, which helps keep it from slipping. I was able to wear the Rick Steves Convertible Carry On as a backpack and wear this on my shoulder without having to continually pull it up from sliding.

Cons:

- None, really.

Our third Rick Steve's bag or suitcase, these products live up to their billing as the lightest weight and best designed for the traveler. Time will tell on the duration, but the quality of zippers and clasps is very good for the money. Very light, yet multiple thoughtful pocket locations. Very pleased with the size of this bag, not too big and not small in any dimension. Perfectly designed.

This is an OK bag and I'm sure we'll get much use out of it. It is not, however, the expandable back pack I thought it was. Still a good value and certainly useful.