Six things we look for in a weekend bag
A lifetime of weekends away and I never wrote a word about a bag. This is the exception.
Six things the Wildvana gets right that so many weekend bags get wrong, from a woman who never expected to write about luggage.
Rachel Thompson · Customer · 5 min read
Let me be clear about who is writing this. I am Rachel, and I have never been the sort of person who sits down to write about a weekend bag. What I have done is pack for more weekends away than I could count, using soft holdalls that collapsed, stiff cases that scuffed and a few bags I was very happy to see the back of.
So I would not really call this a review. It is more the story of a woman who expected very little from a bag and ended up admitting she had been wrong about it.
The bag is called the Wildvana. I first noticed one because it looked completely out of place among all the ordinary black luggage around it: a quilted camper van across the front, flowers, little peace-sign details and a warm orange sunset stitched into the fabric.
The Wildvana. Not exactly easy to confuse with another black holdall.
After years of packing, I had more or less accepted that weekend bags came in two varieties.
There were the soft black ones that sag as soon as you put them down and look exactly like everybody else's.
Then there were the smart little structured cases that look lovely until you remember they are heavy before you have packed a thing.
Soft and shapeless or stiff and heavy. I had owned enough of both.
The Wildvana was different enough that I ordered one, although I fully expected it to be a pretty novelty rather than a genuinely useful bag.
A few trips later, I had changed my mind. The difference came down to six things.
It does not look like ordinary luggage
The design runs across the quilted fabric rather than sitting on top like a flat print. There is the camper van, the sunset, daisies, small toadstools, mountains and all those little details you notice gradually. Put it beside a row of plain black bags and there is no question which one is yours.
People actually noticed mine while I was travelling. I cannot remember anybody ever commenting on one of my old weekend bags.
It holds a proper weekend
Clothes, another pair of shoes, toiletries, a book and the extra layer you bring because you know perfectly well the evening will turn colder. The larger size handles a two- or three-day trip without making you wrestle the zipper closed.
The opening is broad enough that you can see what is inside rather than digging blindly through everything you packed.
The quilting is more practical than it looks
The bag is soft enough to give when you need to fit it into an overhead rack, under a seat or into the car. Once it is out again, the padded construction settles back into shape.
That padding also gives whatever is inside a little more protection than the thin walls of an ordinary nylon holdall.
The handles actually belong to the bag
The floral handles run around the body rather than looking like two narrow straps added at the last moment. The load feels better distributed, and the wider straps are considerably kinder to your hands and forearm.
There is an adjustable shoulder strap too, which is useful when you would rather keep both hands free.
Two sizes, and the measurements are actually given
The smaller Wildvana measures 16 x 8 x 8 inches (40 x 20 x 20 cm). It is a good size for an overnight stay, the gym or a roomy cabin bag.
The larger version measures 18 x 9 x 9 inches (46 x 23 x 23 cm), which gives you the extra space for a two- or three-day trip, including shoes and a towel.
If I were caught between the two, I would choose the larger one. I have rarely found myself wishing a weekend bag had less room.
It earns its keep when you are not travelling
This was the part I did not expect. A weekend bag normally spends most of its life in a closet.
The Wildvana is cheerful and soft enough that it gets used for ordinary things too: the gym, a night away, things for the car, a visit to family or whatever else needs carrying that day.
My old black holdall had one job. This one seems to keep finding new ones.
The Wildvana, compared with the weekend bags most of us have bought before
There are inexpensive weekend bags everywhere. I have owned several of them. The differences become fairly obvious when you put them side by side.
Thin fabric that quickly loses its shape
Looks much like every other bag around it
Little or no padding around the contents
Narrow handles that become uncomfortable
Often sold without useful measurements
Quilted and padded construction
A distinctive stitched camper-van design
Soft walls that help cushion what is inside
Wide floral handles plus a shoulder strap
Two clearly measured sizes
About the price
The 16-inch (40 cm) Wildvana is currently $59.95, reduced from $150.00.
The larger 18-inch (46 cm) version is currently $64.95, reduced from $180.00.
What I can say is that I expected the Wildvana to be more novelty than proper luggage. After using it, the practical details are what changed my mind: the padding, the size, the handles, the wide opening and the fact that I can recognize it immediately.
If there is a weekend away, an overnight visit, a family trip or simply a reason to finally replace the shapeless black bag in the closet, I can understand why this one keeps catching people's eye.
I certainly did not expect to write this much about a bag.
— Rachel
WILDVANA | Quilted Travel Duffle Bag
- Stitched camper-van design quilted across the bag
- Room for a proper weekend away
- Soft padded walls that give and settle back into shape
- Wide floral handles plus an adjustable shoulder strap
- 16 in / 40 cm: $59.95
- 18 in / 46 cm: $64.95
- Free U.S. shipping
- 30-day returns
Available in two sizes while current stock lasts.