A Great Travel Tote Bag from Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley makes those popular and colorful bags and accessories using quilted cloth. I've never had a Vera Bradley bag but I see women constantly carrying them or checking them in when I'm traveling through the airports. They're not like other bags, these are colorful and come in a wide variety of patterns and styles. I was in need of a travel tote bag, one that can carry a lot of stuff but still small enough to be able to be used as a carry-on. I was looking through the online catalogue of Vera Bradley and the Get Carried Away Tote Bag seemed to fit the bill so I ordered it in Pirouette.

The bag is huge; the dimensions are 18.25" x 15.5" x 7.5". It has a lot of deep pockets on the outside. One on the front, back, and both ends. It is very well made. Although the cloth material is quilted it was lightweight. The quilted cloth and design allows the bag to stand on its own, stabilized by a solid bottom. What many women like about Vera Bradley bags are the organizational pockets and this bag has many. In addition to the four deep, outside pockets, there are 8 interior pockets of the same quilted material; three on each side and one on each -- the interior end pockets are plastic-lined. The lining was a different design for contrast.  The quilted quality gave the bag a nice texture which was a pleasure to feel.

So capacious is this travel tote bag that I was able to fit in the following:

• two pairs of slacks
• one T-shirt nightie
• a pair of sneakers
• a pair of slippers
• one sweater set
• two shirts
• another sweater
• cosmetics bag
• plastic bag with all my liquids
• 5 underwear sets
• 3 trouser socks
• 2 athletic socks
• 2 T-shirts
• 2 gym shorts
• 2 gym bras
• cloth tote bag (extra)
• folded umbrella
• regular handbag
• netbook and power cord

And there was still some room left. The bag was heavy but manageable. Fortunately the company designed the straps to include shoulder pads so the straps don't cut into your shoulders. The great feature of this travel tote bag is that it was designed with a break-away zipper so that the whole thing closes.

My colleagues were impressed by the size of the bag. One remarked that if we were ever stuck in the airport overnight we could use the bag to sleep in!

I had no problem going through security with the bag and no problem putting it in the overhead bin. Leaving the airport was a breeze because I didn't have to stop at baggage claim. This is great travel tote bag for a week's worth of travel or a weekend.