(From the "Just in Time for Fathers Day" collection... Thank you for supporting Wine:Thirty Flight!)
I love most parts of the travel experience, a proclivity whose stresses are smoothed by the excellent lineup of travel gear I've managed to acquire over the years. In particular, I (this is the Andrew half of Wine:Thirty Flight) have a real soft spot for bags. Seriously, I love bags, and I churn through them with the maddening temperament of a dog who just saw a squirrel. I also am a firm believer that travel bags are one of those items where price, quality, and durability are directly linked. A good bag is a very worthy investment for anyone who doesn't want the handle falling off as they navigate the treacherous stairs of the Madrid Metro. So imagine my excitement when I discovered the Tumi Alpha Bravo Brooks Slim Brief, a sturdy, classy laptop bag that manages to hold all of the things pictured here... including a bottle of wine one might be taking on the train or to join a friend after work.
So, for context, into the this bag goes one bottle of Zephaniah Farm Vineyard "Three Captains Red" blend (or any other wine of your choosing), one 13 or 15 inch MacBook Pro, a Nomad PodPro battery pack for my Apple Watch, Nomad PowerPlant battery, Nomad Keys, Apple USB charging cable, an iPad Air, sunglasses in a case, passport inside of passport wallet, a pen, tube of Advil, small umbrella, international power adapter and compact five-outlet power strip, stack of credit and travel membership cards, stack of business cards, laptop charging adapter, bluetooth mouse, various cords and adapters, electronic office badge, and case of extra business cards for good measure.
Note in the photos the dedicated soft interior pocket for glasses opposite the waterproof and ventilated pocket for an umbrella or a bottled drink. Discernable here only in the photo with an office badge sticking out, but there are two magnetically closed pockets that are great for stashing wallet and cell phone after you've shown them to the TSA officer at airport security. You can't see it in my photos, but a flap on the back side of the bag allows it to be securely tied over the raised handle of a wheeled suitcase. Taken in combination, these features turn this particular bag and your rolling suitcase into a single no-carry package with a cup holder.
There's a price premium to be paid here, but I've great confidence in this piece to hold up through a lot of travel as most Tumi products do. The "Tumi Tracer" system gives the bag a unique reportable tracking number should it be lost by you and found by an honest person, and the leather nameplate on the front can be monogrammed for free at any Tumi store in five minutes.
...and, gentlemen, your girlfriends and wives will love that you can carry your own wine now, without imposing on their handbag.