As a store owner, I always try out the products that I sell.  If I tell you it works great, you can bet I have experienced the benefits of the product.  I can’t sell something I don’t believe in.  So this past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a long weekend away with my husband to Las Vegas, and I decided to give my Vera Bradley travel gear a try.

I purchased The Grand Traveler which is a large quilted duffel bag with handles, a shoulder strap, and a pass through pocket to slide over your suit case handle.  To this I added the matching Hanging Organizer and a coordinating Signature Vera Bradley Small Trimmed Tote Bag and matching wallet.  Lastly I threw in my black Mini Hipster.  Here is what I discovered.

When packing my Grand Traveler, what I figured out very quickly is that the four interior pockets are just the right size for shoes and are organized along both sides of the bag so you can fit four pairs of shoes nicely.  They are kept up and away from your clothing which I really appreciated.  I packed three outfits, including two with jackets as well as a dressy Sympli skirt and top for our nice dinner at Le Circe.  All my clothing and two pairs of shoes fit in the bag easily with plenty of extra room.   I used the extra interior pockets to hold my Mini Hipster purse and my brush and hair dryer.

The Hanging Organizer is a toiletry bag and has several zippered compartments that are clear plastic so you can easily see what is in them.  It also has a large zippered compartment at the bottom that holds all your large items like shampoo and deodorant.   Additionally, The Hanging Organizer has an organization pocket at the top with several interior pockets within it.  I used one of the clear plastic zippered pockets for makeup and another for my toothbrush and toothpaste.  I kept all my travel sized items in the larger bottom pocket and kept the other miscellaneous things like medicine, band aids and hair bands in the top compartment.  Of course I had to travel with all my liquids and gels in a baggie, but they could be organized into The Hanging Organizer once I got to my hotel and hung up on the bathroom door with the heavy duty hanger.  It fit easily on top of my clothing.  The only knock I had on The Hanging Organizer is there was not enough room for my straightening brush by the time I fit everything else in.

When the Grand Traveler was all zipped with my Hanging Organizer, it was not too heavy and easy to carry with the padded shoulder strap.  I did not have to constantly adjust it or struggle with a too heavy bag.  When I got to the plane, it fit easily into the over head compartment and I had no trouble lifting it over my head to get it there.  Compared to my suitcase, I found The Grand Traveler much easier to handle.  I also liked that when I got to my hotel, I could unpack it and fold it neatly up so it did not take up unnecessary room in my closet.

I used my tote bag to hold my iPad, charging cables, head phones, magazine, iPhone, and wallet.  It had interior pockets lining both sides as well as an outside zippered pocket and an outside open pocket.  I really liked all the interior pockets because I was able to avoid the black hole syndrome of a typical tote where everything falls to the bottom and you have to dig through everything to find anything.  The pockets kept all my gadgets handy and easy to find.  The zippered outside pocket worked well for my iPhone and kept it within reach but secure.  The open pocket worked great for a place to temporarily store my driver’s license and jewelry in the frenzy to get everything stored without annoying the passengers behind me in the security line.  The tote again did not become too heavy when all of these things were added to it, and it fit easily under the seat in front of me while still leaving room for my feet.  I found the fact that my tote zipped closed an essential feature because I didn’t have to worry about it tipping over if I accidentally kicked it.

While I was in Las Vegas, I used my tote during the day and stored my light jacket inside it during the times when it was sunny and warm.  It was nice not to have to carry my coat all the time but still have it available when it cooled down.  I used my Mini Hipster purse when we headed out for the night and I didn’t want to have to worry about setting my purse next to me on the floor.  It worked great and had a pocket for my phone and a wallet organizer that held my license and credit cards with a cross body strap to keep everything within reach.

I added a matching Vera Bradley scarf in the same print as my Grand Traveler Bag and felt very stylish as I walked through the airport.  I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but I coordinated quite nicely!  I loved how my Vera Bradley travel gear performed on my trip. It is a well thought out product line that is loaded with features and style.