A Good "touristy" Bag

[chippie27]

hey all, i'm going to eastern europe this spring and want to get a good bag for toting around guide books, water bottle, camera, etc., while i'm touring the sites. i hate wearing backpacks!! i want something durable and very roomy and ideally on the cheap side, and not something too flashy that will mark me as American, but it would be great if it was an all-around decent bag i could use for schoolbooks, too. any suggestions?
thanks!

 

[faust]

Originally posted by chippie27@Mar 10th, 2004 - 12:15 pm
hey all, i'm going to eastern europe this spring and want to get a good bag for toting around guide books, water bottle, camera, etc., while i'm touring the sites. i hate wearing backpacks!! i want something durable and very roomy and ideally on the cheap side, and not something too flashy that will mark me as American, but it would be great if it was an all-around decent bag i could use for schoolbooks, too. any suggestions?
thanks!

Don't worry, it's not the bag that will mark you as an American

 

[chippie27]

well i'm a very enthusiastic and respectful traveler and think it's really important to be culturally engaged and learn many languages and see the world especially these days, but i do listen to people who tell me not to wear neon clothes and things like that when i'm in a foreign country. anyway, walking around with, say, a fanny pack is a good way to advertise to pickpockets that you're a tourist. so.... i guess i mean i wouldn't want to look too much like a tourist if i can help it.

 

[faust]

Originally posted by chippie27@Mar 10th, 2004 - 12:46 pm
well i'm a very enthusiastic and respectful traveler and think it's really important to be culturally engaged and learn many languages and see the world especially these days, but i do listen to people who tell me not to wear neon clothes and things like that when i'm in a foreign country. anyway, walking around with, say, a fanny pack is a good way to advertise to pickpockets that you're a tourist. so.... i guess i mean i wouldn't want to look too much like a tourist if i can help it.

Hahaha, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pick on you, honestly. It's just the Americans had to earn their "ugly Americans" name from the Europeans - not that's it's nice to call us that.

I guess any over the shoulder messenger style bag will do. I walked around with the removable top from my backpack which housed my camera and some other little stuff. Yea, beware of pickpocketers, but that's everywhere. Moneybelt is always a good idea, because it's invisible. I kept my credit cards and large bills there, while having small bills for coffee, etc. in my pockets. Enjoy your trip!