What's in My Travel Day Bag (Baggu Medium Crescent)

After many years of using the Longchamp Medium Le Pliage as my primary day bag, at home and while travelling, I've been converted to the Baggu Medium Crescent, which is smaller and more flexible. Here's what I pack for a typical summer day out.

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The Bag: Baggu Medium Crescent

Baggu's crescent-shaped bags have always appealed, not least because you can convert them from crossbody to over-the-shoulder by adjusting the strap. Light as Longchamp's Le Pliage bags are, if you load them up, your shoulders will need a break eventually.

Another reason I made the switch was the colour palettes. My first Le Pliage (in 2006) was a bright turquoise and I've owned several other vibrant colours. More recently, Longchamp keeps rolling out warm and/or muted colours and there hasn't been anything to my taste, unlike Baggu.

Baggu's Medium Crescent measures about 20.5 cm high x 35 cm long x 10 cm deep, giving a total volume of about 7 litres (compared to the Medium Le Pliage's ~11.5 litres), and the adjustable strap is 120 cm long. 

The smaller size makes me pack less, while the unique shape offers more flexibility, but also means that bulky items can fit awkwardly. I first used the Medium Crescent as a day bag on my two-week trip to Guatemala and Belize. But with my camera and an insulated water bottle, plus all my other everyday items, it felt too full and heavy. 

Since then, I’ve adapted what I bring — particularly larger items like water bottles — and landed on a packing list that includes my essentials and fits comfortably in the bag.

What's in My Travel Day Bag

I currently own two Baggu Medium Crescent bags. My favourite is in Deep Fuchsia, a vibrant purply-pink colour (which varies slightly in the light), but the navy version is a great back-up in a more neutral colour. 

I brought my Medium Crescent on a recent day trip to Littlehampton. This was a beach day and I packed accordingly but also brought some essentials and tech items. I'm wearing my favourite travel dress from Columbia. For reference, I am 5'3" (1.60 m) tall.

Everyday essentials

Water bottle: This 500 ml Kinto bottle is small, light and fits well in my bag. In winter or if space is really at a premium, I bring this 330 ml bottle from Muji instead.

Power bank: I've long been a fan of Anker power banks, but I recently switched to this super-small Iniu one, which weighs just 160g. It comes with an integrated cable and can fast-charge my iPhone twice.

Notebook and pen: Call me old-fashioned but I always like to have the option to write by hand when inspiration strikes, especially if it's more than a sentence or two.

Reusable bag: I always carry a reusable bag with me and Nanobag's totes pack up so small, I often bring two. The standard size is 12 litres and is ideal for carrying everything from wet towels on a beach day to groceries or impromptu shopping.

Sunglasses and/or umbrella: Whatever the weather, I always carry either sunglasses or an umbrella — usually the umbrella (because London) — and sometimes both. My favourite sunglasses are from Goodr: they're affordable, durable, stylish and polarised. And I use a mini Lewis N. Clark umbrella.

Earphones: For most day trips, the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation offer just the right combination of small size, comfort and noise cancelling.

Kindle: I love reading physical books but you can't beat the Kindle Paperwhite for its lightweight design and convenience. If I'm travelling really light, I use the Kindle app on my iPhone instead but I much prefer the Kindle reading experience.

Other essentials: As well as SPF 30 lip balm and hand sanitiser (Aesop but decanted into a Muji bottle), I always carry a small pouch with me for my most essential items. I love this wrinkled nylon pouch from Muji (not that easy to buy in the UK) but I also use a slightly larger one from Hikeman.

The Muji pouch packs in a surprising amount of stuff and it opens wide, giving easy access to the contents. Inside, I keep: 

Tech: Credit-card-sized tripod, tiny-but-mighty torch, Apple Watch charger, 6-in-1 USB fast-charge cable and microfibre screen cloth. 

Health: First-aid items (paracetamol and stomach meds, plasters and antiseptic wipes), trial-size sunscreen and hydration sachet.

Other: A bank card (I pay with contactless almost everywhere), emergency £20, driving licence, hair band, tiny pen and Victorinox 13-in-1 Swiss Card Nail Care (hero item).

Seasonal extras

There's also room in the Baggu Medium Crescent for additional items. What I bring depends on the season and weather but also what I'm doing.

For a summer beach day in Littlehampton, I packed: 

• A compact but absorbent full-size microfibre towel.
• A multitasking hand fan/torch/phone charger. I love this product. It's great value, multifunctional and still in perfect working condition after almost two years of regular use. 
• SPF 50 sun cream for my face and body.
• Foldable magnetic smartphone stand. Although I always have a tiny iPhone tripod in my essentials pouch, when I need more stability I bring the Ulanzi MA38. Just 15 cm when folded down, it can be configured in various ways: as a tripod, attaching to magnetic surfaces and even hanging.
• Some snacks for the journey (not pictured) and my Brighton water shoes (packed, with everything else, in the photo below).
  
  

If I take out some of these and perhaps downsize my water bottle, I can fit in my Olympus camera. It's a little heavy (around 800g with a lens), but I often carry it around my neck for at least some of the time.

And in winter, I will sadly replace all of those beach items with a warm hat, gloves and scarf, and maybe a more durable umbrella or an extra sweater.

Baggu Medium Crescent: Final thoughts

Once I’d downsized a few items, I soon grew to love the Baggu Medium Crescent. It’s now my go-to day bag, whether I’m at home in London or on my travels. I can pack a surprising amount inside and I generally only switch to a backpack if I need to bring a laptop or other larger item. 

It's also very comfortable: the 47-inch (120 cm) strap is broad enough to spread the load on my shoulder. And when it starts to feel heavy, I lengthen the strap to make it into a crossbody and switch it onto the other shoulder.

It's lightweight too and packs flat, which is great when I'm travelling with a larger bag on longer trips. I often use it as my under-seat bag on planes. The heavyweight recycled nylon offers a little protection from light rain showers, but I try to avoid getting it too wet when I have tech inside.

The latest versions of the bag include a key leash and two zippered pockets inside, as well as a top zipper. The zips are high quality and run smoothly. For extra security, there are various hacks to add anti-theft clips or a ring to attach a small padlock. But I usually keep mine zipped shut and close to my body.

I took the beach photos in this post in Littlehampton, one of my favourite beach day trips from London. The others were taken in Walworth, London.

Planning your next adventure? My 'what's in my travel bag' series has lots of tips and inspiration for packing light, as well as recommendations of my favourite travel products.

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