The 8 Best Weekend Bags for Short Trips

A weekend may not seem like a long time, but when you’re traveling somewhere exciting, those two or three days are ripe with possibility. Whether you’re going to the beach, a cabin in the woods, or across town for a multi-day hang with your bestie, you’ll need a bag that can handle all your adventures. Every trip is different, so we’ve selected some of our favorite weekender bags of all sizes and capacities to take on a few days away. 

WHAT MAKES A GREAT WEEKENDER BAG?

Pretty much any bag can be a great weekender, as long as it has a few crucial features. Of course, you’ll want plenty of space to stash all your essentials, so a roomy main compartment is a non-negotiable! For those who travel with lots of tech or specialized gear, laptop compartments and organizer pockets can help keep all your belongings organized. And don’t forget water bottle pockets to help you stay hydrated on the go. 

As for comfort, look for durable yet lightweight construction. Features like padded shoulder straps, sternum straps, waist belts, and a mesh back are also nice comfort features to have. Finally, if you’re planning on using this bag for longer trips in addition to weekend ones, consider a luggage passthrough, so you can stack it on top of a rolling suitcase with ease.

What about fabrics? For durability, look for a bag with a reinforced boot, or one made of strong suede. And you may have heard of “denier:” It’s a measure of how thick a fabric is, particularly nylon. A higher denier generally means a stronger bag, so look to that number when you’re picking your pack.

BEST FOR TRIPS WHEN YOU NEED YOUR TECH

If you can’t bear to leave your tech behind for the weekend, the Odyssey Backpack has a padded sleeve that can hold a 15-inch laptop, plus a tablet sleeve. These features will keep your devices safe on the go. But when it’s time to head out for an adventure and leave the tech behind, you’ll be pleased to find that that same laptop sleeve doubles as a pouch to hold a 3-liter hydration system.

With a tuck-away hip belt and body-hugging shoulder straps, this super comfy backpack is awesome from transit to trail. It has a 39-liter capacity and double water pockets, plus an ice axe loop you can also use to hold a tripod or trekking poles.

BEST FOR TRAVELS THAT REQUIRE ALL THE GEAR

There’s no shame in having a lot of stuff, especially if you’re traveling for a big event and need to bring a lot of gear, or if you’re planning on doing a fashion shoot with your whole closet. Or maybe you’re just an overpacker! We’re not here to judge. If you need a lot of space, the Weekender Large Duffel lives up to its name, making it the perfect bag for maximalists.

The biggest bag in the duffel collection, this carry-all offers a 60-liter main compartment. It’s particularly handy for athletes who may be hauling back sweaty uniforms and dirty shoes, since they can keep them separated in the zippered shoe pocket. There’s also a front zippered compartment that’s great for holding small items like keys or accessories. Best of all, this spacious bag can also fold up into a smaller pouch, so it won’t take up too much space when you get to your destination. And if you want to pair it with a suitcase? There’s a luggage pass-through—it’s perfect for when you’ve stuffed the bag so full that you don’t want to carry it with the shoulder strap.

BEST FOR LONG-DISTANCE WEEKEND TRIPS

If you’ll be navigating endless airport corridors or unexpected bus station staircases, you need a bag that can be worn on your back or rolled alongside you. The Driver 8 Backpack, available in three solid colors and two funky space-inspired patterns, is a laptop backpack on wheels, so you can carry it in whichever manner suits you best.

Compact but spacious with 36 liters of capacity, and built for function on the go, this backpack has a front organizational pocket, water bottle pocket, and two main compartments. There’s also a padded sleeve that can hold a 15-inch laptop. The best part of this rolling bag is that the straps tuck away when it’s in rolling mode, eliminating the chance of unexpected snags slowing you down. 

BEST FOR ORGANIZING EVERYTHING ON THE GO

We’re not sure what we love more about the Hatchet Backpack: its hyper-functional system of pockets or the smart-looking top hatch to make access to your gear quick and easy. This 28-liter backpack is on the smaller side for a weekender but earns its spot with its organizational prowess. It has a large main compartment, plus a pair of side bottle pockets, an interior padded laptop compartment with an organization panel, and several small stash pockets to store all your essentials. Cinch straps can help you compress larger loads, and a daisy chain on the front makes it easy to attach anything from your lunch pack to a sleeping bag.

BEST FOR COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

With a capacity of 32 liters, the Agave Backpack is always ready for adventure and can hold enough clothes for a week if you’re a strategic packer. The padded sleeve can hold a laptop or a 3-liter hydration system, and there’s a bonus tablet pocket for the always-connected. Flat and wide shoulder straps use AirCore tech to keep the fit light and breezy and there’s a sternum and hip strap to relieve pressure on your back. A fully padded air mesh back panel rounds out the comfort features.

The side compression straps come in handy if you’re prone to overstuffing your backpack and need to fit it into a small space, while a pair of mesh side bottle pockets make it easy to access your hydration on the go. Similar to the Hatchet, this bag includes a daisy chain to attach all your gear next to zippered stash pockets on the front. If you find the bag is on the larger side, you can try out the smaller Women’s Agave Backpack, which boasts almost all of the same features.

BEST FOR AN URBAN GETAWAY

For city excursions or college visits, you’ll need a weekender bag that makes a bold statement. The Suede Campus bag is a super cute and fashionable pack available in cute prints like Flower Power Brown, Rad Plaid Navy, and Painted Petals Pink, as well as solid colors like black and gray. The Campus has an extra-large 32-liter capacity and a suede leather bottom, which means it’s more durable should you have to frequently plop it down on a rough surface. (Bus stations don’t always have the most comfortable seats!)

Going beyond the average bag, this backpack has a back panel and ergonomic shoulder straps that are fully padded for your comfort, while webbing on the handle makes it easy to tote around. Beyond the large main compartment and padded laptop sleeve are multiple pockets that can help you stay organized. 

BEST FOR TRAVELING LIGHT

If you plan to pack on the lighter side but still want a backpack that’s up to a challenge, the 34-liter Seattle Pack is perfect. Available in retro black, red, and green designs with bright accents, this is a great backpack for the outdoors. It’s made with recycled nylon and has a reinforced bottom boot that’s sure to stand up to anything Mother Nature can throw at it.

On the inside, you’ve got a sizable main compartment, including a fleece-lined laptop sleeve with a separate section for a tablet. On the outside, this backpack boasts double water bottle pockets, a luggage passthrough, multiple accessory pockets, and an upper organizer pocket with a plush lining—ideal for storing your sunglasses in a scratch-free zone. The best part? This throwback pack weighs less than two pounds, so it’ll be easy to keep your load light.

BEST VERSATILE TRAVEL SYSTEM

When one bag isn’t enough, the Venture Pack System offers plenty of options—and a combined 60 liters to carry all your gear. This backpack duo can be worn separately, but it’s designed to be lashed together to give you carrying capacity on the front and back. To help distribute the weight, there’s a wire frame suspension system that makes things more comfortable.

The 40-liter Venture Pack is sizable on its own and offers internal compression straps to help you pack all your gear. And the Venture Daypack has tuck-away shoulder straps and attaches via a clip to the larger bag’s shoulder straps. An adjustable panel on the back of the main pack lets you optimize the length of the bag to fit your torso, and a padded hip belt ensures that this bag puts comfort first. An added bonus: You can carry four water bottles between the two packs. 

Additional reporting by Nicole Price Fasig