Six To Buy: Compact Overnight Bags That’ll Hold All Your Weekend Trip Essentials

Photo: Courtesy Of July

From lightweight oversized totes for last-minute overnight stays to smart backpacks that open like a suitcase for maximum compact packing, here are six carry-on bags from Australian brands rethinking the way we travel.

Words by Emma Joyce · Updated on 25 Mar 2025 · Published on 23 Dec 2024

Still lugging around that tattered gym bag on your weekend adventures? When you’re in the market for a more sophisticated holdall or a backpack that’ll take you from sales pitch to summit, we’ve found six attractive travel bags that pack well above their weight (or within aircraft cabin limitations).

July’s Carry All Weekender Plus

$295

Sitting somewhere between a duffle bag and a tote, July’s 28-litre capacity Carry All Weekender ($295) features a minimal design with plenty of carry. As the name suggests, it’s the accepted size for carry-on flight luggage and its padded internal compartment for laptops and other flat digital devices means it’s ideal for a couple of nights away while you’re on the clock. You can attach it to a suitcase using a pass-through band and its shoulder strap has leather padding for a more comfortable transit once you’ve checked your heavier bags. It’s made from waterproof nylon with leather handles and trim and it comes in French navy and midnight black.

Buy at July

Status Anxiety’s Everything I Wanted duffle bag

$150

When you need to carry more than a change of clothes, and you’re happy to leave the work laptop behind, this spacious duffel bag from Sydney-based leather specialists Status Anxiety is a reasonably priced weekend bag that has the right dimensions for cabin limitations if you’re travelling by air. It comes in black or khaki canvas, or, for a luxury option, in Brazilian pebbled leather for a slightly pricer $399.95. The canvas version is $149.95 and it has long shoulder straps, two outside pockets and one internal zipped compartment. Think of it as a step up from your regular gym bag, or a more adult variation on a school sports bag.

Buy at Status Anxiety

Bellroy’s Transit Workpack Pro

$349

When you have a sales pitch at 10am and a hike at noon, this Bellroy extra-capacity backpack is designed to seamlessly transition between work-you and holiday-you. One of its drawcards is a quick-access compartment for a laptop, so you can breeze through airport security without opening your entire bag. When you want to access the main compartment, it opens up like a suitcase, complete with a secure strap for holding down any clothing. It has handy external pockets too, for passport, keys and other small items, plus there’s one roomy side pocket for a water bottle or two cans of beans (why not?). The water-resistant backpack is made from recycled materials and its shoulder straps are padded for extra comfort. The 22-litre size is $349 and it comes in black, olive and stone.

Buy at Bellroy

State of Escape’s Odyssey tote

$395

Handcrafted to order in Sydney, State of Escape’s perforated neoprene bags have reached cult-like status for their stylish and practical designs. Its latest offering is an oversized tote ($395) that comes in five colours – bermuda pink, white, black, olive and paprika. The weekend bag doesn’t zip up or close completely, so it’s better for car trips and long days at the beach. The 40-litre holdall is machine washable and has two internal side pockets, a lanyard for attaching to your keys or wallet, and sailing rope-style handles for carrying over the shoulder or by hand. It’s a throw-everything-in-and-go holdall.

Buy at State of Escape

Republic of Florence’s Albertis duffle bag

$449

Based in Wollongong, NSW, Republic of Florence designs all its leather bags and accessories in Australia and has them made in Italy. Founders Kira and Dimitri Bandinelli take pride in working with leather-makers in Florence, which is where Dimitri was born. They source high-grade, vegetable-tanned leather from Tuscany and everything they make is produced in small batches. The brand’s Albertis duffel bag is $449, and it comes in brown, chocolate, tan and blue. It fits up to three days’ worth of clothing, plus a laptop, and it fits cabin luggage requirements. It’s also surprisingly lightweight and its reinforced shoulder straps make it easy on the traps. Its two-way zip also means you can open the bag wide, plus there’s an internal pocket for storing smaller items or valuables. Buying it as a gift? You can also get it monogrammed.

Republic of Florence

Handsom’s Roll Top Canvas bag

$200

“Durable, functional and stylish,” says Melbourne label Handsom about its roll-top canvas bags, which are a featherweight option for handheld luggage, or just for everyday chores. The $200 over-the-shoulder bags are made from 100 per cent Japanese cotton canvas and cotton webbing. They come in taupe or a taupe and ecru split and you can use them rolled up (especially if you’re taking them on a flight or in the car) or extended for carrying approximately 30 per cent more stuff. They’re designed and handmade in Melbourne by tailor Oscar Lake of made-to-measure brand Olake.

Handsom

We hope you love the products we recommend on Broadsheet. Our editors select each one independently. Broadsheet may receive an affiliate commission when you follow some links.

This article was originally published on August 11, 2022 but was updated to reflect new pricing and product names.

About the author

Emma Joyce is a freelance writer and was Broadsheet’s former features editor.