On my recent trip to Philadelphia, I was determined to travel light. In the past I have used both a small purse for my wallet, phone, lip balm, boarding pass, and a larger totebag for magazines, my itinerary, whatever I wanted to carry on to the plane. For this trip though, I was fortunate to have a backpack that also functions as a purse, which not only held everything I wanted to keep with me, but kept my hands free for pulling my small carry-on suitcase. I didn’t have to check my suitcase that way, which saved me money and time at the airports!

The bag I used is called the WisePack™ Travel Backpack Purse by WiseWoman.  Not only does a backpack distribute the weight of what you are carrying more evenly, which reduces neck and back strain, but THIS backpack has more features than you would think possible in something so relatively small. WisePacks come in Black or Bronze (I have Bronze), they look like this:

The Black WisePack has leather trim on the bottom, sides and front. The Bronze WisePack does not have the leather trim which makes it completely washable! You can also see, in the photo, the two BONUS BAGS that come with the WisePack-

• A small Quick Trip Travel Bag with an adjustable cord and pockets that can be worn separately to carry small items or your plane tickets.
• A travel pouch for make-up, jewelry, ipod, etc. that handily clips inside.

So what sets WisePack apart from other backpacks? More features than you would think possible in a bag that weighs 1 pound! Here’s a close-up of the exterior:

The feature I want to really point out is the protected pocket. It makes it easy to get access to things like your boarding pass, even a small wallet, but when you are wearing the pack,  the pocket is hidden from would-be thieves.

Inside the WisePack is a bright colored lining that makes looking for your items easy. My favorite feature of the interior is the clip for the little bonus makeup bag. When I was on the airplanes and wanted to apply chapstick, it was so easy to find it in the little bag since it was clipped close to the top. Here’s more great features of the interior of the WisePack:

Now, here’s the thing that bums me out about this review.  As I was packing my WisePack for the trip to Philly, I realized that BOTH of our camera batteries were completely dead. As in, wouldn’t hold even the smallest charge. I had all these great photos planned showing you how much stuff I got into my Pack and yet how not-bulky it was.  I promise the next time I use it, I’ll have photos showing you just how much you can pack!

The Black WisePack with two bonus bags is $69.00 and the Bronze WisePack with two bonus bags is $59.00.  If you have a trip coming up, I highly recommend you get one. Other great uses for the WisePack? Well, have you ever been at the grocery store,  pushing the cart, trying to keep your kids from running down the aisles and touching everything, plus you have your purse on your shoulder constantly falling down your arm, but you don’t want to put it in the cart because let’s face it, it could get stolen while you’re wrestling a box of Princess Fruit Snacks out of your toddler’s clutches.  With a WisePack, you have your hands free! 

Pretty much anywhere you would take a purse, you can take a WisePack. Seriously, can you tell how much I love mine?  I did receive a WisePack from Myrna at WiseWomen, but the love is all MINE.  Get one! You’ll love it!!