I am a sucker for bags. I also love organising.

Whether it’s my Virgo rising or my fear of not having something I might need, I could spend hours thinking about the most efficient way to carry as much as possible—with the least weight and in the most organised manner.

It probably comes as no surprise that this enthusiasm has developed into something of a bag obsession.

Although I’m trying not to buy any more, I can still lose entire days researching new ones. I will endeavour to write a full “My Favourite Bags” post eventually, but today I want to talk about the most useful and practical bag I own.

The Search for the Perfect Day Bag

I should preface this by saying that I’ve owned a lot of bags over the years, and none of them ever quite did everything I wanted.

I have smaller bags that are more stylish—the ones I choose when I don’t need to carry much and want something that feels more in keeping with my outfit.

However, I’m also the mother of a six-year-old boy. I have numerous hobbies, we’re both outdoorsy, and I always—always—like to be prepared.

On most days out, holidays and trips together, I need a bigger bag.

I’ve cycled through plenty of options. Tote bags inevitably became too heavy and made one side of my back hurt. They were also useless when I needed both hands free.

Backpacks were much better for keeping me relatively pain-free and allowing me to wrestle my son with both arms. However, constantly removing the backpack whenever I needed something became annoying.

Then there were family trips to places like the beach. If I wanted to wander off and buy some drinks, I had to take the entire enormous bag with me. Carrying everything everywhere quickly became tiresome.

After years of searching, I finally found a bag that did everything I wanted.

I liked it so much that I bought two.

Enter the Desigual Voyager XL

My most practical bag is the Desigual Voyager XL Multiposition Backpack in khaki.

It’s my most-used bag for days out, whether I’m in full mum mode or not.

Here’s why it works so well.

It Holds More Than It Looks Like It Should

For an XL bag, it doesn’t look particularly enormous.

It can hold plenty, but it doesn’t give the impression that you’re walking around with a giant piece of luggage strapped to your back. The nylon construction collapses in on itself, so when the bag isn’t completely full, it looks considerably smaller.

That makes it much easier to use on ordinary days when I don’t need its full capacity.

The Base Expands

One of its most useful features is the zip around the bottom, which allows you to extend the length of the bag.

Picture this: you’re out all day and have packed everything the family might need. Your bag is already fairly rammed. Your child gets warm and no longer wants to carry his coat, while you’re already carrying your own.

Instead of balancing another jacket over one arm, you simply unzip the bottom of the bag and gain approximately another quarter of its original capacity.

The coat goes straight into the top, and the problem is solved.

It Can Be Carried in Several Ways

The multiposition design has been executed remarkably well.

The backpack straps on my khaki version can’t be removed, but they don’t get in the way when I carry it differently. The shoulder and crossbody strap can be detached, and the bag came with two different strap options.

Every strap apart from the short carrying handles is adjustable.

This means I can use it as:

• A backpack
• A shoulder bag
• A crossbody bag
• A large handheld bag

I can change how I carry it depending on how heavy it is, where we’re going and whether I need both hands free.

The Detachable Pouch Becomes a Separate Bag

A detachable pouch clips onto the front, making it feel like part of the main bag.

The pouch has a main zipped compartment and another zipped pocket on the front. It’s ideal for keeping valuables and frequently used essentials together—my phone, keys and wallet, for example.

If I want to pop into a shop without carrying everything else, I can simply unclip the pouch, attach one of the crossbody straps and turn it into a small bag.

I’m not the biggest fan of the colouring on the khaki pouch, so I often use the main bag without it. Sometimes I substitute the pouch from my raffia version instead, as I prefer its appearance.

There Are Pockets Everywhere

The large main compartment contains an internal zipped pocket and smaller slip pockets suitable for a phone or other little essentials.

There is also:

• A generously sized zipped pocket on the front
• A zipped pocket at the back
• Two bottle pockets, one on either side
• The detachable front pouch with two additional zipped sections

There is a place for almost everything, which means the contents don’t immediately collapse into one enormous, chaotic heap.

On the back, there’s a luggage sleeve that slides over the telescopic handle of a suitcase, along with another zipped pocket for anything I need to keep close at hand while travelling.

It Survives Real Life

The dark khaki nylon is extremely forgiving. It dries quickly, feels tough and hides a multitude of sins.

I’ve owned this bag for years, and I don’t treat my bags delicately. I throw it onto the muddy floor of my car, sling it onto the ground outside and generally subject it to fairly rough treatment.

Despite that, it still looks remarkably good.

This is not a precious bag that needs to be protected from actual life. It’s designed to be used.

The Front Straps Are Surprisingly Useful

Behind the detachable pouch are two adjustable straps on the front of the bag.

I absolutely love this detail. I regularly use them to secure a scarf or beach towel outside the main compartment. On most days out, I carry my Burberry scarf for warmth and, thanks to rapid GLP-1 weight loss, some much-needed extra seat cushioning.

It seems like a simple addition, but it prevents bulky or damp items from taking up valuable space inside the bag. I think it was an ingenious feature to include.

The Raffia Version

I loved the khaki bag so much that I later bought another version in light raffia.

I don’t like the overall style of the raffia one quite as much. It has a definite beach-holiday feel, and because it doesn’t have the same slouchy, collapsing texture, it remains fairly rigid even when it isn’t full.

There is, however, one feature it has over the khaki version: the backpack straps can be unclipped at the bottom.

Instead of a zipped pocket at the back, the raffia version has a large pocket with a magnetic popper closure. You can unclip the backpack straps and tuck them into this pocket, keeping them neatly out of the way.

I do wish the khaki bag had this feature.

I also prefer the detachable pouch from the raffia version and often use it with the khaki main bag.

Despite those advantages, the khaki still wins for me.

The Verdict

The Desigual Voyager XL fulfils virtually every one of my practical requirements without weighing me down.

It isn’t a luxury cognac-leather bag or a dramatic statement piece. It won’t always be the bag that finishes an outfit perfectly. However, for everyday practicality, family outings, holidays, outdoor adventures and carrying everything I might conceivably need, it takes first place.

It holds plenty without always looking enormous. I can carry it in several ways, expand it when necessary, detach a smaller bag and organise everything into a frankly delightful number of pockets.

It isn’t my most beautiful bag, but it may be the cleverest—and it’s certainly the one that makes my life easiest.

What’s your most practical bag?