The Haglöfs Travel Pouch can be simply evaluated as an effective and secure means of protecting all of one’s valuable documents.
It really is that simple. It is just a travel bag, how complicated can it get?
What distinguishes the Haglöfs design of such a travel bag from its competitors, is that despite its simplicity, it packs an almost limitless variety of possible uses. This means that as your required demands of a primary storage of your gear change with the time of day, the environment or climate, or even just your location, you will always be able to rely on the adaptable Travel Pouch for safe preservation of your most valuable possessions and documents.
The four main pouches, medium to large (13-18cm deep), are ideal for typical documents such as a passport, reserves of cash, train tickets, mementos or spare credit cards. In one of the medium sized pouches there is even a net basket, ideal for keeping small and important articles such as used sim-cards which might well be useful in the near future.
One of these pouches is also waterproof and can be easily sealed airtight, in case of heavy rain. All of this is then covered by a Velcro fastened roll over flap, in which sits another medium sized zip lock pocket.
Behind the main body is another larger pouch which commands an even greater security as its contents can be removed quite ingeniously without opening the roll over flap and thus attracting limited attention if articles such as cash need to be taken out.
The adjustable and removable neckstrap as well as the fixed belt attachment means that the Travel Pouch can be conveniently donned in a number of positions; around the neck, over the shoulder, on a belt or even sometimes in hand or in one’s pocket. As I mentioned earlier, this Travel Pouch revolves around you, the adaptability offered by the various pouches and holding stances means that as the situation changes around you, you are able to reorganise your valuable belongings effectively to protect them from theft or misfortune.
I always felt my documents were well organised and protected from being battered or creased (crumpled US dollars don’t go down too well at exchange booths). The waterproof casing, sheltering my passport, gave me another layer of confidence everytime we were on a boat or near the sea.
Although it was certainly comfortable to wear under a shirt, the large surface area of the Travel Pouch against my body made it a nasty contributor to body sweat in hot temperatures. I also believe that if worn over a shirt, the strap could be quite easily cut by a cunning thief.
However, on a recent foray into Kyrgyzstan, I was able to keep two digital cameras in the zip pocket and use the Travel Pouch as a very small day pack (over my P2 Velum Jacket), containing everything that I was concerned about leaving at the guesthouse when I went for a wander. This became incredibly useful and allowed me to worry less about my belongings and focus more on enjoying my trip.
After continuous use for over 8 weeks, it shows absolutely no sign of wear. The Haglöfs Travel Pouch was an improvement on my earlier travel pouch and I am confident that it will continue to provide a reliable means of safe-guarding my most valuable documents on future adventures.
Available in the UK from outdoorkit.co.uk.