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Travel Gear Review: STM Velo 2 Bag and Cable Wrap 

18/8/2013

 

We're testing the STM Velo 2 & Cable Wrap to see if they solve our travel packing problems.

STM Velo 2 Medium turnipseedtravel.com
STM Velo 2 Medium

A Packing Challenge

My passion with ultra-lite, organized packing is well known – I spend days (if not weeks!) obsessing over the placement of everything in my pack, debating each items’ merits and weighing it according (sometime literally weighing it!). But no matter how much I organize the main pack; there are always last minute odds and ends being stashed in my day bag. While I’d like to keep my day bag for just my camera, or maybe my iPad, the reality is that water bottles, magazines, snack packs, umbrellas, guidebooks and more tend to infiltrate it! The result is a heavy, awkward, bulging mess.
Odds and Ends
Where does this go??

STM to the Rescue!

I fell in love when I first discovered STM bags. STM has everything I could need, from water bottle holders that are big enough for a full size bottle, to straps that are easy to adjust, plus plenty of security features and soft flannel lining the pouches for smart phones and tablets.

The Velo 2 (Medium) is a particularly good choice. It has two water bottle holders – one of which could also work for an umbrella. A waist belt keeps it steady while darting through the airport. The back panel offers a zippered opening at the bottom and converts from a pocket to a slot for your suitcase’s telescoping handle. The small front pocket has a dozen tiny slots for pens, business cards, keys, and cords. In the main pocket, there is enough space for a DSLR camera, a 15 inch laptop, and lots of odds and ends. There are tiny loops to keep cords organized and a side access panel for when you just have to get laptop without disturbing anything else. 
STM Velo 2 Medium
Image from STM

Making the Cut

I love how there is literally a spot for everything in the Velo 2 and how it keeps everything organized. It will be coming with us on all of our road trips! It will be perfect for keeping our critical gear – the iPads, the cameras, the water bottles, the snacks, and pen, paper, pencils – by our side on lengthy trips, allowing us to combine travel and work with ease. I love that there’s enough room to toss in a book, some magazines, even a spare T-shirt without the bag overflowing. Important: there’s a small pocket at the top that would be perfect for the passports or boarding cards if you are using it as your primary piece of carry-on luggage. 

Any Complaints?

There are two tricky things about this bag - for us. These may not be issues for you at all. First, it’s designed to accommodate a 15 inch laptop and we often sub out our laptop in favor of smaller iPads. We’d welcome the extra space when we’re on the train, but if we’re just heading out for a day trip, there’d be much more space than we’d need. 

Secondly, the dimensions are too large to be used as a personal item when traveling by air with carry-on luggage only. Would it squish? Sure. But I'd rather not take the chance it would be measured at the airport. This bag would be perfect for us just a few cms smaller at the measurements for the personal item size limits used by airlines (16x33x43 cm for Air Canada).

A Review of the STM Cable Wrap

STM Cable Wrap
Image from STM
There are plenty of times when my ‘normal’ life consists of a frantic search for car keys, or phone charger, or dog leash, so when I travel I want things to go as smoothly as possible – at least when it comes to luggage!

The STM Cable Wrap has become an indispensable tool of the trade for me as a frequent traveler. It opens up flat to reveal a myriad of different size pouches that are perfect for storing all my digital and electronic odds and ends - then rolls up tightly, secures itself with a clip, and can easily be tossed in my bag.

On my recent trip to Montreal, I stored chargers for my iPhone, iPad, camera battery charger, ear buds, spare memory cards, and a stack of business cards. Everything stayed organized and it rolled up easily, even with the bulky battery charger in the middle. It was great to have a system that was more structured than just a jumble of tangled cords in a Ziploc bag.
STM Cable Wrap
Versatile!
While I have used the Cable Wrap as originally intended, I think it has potential for some new incarnations for creative travelers. I can envision campers using it to keep spice vials organized and business travelers using it to organize office supplies. 

I’d love to see the Cable Wrap come in some more creative colors (currently only grey and black) but, overall, I couldn’t find any faults with the design.

We Want To Give You An STM Cable Wrap!

UPDATE: Contest Closed.

A big congratulations to our winner:  Valerie!!!
Thanks to everyone who participated!
​

Disclosure: STM furnished TST with the Velo 2 Medium and Cable Wraps for review. This did not affect our appraisal. This post may contain links from our sponsors.
Gretchen Mross
18/8/2013 06:44:02 am

I love traveling. My favorite spot is Hawaii. I always overpack. This would help me control myself!!! Love it!!!

Vanessa
18/8/2013 07:44:16 am

Thanks for entering Gretchen. I LOVE Hawaii as well. Everyone says you just need to bring a swimsuit and flip flops but I always tend to pack heavy there - I need to bring along my snorkel gear!

Irene S. Levine link
18/8/2013 07:55:49 am

Looks like a neat prize. Count me in~

Vanessa
18/8/2013 08:36:13 am

Good luck!

Roma link
18/8/2013 08:16:45 am

I'm guilty of overpacking. I'd like to think that after a year of carryon only trips that I've just about 'got it'. Carrying an SLR gear takes up half my carryon so packing tips are always welcomed!

Vanessa
18/8/2013 08:36:55 am

SLR gear is such a challenge!!! It's a triple challenge - heavy, awkward, and needing lots of protection.

Alyson Maynard
18/8/2013 09:53:47 am

My favorite places to travel - China, Costa Rica, Hawaii

I'm really looking forward to reading about your around the world trip, especially the part on Australia (so I can get tips for my trip there next spring).

Piece of travel gear I can't live without - Hair straightener! I never travel without it.

Vanessa
18/8/2013 10:25:05 am

I'm now just starting to see the benefits of the hair straightener!

Nancy Judevine
19/8/2013 07:55:42 am

My mini-daypack is indispensable for my medium to long bicycle rides, but it lacks enough small compartments. The STM Cable Wrap would help me store and organize a little cash, debit card, small tools, lip balm, extra ear buds, etc.

Vanessa
19/8/2013 08:33:01 am

You're right Nancy - it would be perfect for tossing into a daypack and then you wouldn't have to dig through everything when you need a small piece - you could just pull out your cable wrap!

Cathy Canton
19/8/2013 02:31:29 pm

I love Hawaii too and Italy is lovely England exciting and Holland is great too but a place that I really enjoyed was Barbados. So many places so little time. Hoping to take me kids to Hawaii one day to snorkel right off the beach AMAZING! Love talking travel! The Cable Wrap looks amazing BTW Thanks for the giveaway!

Vanessa
20/8/2013 04:51:04 am

Hi Cathy - thanks for dropping by! I think Barbados is on my list now! Let me know if you have a favorite spot there that you recommend.

Valerie
20/8/2013 01:57:14 am

Every time I travel, I try something else for all the cords, and it nevers works! There's one for my phone, my laptop, my kobo, my camera... My best system, to date, is to wrap a hair elastic around each one. At least then, if I lose all my hair elastics (how does that happen, I wonder?), I can at least find something to tie my hair back. Unfortunately, it does have the side effect of cords having to sometimes be bundled together for the journey home...

Vanessa
20/8/2013 04:53:18 am

I think the hair elastic system is brilliant! Why use just regular rubber bands when you can choose something that does double duty (plus I bet they are stronger and gentler than rubber bands - you could probably put them around rolled up art work as well)

ADKBUG
24/8/2013 12:08:15 am

Very helpful review of both items! Count me in for the cable wrap giveaway.

Vanessa
24/8/2013 08:53:05 am

Thank you! You're in the draw!

Anita
25/8/2013 03:04:41 pm

I'm a little bit of a techno geek, who likes to travel and bring my tech gadgets w me. This seems to be just what I need! ;-)

Vanessa
25/8/2013 03:18:01 pm

Everyone who has used it (including me!) seems to love it.


Comments are closed.
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