Spring Break in Montreal With New Custom Travel Bags

April 5, 2022

CUSTOM BAGS, TRAVEL

A couple of weeks ago, when the boys were on Spring Break, we took a short trip to Montreal (2 hours by train from Ottawa). It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been outside of Ottawa, so I thought it called for a couple of new travel bags.

This roll-top tote is a new unisex design that I’ve been meaning to make for a while now. I surprised Christian with it (I also needed him to test it for me). It turned out pretty well. Overall, we were happy with it, but it still needs some small modifications.

The roll-top tote is actually a messenger style bag with a detachable shoulder strap. However, there are some customizations that can be added, like a luggage strap and backpack straps. I plan to also make this bag compatible with the Brompton folding bike.

This is the large size, which is perfect for light travel or as a carry-on bag. I added a luggage strap for any future travels we may have. It will also be available in a medium size and I’m hoping to get this in the shop within the month.

For myself, I made a Large Utility Tote. It usually comes with a crossbody strap, but I didn’t need one because I wanted to use it as hand-held tote and backpack. As this will be my travel bag for the next few years, so I also added a luggage strap.

Also, I should mention that the midnight blue and charcoal grey is a custom colour combination. A customer ordered a bag with this combination and I really liked it. I will show you that bag in another post.

The Large Utility Tote comes with 7 pockets to keep your belongings organized: 5 on the inside and 2 on the outside. It comes with a full zipper top closure for security.

This is the maximum size personal bag that can be carried for most airlines. It can be stowed under the seat in front of you.

We had a great time in Montreal. It’s one of my favourite cities. It was the boys’ first time and they really enjoyed it. The weather is still cold in March, so we just went to a few places (downtown, Chinatown, Old Montreal and Jean Talon Market). This is just their intro trip and we’ll be back often. I’m very happy to be close to Montreal, since moving to Ottawa 2.5 years ago.

The above photo is of Old Montreal (Rue Saint Paul) in the early morning. If you have kids, you know they wake up early, so the shops weren’t even open yet.

This historic building is the Marche Bonsecours. Inside has small shops, where local and Canadian crafts and products are sold.

We also went to Jean Talon Market in Little Italy. The outdoor market isn’t open until it gets warmer. Inside the market was fairly quiet. With Covid still around, I don’t think it has the traffic as it did unfortunately. In the past, I’ve seen it very busy when the weather warms up.