We travel in Europe for a month each year and I have always wished for 'just the right size' guide bag to take along.  For years we have taken a too-big backpack style of day bag and things have either rattled around inside them or we felt somewhat hot and oppressed by the bulk (not the weight) on our backs. This kind of 'satisficing' is o.k. on the short tours but the larger pack got more annoying with every passing travel day. This year we 'sprung' for Samsung Galaxy 2 10.1 tablets and GPS/local Map Apps (we got 'lost' a lot with maps that were to 'general' and arguments ensued). We needed a good way to carry the new tablets and, since we converted our travel research into electronic files, we didn't need as much space for the daily itinerary.  I took a chance on this bag (after due-dilligence in measuring and reading the specs) and I am relieved to report that the Samsung full-size tablet fits fine and there is a decent density pad to provide some shock protection!

There is a LOT ELSE TO LIKE about this bag.  It can be trim but it can expand (I measured 1 3/4 extra inches)to usefully carry my Nike jogging rain jacket and a water bottle (no outside sleeve for that, though.) Even without expansion, the size is right for stowing the inevitable museum guide books and postcards that accumulate over a day of my wife's ceaseless pursuit of culture.  An interior pocket has its own organizer pockets, including one for a smart phone and two mesh pockets.  One of them will protect a goodly number of standard sized postcards or serve to carry notecards and a clip-on pen.  A second zippered, mesh pocket will work fine for carrying a card from your hotel to present to non-English speaking taxi drivers or...if you are only a little bit foolish, for carrying some currency or, for a short period, housing a bank card for the walk to a nearby ATM.  (Credit and Debit cards should be carried in a Rick Steves moneybelt stowed under one's clothing.)

I am fine with the level of security this bag provides:  in my experience over the last few years in Italy and France and Germany, pick-pocketing is more under control.  People with really expensive digital SLR cameras don't seem to be targeted.  I have never seen an instance of the 'slash and run' type of theft that would justify buying a bag with cut-resistant steel wire mesh.  This bag does not have that but the shoulder strap seems to be made of sturdy enough stuff that a 'perpetrator' would have to saw on it a bit and that definitely would be noticeable!  What this bag does offer is the 'layered, multiple-fastener' sort of security that pickpockets would choose to avoid: time is money and tugs=discovery risk to them.  Behind the smart phone and mesh pockets is another deep zippered pocket in which to bury...what?  I use mine for carrying 'Streetwise' laminated maps or for carrying the similar size maps from Tourist Information Offices that give a useful level of local detail.  Any written correspondence relating to rail passes and hotel reservations also go here:  secure but handy.

My bag (and another for my wife) feature full-size zipper tabs that are easy to grip.  Two inside zippers have circles punched in the tabs so a key ring or larger pulls can be added, if desired.  Stitching and sewing are first-class.  The tote strap expands smoothly to 48 inches, allowing for a cross-body carry, which I prefer for security and for comfort.  A sliding shoulder pad works well-enough to take some pressure off the shoulder with a well-loaded bag.  We have two of these bags:  on one the expansion zipper works smoothly and on the other some patience is needed to zip/unzip around the corners.  All in all, this is close to my ideal day bag!