I’m a Fan of the hip pack, but even I initially scoffed at a $95 sling bag. What on earth could this bag possibly do that the thirty-something-dollar waist pack I’ve been using for four years couldn’t?
A lot, it turns out. Tortuga’s Travel Sling might be designed for travel, but it has become my daily go-to bag. Two separate compartments help me organize my life as a busy parent. It also has a surprising amount of room for a bag that isn’t much larger than my much cheaper, much less organized fanny packs.
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Pockets Galore
The Tortuga Travel Sling has two main compartments: a front section with two mesh pockets and one zipper pocket, and a slim back section with a firm backing. Tortuga calls the back pocket the “secure” pocket because it’s a little harder to access, while the front is termed the “organized” pocket.
I did find myself using the pockets in that fashion. I usually kept my phone or wallet in the back pocket, while the front held my keys, various lip balms, and sunglasses. My wallet did have to move to the front pocket if I had my phone in the back pocket, as there’s not enough room to stuff both inside. But I was impressed that while the mesh pockets look quite small, they easily fit three or four lip balm tubes (I like options!) or my giant, messy key ring.
Funny story: My driver’s license expired while I was testing the Tortuga. It felt a little like kismet, apart from the “visit the DMV and get a new one” part, which I have yet to do. (Don’t worry, I work from home.) While I wore the sling everywhere from the playground with my toddler to a flight halfway across the country, the back pocket felt designed with something as important as a passport in mind.
Now I had to carry mine as ID! The passport was the most natural fit for the stiff back pocket. There was still had enough wiggle room to remove it from the pocket, or even to stuff my iPhone 14 Pro inside with it. It was also a nice size to stash my (folded) plane tickets for easy relocating.
A Parent Hack
Photograph: Tortuga
I already have a favorite fanny pack for parents, but this one is now my second favorite.
That secure pocket I mentioned? It’s the perfect size to squeeze in a diaper and a small pack of wipes! My kid is currently in a size four diaper, so YMMV if your child is bigger, but it’s been a handy option when we’re running a super quick errand around the corner and just want the bare minimum of preparedness.
It also fits nicely into larger diaper bags—I had mine sitting on the top of a Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag with my wallet and necessities, making them easy to find and leaving the rest of the bag for kiddo things.
Obviously, it’s missing a key component necessary for a true diaper bag replacement: a changing pad. If you wanted a slim, diaper-only hip bag with a changing pad, the slightly cheaper No Reception Club Sidekick ($85) covers those bases perfectly (but fits little else in the bag itself).
The Little Things
The Tortuga Travel Sling offers a few nice quality-of-life upgrades. It has a key king in the organizing pocket. I also found the zippered pocket to be surprisingly roomy. I threw a variety of things in there during a trip, including nasal spray (my toddler brings home every cold he can find), several hair ties, little medicine packets, even my keys when I wanted a better separation between my sunglasses and pointy objects.
The strap is thick and easy to adjust, but I particularly liked the magnet buckle. It took some getting used to–sometimes I would forget and get frustrated when I couldn’t find the clasp, only to remember it didn’t have one, but it was a nicer experience than the massive buckles that I pinch myself on with other hip bags.
I primarily wore it as a crossbody-style sling, but it’s fine across the waist, too, though a bit bulky. Across my body I found it to be easy to access, and not too large while I was on the move or trying to find something. It’s my usual choice for daycare pickup and drop-off while balancing baby, his water bottle, and his constant attempts to escape me as I unlock the car. While I could bring a diaper on those trips in the secure pocket, I never do. What’s life without a little risk, after all?
