Idea Mountain sent me their Journey Travel System Backpack to test out for you. A backpack carefully designed to carry everything you need for travel using an intelligent system that makes packing easy and FINDING things in your bag even easier. As a lifelong suitcase user, I was skeptical. I’ve tried backpacks before, and they don’t always work out. This bag is different. To test it, I packed everything using my Summer packing list. And it works. I mean, it truly works! The Journey is a fantastic travel backpack to carry on and use wherever you go.

Still not sure? Men’s Journal awarded the Idea Mountain The Journey System Best Convertable Bag for 2025!

Now, I understand that not everyone wants to carry a backpack when traveling. Still, this isn’t a “regular” backpack. You won’t be mistaken for a 20-year-old off to spend a gap year living off the land. The Journey is a sleek, professional-looking system that holds what you need and does much more. Added bonus: it’s four bags in one. You can carry everything you need and then take it apart to use the parts you need when you arrive. (If you don’t want to wear it as a backpack, you can carry it by its handle).

How cool is it? My 20- and 27-year-olds want it, and my 64-year-old is looking forward to using the bag for business travel.

Thanks to my sponsor, Idea Mountain, for supplying the free product to help me write this post today!

This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a percentage from each sale at no cost to you.

How I tested the Journey Travel Backpack

Over the years, I’ve learned to streamline my packing. I’ve come a long way from the European trip I took when I was 18. On that trip, I packed nearly every item of clothing I owned, including a blouse that didn’t go with anything and 25 cassette tapes to go with my Walkman. (The blouse came home unworn and wrinkled, and the cassette tapes were an anchor.) I’m not quite ready to take on a month in Germany with two shirts and some shorts, but I don’t need to take that much along.

My Summer packing list resulted from trial and error (and oh boy, I made a few errors). But I can depend on it. Generally, packing for Germany means packing for walking, visiting family, nights out, unexpected rain, and “when did it get this hot” sun. But even though the list is diverse, you still don’t need to take too much. Washing, re-wearing, and LAYERS are the key. And really, no one will notice that you wore that shirt 4 days ago. (I promise! And if they notice, they won’t care).

First, I watched the video to ensure I understood all of the Journey Bag’s secrets.

Excited Already? Click to Order Journey Packing System HERE

Save 10% with my Coupon Code “GermanGirl”
And Free Standard Shipping!

And Then I Set up My Test

I printed up my Summer Packing List…And laid everything out on the table.

First clothes… and they fit into the larger removable compartment.

Then the “carry on” which slips into the larger bag to become one bigger bag.

My travel computer fit nicely into the sleeve. That went into the carry on portion, along with a book, my superhero airplane super slippers, and an umbrella. There is plenty of room for my travel adapter, cords, pens, and journal.

The small hip pouch zips into the top of the bag and can hold the essentials that you need all the time: wallet, passport, small brush (etc). Before you scoff and say hip packs went out with socks and sandals, my daughter points out that all the K-pop kids wear them (over the shoulder) and that “stocks and socks” are a thing. See! You can lead the way in fashion.

The whole system clips together nicely. You can easily adjust the straps to fit, and there is a chest strap for when you have to RUN across the airport to get to the other gate. (Honestly, I wish I had the travel backpack when I was dashing to connect with a flight in Phoenix. I have to apologize again to all the people I bowled over with my suitcase).

When I took it outside to let my daughter try it on, she and her friend were ooohhhing and awing, “The big part comes off!” “I’d use that small pack for school!”

The small backpack looks like a regular day pack

Features of the Journey Travel System

The Journey Travel System may not be the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

The bags are high quality, with strong zippers and clips.
The bag has padding for your back
The “day pack” has a secret zipped compartment that rests against the small of your back. Perfect for securing extra cash. Unless you know to look for it, you can’t even see it’s there.
The shoe compartment keeps the bag stable, and keeps the shoes away from your clothes. The extra shoe bag helps keep dirt down.
Socks, underwear, sweaters or dirty clothes can be placed into one of the 2 included vacuum seal bags. Zip them in, roll it up, and the extra air goes out the one way valve. (Maybe keep one for clean stuff, the other for dirty clothes)
There are plenty of mesh pockets for holding things. When I travel, especially when I’m working, I have power cords, portable chargers, pens, memory sticks, and a journal… all of this needs to be in a specific place where I can FIND it.
The Toiletries bag holds everything securely, and can be hung up in a hotel bathroom.
Not a fan of wearing the bag on your back? Maybe you don’t want to wrinkle the blouse you are wearing? There is a handle on the side so that it can be carried like a suitcase.

Click to Order Your Journey Travel System HERE

Save 10% with Coupon Code “GermanGirl”

PLUS- Free Standard Shipping!

Germany with One Bag?

And now I know that a few of you scoff at travel to Germany with one bag. I hear you. I, too, have “acquisition disorder” ie. I love buying souvenirs. So here’s the solution. The Journey bag holds all your clothes and essentials, and you can fill up an empty duffel bag WHILE in Germany. This way, you have one bag and one personal item.

Is the Journey System Really a Travel Backpack to Carry On?

Will everything on my list fit in to one bag? And can that bag go into the overhead compartment on the plane?

YES!

Why do you want to fit it into the overhead compartment? Because you don’t want to pay an extra $50 for your bag. And when you see people try to wedge roller bags into the overhead space, this bag makes even more sense.

But how do I feel about it?

Travel with a bag like this would be new to me, but I honestly think it’s a great solution for minimalist travelers, and for shorter trips.

There is a lot about this bag to like. I like that you can remove the portion that holds the clothing, and leave that whole section behind in the hotel room. The small backpack is enough for day-tripping… It holds your water, book, maps, and (of course) a snack. And if you use it for business travel, it’s sleek and professional enough to carry in to a meeting. Over the past few years, much of my travel gone from “vacation time” to “mix of business and pleasure”. I’m taking shorter trips that are more focused. And I need to carry my business with me when I go (laptop, note pad, pens, camera). The Journey Travel System meshes perfectly with this new style of travel. But it’s also the perfect bag for a weekend get-away!

I know it could be a while before I get back to Germany, but I’m happy that I have the right bag, and am ready to GO!