Lots of experienced travelers carry a specific travel purse on their travels. Let’s face it — your needs in a purse on the road aren’t always the same as they are when you’re at home, so it makes sense that you might need a special travel purse. There are lots of different travel purses available, so how do you find a good one?

Take a look at the security that the purse offers. No matter where you are, you are going to discover that there is a chance that you may be a prospective victim of a purse snatching or pickpocketing. A good travel purse can help you beat this trend by having stainless steel wire mesh installed in the bottom of the purse as well as in the strap, making it more difficult for people to pull the purse off of your body or to cut through the bottom of the purse to get at your wallet. Some purses also have latches for the zipper pulls for extra security.

Another wise feature of many travel purses is having lots of separate compartments. This way, even if a thief is able to unzip one compartment without you noticing, they won’t get everything. It’s hard to imagine that they could unzip a dozen compartments before you noticed what was happening! It also makes it easier for you, since you may have a lot of different items with you when you’re traveling. Having an organizer-type purse with many compartments makes it easier to find what you’re looking for.

Light packers swear by small, unobtrusive travel purses. Compact bags can store everything from your passport to some toiletries to small gadgets, and they are designed to help you keep your most essential possessions together, but not a lot of extras. Larger bags can accommodate a world of travel essentials — from cameras, to guidebooks, to water bottles, to iPods.

If you’re looking for the lightest weight travel purse (always a consideration if you’re going to carry it for 8 hours of sightseeing!), then a nylon or other synthetic materials is a good choice. For durability and feel, leather is a classic, though it does tend to be heavier. A good leather purse can last for many years, though.

One of the most important parts of choosing a travel purse is choosing one that is right for you. For instance, if you don’t like the idea of slinging the purse from shoulder to opposite hip, why not look at one that is carried around the waist or that has an extra security strap across the chest? Make sure that the straps hang at a comfortable place on your frame, particularly if you are very short or tall.

Finally, you want something that’s easy. The last thing you want is a white purse (that will be dirty by the time you reach your destination), or something dainty (that will be quickly be ruined). It needs to be sturdy enough to stand up to the rigors of travel. And it needs to be something you can scuff up without worrying about it.

Having the right travel purse can make your trip easier, and safer too. And both of those can make it more enjoyable. So choose the best travel purse for your needs, stay safe, and have a great vacation!