A small traveling bag or suitcase, especially one that can be carried by hand; a traveler's carrying bag.
From 'grip' (a grasp or handle) plus 'sack' (a bag, from Old Norse 'sekk'). An American English term from the 19th century combining how it was held (by the grip) with what it was (a sack).
Gripsack was the word for a portable bag before suitcases became standardized—it's specific to American frontier and Civil War era when soldiers and travelers needed bags they could grab and run with, which is exactly what the word describes!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.