As a road warrior traveler, I've learned that compromising on luggage eventually results in a really inconvenient problem, ie luggage failure. I've been using Briggs luggage for 10 years and can attest to it's near indestructibility. And, if you do happen to destroy it, they'll replace it free of charge. I recently bought the BRX backpack to replace a Travelpro Execufirst. It fits really well under he seat on a plane (which was the issue with my Travelpro) but still offers plenty of room. Looking forward to another decade of satisfaction.
I like to travel light, and usually take either my Briggs and Riley BRX backpack or my BRX 22" wheeled carryon and avoid checking my bags. However, when I go on longer trips, especially overseas, I take both, checking the carryon and taking the backpack with me. This is especially helpful when I have longer waits or layovers at airports, as I can have full use of my hands as I walk around the shops, restaurants, restrooms, etc. at airports.
This backpack is perfect size, not too bulky or heavy when carrying it, but large enough to handle all my travel documents, tablet computer, toiletries, medications, and one day's worth of clean clothes in case my checked luggage is delayed--which unfortunately has occurred a number of times. The main compartment of the backpack is large and easily accessible, with a laptop sleeve. The smaller front compartment, with sub-compartments, is large enough for a paperback, writing materials as well as other miscellaneous items. There is also a small side compartment for my iPod or cellphone as well as two very convenient zippered compartments near the top handle for easy to get to travel documents and other small items. I really like the very comfortable padded handle, making it easy to use the backpack as a hand carry bag as well as a backpack. The mesh water bottle holder is also handy.
Workmanship is top notch and like my carryon, the bag is light, rugged and attractive. I have taken backpacks on trips dozens of times and this backpack is by far the best one I have ever owned. Also, it's nice to know that all Briggs and Riley luggage come with a hassle-free lifetime guarantee.
Buy Briggs & Riley Brx Excursion Backpack Now
This is my fourth Briggs & Riley Bag and my first purchase from the BRX Excursion collection. The bag is light weight, which is a MUST for me, and offers lots of pockets and organization features. The ocean blue is a beautiful color, and I like that the outside pocket is lined in a contrasting orange color. It would have been great if the rest of the bag had been lined in the same color. As with all other Briggs & Riley bags, this one is built to last, and the lifetime warranty eliminates having to buy new luggage when the old one breaks down or is damaged by airlines. Also saves you more than a few headaches and that is definitely worth the money!
Read Best Reviews of Briggs & Riley Brx Excursion Backpack Here
This is a Briggs & Riley backpack. That's all I should need to say. Briggs & Riley do such a great job in making luggage, that you should be able to just stop now and go buy this backpack. IF you don't believe me, then you probably haven't seen the Briggs & Riley warranty. It's the only true lifetime luggage warranty on the market. Spindle, fold, mutilate, whatever you do to the luggage, B&R will repair or replace the luggage. They don't care what the cause of the damage is. The charge a premium, but that premium is well-justified.
Having said all of that, I found the one way in which the vaunted warranty is nullified. I had the bag stolen. Yeah, for obvious reasons, B&R won't replace a stolen bag. That's why I've bought this bag twice. It's worth it.
Let me discuss this specific model for a moment. The Excursion backpack works really well as a daily work bag or on a long trip. I use it when I go to the office, on long business trips, and even when hiking across Switzerland. It was great in all of those cases.
The bag is extremely comfortable to wear over long times. The strap system is very adjustable, and the back padding is vented to reduce trapped heat. However, if you wear this while hiking, you will eventually start to sweat across your back. It's not a miracle-worker.
The main pocket provides ample room for my variety of books, electronics, and papers. The laptop pocket is spacious and easily fit my 15 inch Dell latitude (and the much smaller 12 inch Thinkpad X201 that I originally had. Sadly, that was IN the first bag when it was stolen.) I can fit about 4 layers of stuff in the bag and design of the zippered opening makes it relatively easy to get to all of it.
The bag has four secondary zippered pockets available that give a nice array of locations for my stuff. The side pocket seems intended for a cell phone, but who keeps a cell phone in their backpack? I use it for my various chargers instead. There is a small pocket on the flap of the main compartment and another small comparment just above the shoulder straps. I tend to use one for my laptop's power brick (the one on the flap), and the other for change and small items. It's relatively deep and is still hidden behind the back padding so items in it don't dig into your back.
There is also a main secondary compartment (does that make any sense?) which sits near the bottom-center of the back of the bag. This compartment has several secondary pockets for dividing up all of your various crap. It has one interior zippered pocket and three other compartments. It doesn't have any of the items you would find in a briefcase or laptop tote (such as business card pocket, pen sleeves, etc.) That may be the biggest complaint I have.
The interior color of all pockets is a high-contrast color to the external bag color (in the case of my ocean blue backpack it's traffic cone orange!) This is a nice touch that makes it easy to tell, from across the room even, when a pocket is open.
There is also a mesh gusset pocket on one side for a water bottle. This held my camelbak 20 oz filtering water bottle for 10 days hiking around Europe, so I know it has a good grip. I would be concerned if I had an overly large bottle to fit in this pocket.
Finally, there are some exceedingly sturdy loops for carabiners to clip onto. These are on both sides of the zipper to the main compartment. They are metal reinforced and seem very tough, but I haven't actually clipped something to them, so I can't speak to it.
After a few months of use (and one robbery), I highly recommend that you buy this. Just don't buy it off E-bay, because you are likely encouraging the thief who took my stuff!!
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There is no backpack that compares to the BRX from Briggs & Riley. After pining for it for years, my wife finally gave it to me as a Christmas gift a few months ago. The construction is excellent. There are pockets within pockets, extremely comfortable straps, durable zippers and lining, well-padded interior for laptops, IPads, etc, plenty of room for books and you name it, and it even has gear clip tags for light climbing/hiking excursions. You can tuck the straps into their sheath effortlessly and handle the bag like a carry-on using the extremely comfortable, padded handle on top. The ID tag slides out of its own pocket, which is insanely clever. But the best part about it is that it will ALWAYS perform. If it tears or breaks somehow, all you have to do is take it to a B&R certified repair technician in your area and they will fix the bag free of chargeFOR LIFE. You will literally never need another backpack, unless you lose it or it gets stolen. My only complaint is that if you are over 6'5" you will find it difficult to adjust the bag's straps to rest in the middle of your back. I'm 6'4," and I need to adjust it to somewhere near the very end of the adjustment slack. If I were one inch taller, I would not order this bag. That being said, for everyone under that height, it's the backpack to end all backpacks. I offer the BRX my highest recommendation.
I'm a LeSportSac addict but the backpack is my least favorite. The shoulder strap is too thin, which would make it uncomfortable eventually. I love the lightweight of LeSportSac fabric, but on a backpack, it doesn't work as well. There's no padding on the back; thus I don't trust to put my laptop or any electronic devices in there. I was thinking about getting it for my niece, but I think her books / notes / knick-knacks would poke her back when carrying it. The tight-seam which makes the pockets lying flat, not bulkly, doesn't work well for a backpack either. The side pocket is hardly big or stretchy enough for a water bottle.
