Briggs & Riley Brx Exchange 26 Duffle

I took this bag on a month-long backpacking trip during which it was thrown, dropped, drenched, lugged, tied up, left out in the scorching sun, and sat on. It took a good amount of abuse and I am impressed with how well it has held up. Aside from some very minor stains that won't rub out and one or two barely noticeable loose threads, it looks almost brand-new.

This is a sturdily built bag, lightweight, versatile, and fairly stainand water-resistant (the test: the contents inside stayed dry after a few unavoidable trudges through nasty rain storms).

There's one interior zip pocket that runs the length of the bag, handy for storing small items, and three external zip side pockets, two of which contain clasps for attaching a removable shoulder strap. The backpack straps are well-padded, adjustable, and comfortable, and can be zipped up when not in use (there's also a sternum strap to help keep the bag in place while you're walking). The only complaint I have about this bag is that when the straps are in use, the flap normally covering them is supposed to be folded up and secured with an elastic band at about where your lower back would hit the bag (check out the pictures on the company's website to see what I'm talking about). I found this design to be a bit of an inconvenience, as the strap is not a tight fit and the flap would sometimes come loose or scrunch up against my back. I'm considering attaching some velcro to it to keep it more secure.

The bottom of the bag is also padded good for your belongings, and good for your back when you're trekking with your stuff. You can stick a lock onto the zippers to the main compartment, which is handy, although I wish the holes were bigger so that I could put on a sturdier lock; two different luggage locks I used during my trip completely fell apart.

This bag weighs about 3 lbs. empty and runs 26 inches long great for smaller framed people or anyone looking to travel light. It holds an impressive amount, though; I was easily able to fit three weeks' worth of clothing and random travel gear inside, and the zip expansion provides 3 inches of additional space to work with. Although it's cutting it close as a carry-on, you could probably swing it on some airlines. Four external adjustable straps allow you to compress your bag and keep it nice and compact.

I think this bag looks much better in person than it does online; it's good-looking and cleanly designed, with no weird bulges, unnecessary design elements, or tacky coloring or logos. The fabric and other materials used look high quality. You don't feel embarrassed carrying it into a decent hotel, but it doesn't look like a theft magnet, either.

Briggs & Riley has a lifetime repair warranty on this bag that seems like it would be easy and straightforward to use according to their website, you just need to mail your bag in although given how well my bag has stood up I don't anticipate having to make use of it anytime soon.

This is a fantastic traveler's backpack, and I'm expecting to get many more good trips out of it.

I needed a duffle type bag for a trip to Korea. I had a large wheeled suitcase to check in and I wanted a bag that was not too heavy, could easily fit in overhead, and would allow me to pull my suitcase and hold a briefcase. This bag was perfect. It is well made and easily fit four-five days worth of business clothes (two suits, shoes, four shirts, various sundries). The 26" size was also perfect for side trip from Seoul to Daejeon via KTX train.

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I used this to travel around China at hostels. It's a very well-thought out bag that converts to a backpack. I like that it also comes with a shoulder strap that's detachable since I'll use it for a weekend bag for camping back in the States. The pockets are all in great places. It's a rugged bag, looks nice and is very light. I bought it to match another piece from them and I love the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty. That is worth the extra price to me.

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