The Brenthaven Expandable Trek backpack seemed like a great backpack when I first got it: it has a nice padded computer sleeve built in for my MacBook; it has a nice expandable compartment that can hold my camera, a few books, and a lunch; it has all kinds of useful little pockets and features.Until the zipper went out for the main compartment I would have rated it 4 or 5 stars for sure. But since the zipper went out its now nothing but a useless dud, so thus the 1-star rating. Bummer. And that was after very little use.
I contacted Brenthaven about having it repaired, and they've provided me a return authorization #, and asked me to ship the bag to them for repairs. Ok, I will, but it is an inconvenince, it costs money, and it takes time to get it fixed. It is something that should have never happened in what is billed as a quality product. After all, my Rick Steves cheapo backpack has gone through years of hard use with nary a problem, and it was only $15. Sigh.
UPDATE: I just received back 'my' backpack from Brenthaven, and I have to say that their customer service was superb. Not only was their turn-around time incredibly quick, they actually 'repaired' my bag by replacing it with the latest model. I'm impressed. I also noticed that the new version has much more rugged zippers, as well as a few new additional features. Way to go Brenthaven! Although the Amazon rating system doesn't allow for it, if I could I'd raise my rating to 4-stars based on Brenthaven's customer service(not 5-stars because I believe it shouldn't have failed to begin with).
What I carry:
I typically travel with 1 to 2 laptops, power units, Ipod, Ipod charger, Ipod battery backup, Headset (over the ear) cell phone & charger, work files, a book or two to read and one or two magazines, Foreign Affairs or Dwell, etc...I usually have a small bottle of advil and cough drops handy, also business cards, and pens, glasses, sunglasses, and small calculator. Lately, i have been bringing a small hard drive, and all the additional cables you may want to use with a laptop, (USB, firewire, etc...).
Bag review: The total bag construction is solid, and lighter than my old Swiss Gear. The bag has a main compartment, small fleece lined pocket, second expandable compartment, outside back lower compartment, 2 vertical zipper pockets (small), two outside zipper pockets on either side of the bag, and a small Ipod pocket on the top neckside of the bag.
Main compartment storage-> There are plenty of pockets to store all the little stuff in the main compartment but I wish the small compartments were mesh, so you could see everything, and also had a velcro closer so things do not spill out when the bag is thrown around in an airline cabin. This is also where you would store small files and books. The main compartment zipper opening is adequate, but the opening could be larger. The laptop protection sleeve is here and is superior to the Swiss Gear.
The small fleece lined zippered pocket is adequate but the real advantage here is the quick access. I wish it was 10% to 20% bigger. The second deep compartment is expandable. I use it for magazines, glass cases, small books, etc...It is useful and has good zipper access. The outside back lower compartment is where all your pens, calculator, cough drops, house keys, garage door remote ( i never leave mine in the car at the airport), business cards, and other small stuff go. I have adapted to using this very well and so will anyone.
There two vertical zippers pockets on either side of the lower back compartment and i have found useful for segmenting the Ipod cables and computer cables i always carry. The two left and right outside zipperd pockets are just large enough for the two computer power units. The two mesh water bottles on each of these are worthless and Brenthaven needs to re-design these. The small Ipod pocket on the top inside ( up by your neck area, where your back meets the pack) is a nice addition and you can run the small ear buds directly out of it to your ears while you hike or walk with the bag ( i do not use it but it is a nice feature for some).
I really like the way this pack wears on my shoulders and back. It has excellent ergonomics and is very comfortable when loaded down. I am 6' 1", 187lbs and simply do not feel sore after wearing this bag loaded down for some time. Overall this is a solid performing bag and hope to get years of use from it. The titanium and black color combination looks good too, it is a cross between business casual and urban survival.This is the second Brenthaven Trek backpack I purchased. The first was for my personal Mac Book. When it came time to purchase one for my work laptop it just seemed logical. It has storage galore. Plenty of little pockets for storing flash drives, mice, accessories and power supplies. In fact, when going on vacation I pack both my work and personal computer in one bag. There is plenty of room for both PLUS everything else and it fits nicely on the plane under the seat.This is an excellent backpack--it is very sturdy and well-built. I carry a huge book load to and from medical school and this backpack easily handles the 50+ pounds. The computer storage is safe and well-padded. The shoulder straps are very sturdy and very comfortable even with heavy weights. Zippers are all high quality. I would strongly recommend this backpack over pretty much anything I have ever had/seen before.I use this BP everyday in the field doing maintenance on wireless cell sites which includes working on Catalina Island.
The need for a BP that was:
Strong enough to hold all my items
Plenty of extra pockets for small test eq. items, misc. hand tools
Dependable top handle to use for hoisting the bag up ladders etc.
Professional looking too
So far I have had great success with this BP.
Items for concern are:
Too small of an opening for the front pocket. Needs to have a larger diameter.
Top pouch to be a little deeper.
Side mesh pockets to be taller and more flexible but still have a firm grip on water bottels, meters etc.
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