In the last few years, Briggs & Riley has been rolling out (no pun intended) their BRX line of luggage. These bags are sturdy, lightweight and geared more toward the adventure traveler than the business traveler. I’m already an avid user of the 22″ Upright and was eager to test out their latest bag – the Exchange 20 Duffel.
I took this with me on a long weekend trip to Upstate New York and found that it does have a lot going for it…
I’m a light packer, so I was easily able to pack enough for 4 days of travel (especially since it was for warm weather). I used a compression sac – which fit well in the bottom of this bag – for my clothes so that helped in increasing the amount of space I had for other things. I also took some workout clothes including bulky gym shoes and everything fit well.
There are a couple of exterior pockets suitable for perhaps a collapsible umbrella or other odd-shaped items as well as an interior pocket where you might stash some valuables.
There are no wheels on the bag but it does convert into a backpack by zipping off the back panel and pulling out the arm straps. There’s also a padded top handle as well as a strap that you can easily snap on to throw it over your shoulder.
It even has an extension zipper so you can increase the interior of the bag by about 2 inches if you need room to pack souvenirs on the way home 🙂
What I Love
- This is a compact bag that is quite spacious.
- The various handles were well thought out making it easy to grab from several places.
- It’s easy to convert into a backpack.
Not So Much
- I could never get the shoulder strap to sit properly over my shoulder so that the bag would sit like a duffel. It leans against your body more like a conventional bag because it’s more rectangular than duffel-shaped. As a result, it’s uncomfortable to walk, even through an airport, using the shoulder strap.
All in all, for me, this bag will be better suited for car trips, when I don’t have to rely on carrying it any distance. Someone else, however, might totally dig the fact that they can use it as a backpack. Different strokes…
Travel Well,
Beth
Related links:
Briggs & Riley BRX 22″ Upright
Osprey Syncro 20 Hydration Pack
Leave a Reply