Programs: You mean the cards at the bottom of my desk drawer? BAEC, FB, BA PP Amex, LHW...never any status...
Posts: 12
Briggs & Riley 235X: About to pull the trigger; help me decide!
Hi all. I've been one-bagging it for years, and I've been schlepping my trusty Dunhill D-eight canvas suitcase for the last 4-5 years. It's a lovely bag; relatively lightweight but also rigid enough to protect my stuff, fits in every sizer out there, looks nice etc. - but it's got no shoulder strap, and no way to attach one, which makes it a bit of a pain to schlep to gate number 9 zillion only to have to then walk a mile on the tarmac to get to the bus which will drive you to your destination. That, and it's got no passthrough on the back for piggybacking on my girlfriend's rollaboard, so it ends up falling to the ground at least once whenever we travel together. Not ideal. It's time for a new bag.
My all-time favorite bag was a Lark from the good old days. Front pocket for papers, gadgets, etc.; middle pocket took shoes on either side, shirts and trousers and the like in the middle, and had a shirt-sized pouch that snapped in (with a pocket on the front for neckties); rear pocket had a hook for a hanger and a fold-out panel which together made it ideal for suits. It was brilliantly thought out, but it came from the prehistoric times before wheeled luggage, so didn't have a passthrough in the back for a handle, and the nylon they used eventually gave up...sigh.
So I've been reading the reviews and it looks like the Briggs & Riley 235X might be the solution I'm looking for. A bit of room in the front for the few gadgets I carry, my 13" laptop, chargers, sunglasses and the like, as well as the $%&* liquids bag. Middle pocket which will hopefully take an extra pair of shoes, shirts, trousers etc., and expands, too; rear pocket for suits; pocket behind that for passthrough functions or holding reading material. Unfortunately, though, B&R doesn't sell the 235X through any retailers here in the UK, so I might have to pick one up sight unseen next week on a trip to San Francisco.
1. It is relatively heavy.
2. If you pack it full and you have hard stuff in there, it might not be able to compress enough to fit in a 9" deep sizer.
Otherwise it is a wonderful bag. There is a three zip Hartmann in leather. It is a bit hard to find but I think Schlesinger sells it in Washington DC and believe they'd ship to UK. But it's around $600 and even heavier than the 235x.
I saw the Tumi on a guy at the airport the other day. It is a really big bag. It looks bigger than the BR. Only has two compartments, though plus the front compartment. I find the BR has the better layout and looks better. In the Tumi you would need to use some packing aids. In the BR you don't need any.
Hope this helps. I'd buy it sight unseen, you'll love it. It would be good if you found it in a store to check it out but it is really one of the best bags in its genre.
Programs: You mean the cards at the bottom of my desk drawer? BAEC, FB, BA PP Amex, LHW...never any status...
Posts: 12
Till,
Of course I've read your shootout and that other OBOW thread, more than once! Both are very useful; I wanted to see if there are any dissenting opinions out there before I take the dive in.
I remember reading in your packing notes that the main compartment of the 235X is a bit too small for some shoes (assuming that the sole of the shoe is pressed up against the side of the compartment). Since I would prefer to pack my shoes on their sides in the middle (main) compartment, that's why I asked if anyone would be kind enough to measure it and tell me the depth of that compartment, so I can compare it to my shoes' depth. I suppose it would be useful to know the unexpanded depth of the rear compartment too. Could someone who owns a 235X take a minute with a tape measure and let me know the depth of those compartments? Pretty please?!?
I'm generally not too worried about the weight, as long as it's reasonable (I hefted the Tumi, which weighs in the same ballpark but a bit lighter, and it was fine, although the Hartmann in leather would probably be way too heavy), and I'm pretty relaxed about the sizers; staff at the airlines I fly generally don't look twice if you're carrying a bag on your shoulder. Not being forced to check bags has led me to choose carriers partly on the basis of their carry-on restrictions - unlike some others, BA and EasyJet don't care about carry-on bags' weight. (And if the bag looks too big, there's always the old trick of slinging your jacket/coat over the bag as you check in/go through the gate.)
1. It is relatively heavy.
2. If you pack it full and you have hard stuff in there, it might not be able to compress enough to fit in a 9" deep sizer.
Otherwise it is a wonderful bag. There is a three zip Hartmann in leather. It is a bit hard to find but I think Schlesinger sells it in Washington DC and believe they'd ship to UK. But it's around $600 and even heavier than the 235x.
I saw the Tumi on a guy at the airport the other day. It is a really big bag. It looks bigger than the BR. Only has two compartments, though plus the front compartment. I find the BR has the better layout and looks better. In the Tumi you would need to use some packing aids. In the BR you don't need any.
Hope this helps. I'd buy it sight unseen, you'll love it. It would be good if you found it in a store to check it out but it is really one of the best bags in its genre.
I'd gladly measure the compartment for you but I am not where the bag is right now. So no go, sorry.
Porkbullet and Gadgetfreak both own the bag, so does aktchi, if I recall correctly.
If you tell us what shoe size you are one of these guys might have the same size and can tell you if his shoes fit and where.
I think I packed the shoes so that the flat sides of the soles were pointing to my body, the edges thus pointing downward and upward, hence shoes sideways, as you said.
That's cool. I got mine for $209. The 15% off deal would put it at about $190. Haven't seen a better deal yet. I'd also go for that if I didn't have one already.
while i don't use briggs & riley luggage much anymore (other than when traveling with my wife and son, in which case we use one of their suitcases), i've owned a couple of their larger suitcases, a duffle and a roll aboard suitcase and have been very satisfied with the quality and service. this was in the late 1990s.
the only issue i had was with a suitcase zipper that broke. by broke, i mean it wouldn't zip and unzip at a point near a rear corner or the bag. i took it to an area luggage store that does repairs for briggs & riley, and had the suitcase back probably within a couple of weeks (i wasn't in a hurry to get it back - no immediate need).
