Huck

^ Hey, thanks for the heads up on this... I've been looking for a 24" & just grabbed a Baseline on rue la la through this. They also have Victorinox sometimes which is what I thought I would end up buying since those are also built top notch & have a lifetime warranty.

greg99

We are a Briggs & Riley family.

The things just last, although my recent roller purchase got a broken handle on its first trip simply from tipping over onto the floor. I am, however, based upon experience, convinced that B&R will take care of it. I'm fortunate that my office is <30 minutes away from B&R's ancestral home and repair center in Half Moon Bay, CA, so it's very easy to get repairs done.

Interesting side note, I have a long sleeve and a short sleeve polo shirt that I bought from what used to be the B&R store in HMB. Briggs & Riley branded shirts. I still wear them >10 years later, and they still look great. Any deficiencies are from my shifting body, not the clothes. I wish I could find polos of such high quality today.

Greg

HawaiiO

Tumi luggage on sale at Gilt.com on Thursday.

Jiman

Wow, all 11 pages read. Nice discussion.

This is my first post and what brought me here is AA losing my BR Baseline expandable. After 25 days it doesn't look like anything good is going to come from their inept nature, so I came here looking for advice regarding a new bag.

I did use BR's warranty once for a malfunctioning expander...it seems they redesigned it between when I originally purchased my bag and my warranty claim. It only cost me the price of shipping to get her fixed ($25).

I do agree regarding the warranty. I think it’s important. Given a choice, I’d rather depend on a published warranty rather than relying on the good will or unofficial nice gesture(s) of a company. Sure it’s very nice that Tumi still goes above and beyond in taking care of many of their customers, but that can change at any time or maybe even depending on who you’re talking to might not happen.

Not as likely with a written warranty. That is considering all other things are equal. A crappy product or CS, is just that and there’s no getting around it no matter how good the warranty is. IMO, I don’t think Tumi or BR fall into the latter category, regardless of bad reviews here and again.

RDSChicago, I wondered the same thing and from what I've read, zippers seem to have the proven track record of the "less moving parts" idea, but the one touch is more convenient. IMO better will depend on who you ask. I like the feature but don’t use it a lot. I always get to my 50-70lb limit before I have to expand (27”). ..YMMV.

As for the Saddleback leather assessment, I have had a different experience. I have two classic briefcases. One large in tobacco and one medium in dark chocolate brown (DCB). I also have a bunch of their other wallets, passport holder, and ipad case….Yeah I have a problem ;-)

I used to carry the large all the time when I used to carry a 17” MBP with me, but now I carry the medium since the largest device I carry is an ipad. I agree it’s heavy relative to synthetic bags, but full grain leather isn’t ever light. Comparing full grain leather bags, the SBL isn’t that heavy.

I’m coming up on almost 2 million miles, and although I’ve been carrying my SBL bags for only @ half of those miles, it’s not bad at all. It’s more than a look for me (i.e. looking rugged or adventuresome)…it’s because I love how leather gets as it ages, and takes on a beautiful patina. I usually carry it across my body and when I want something I just spin it around my body to the front and everything is right there. I primarily only use the middle strap, although I’ve used all three on occasion. I can open/close the middle strap with one hand. Now that I’ve done it a few thousand times, it’s not any slower than a zipper, but it’s more reliable.

One issue coming from synthetic bags is that there isn’t a whole lot of organizational tech. These bags are basically a container for your stuff. I did have to get used to organizing things in pouches and knowing what pouch had what. I’m going to try the Skooba stuff and see if that helps.

It was cool the other week I was in Scotland, and I bought and carried 4 bottles of Scotch in my bag for almost 6 hrs. Now that was heavy ;-) A nip here and there helped take my mind off things, LOL!!!

Cheers, Rob

conejo23

Jiman.....nice post.

Re organizational touches, might want to take a look at the organizational pouches and accessories from Tom Bihn. I've been making nice use of their pouches and they have a nice variety. Some in ballistic, some padded for electronics, some clear. And the Snake Charmer is a cool device as well.

I just got a Saddleback ID wallet. Very nice, just trying to figure out how you fit cash into the thing without it sticking out of it. Love the look, feel and smell of high quality leather.

Jiman

I looked at the Horizontal Freudian Slip, but unfortunately it's both too wide and tall for the medium SBL. I like that type of organization though. I think the Skooba will fill the void. I just don't know how durable it'll be, but it's not that expensive to replace if I really like it.

I have a trash bag full of first class pouches and stuff over the years, so I'm good there . In fact one of my stand-bys that I carry everyday is the pre UA/CO merger first class zip-up that UA used to give out. Now they use the CO version which is bulkier. I've had the UA version for almost 6 yrs and it holds all my minor medical supplies (different kinds of band-aids, ointment, Aleve, etc...).

Go figure that something I got for free would last me that long.

UPDATE: So AA said that if they have my bag it should be within the next 2 wks that I'll find out. I'm going to hold off buying a new bag until then. What a story this has been. I might have to start a thread chronicling my AA ordeal. I've never had a bag(s) lost, lost...delayed yes, but not lost.

conejo23

I hate flying AA, avoid it at all costs. I had them lose a bag for 3 days on a non stop flight!

Jiman

That makes two of us. So far it's been a month for me. Unfortunately it was a Caribbean trip and AA seems to dominate that area so our choices were few. Although the ironic thing was that we planned to spend the night in MIA before going to the islands, and the bags never made it to MIA (direct flight)…or I should say the bags made it on to the plane but didn’t make it to baggage claim.

I'd suspect theft, but both bags (wife & I)? Possible but....

conejo23

One more benefit of traveling light and taking only carry on stuff.

I use to haul around a big wheeled packing case. Those days are done. Just bought a Tom Bihn Tri-Star and did a test pack last weekend. With a little planning and some sound packing techniques, I packed everything I took in a larger suitcase AND my briefcase to an annual 4-night business trip into this one bag, and I can put it on my back. I'm a happy camper. Never liked dragging wheeled bags through airports, and now I won't be.

anabolism

I've been happy with my Briggs & Riley 22" for a few years now. It fits in most overhead bins wheels-first, but on some planes (e.g., BA A319, AA 757) it needs to go sideways (won't fit wheels-last either).

Only problem is that I also travel with a computer backpack that gets heavy. I rest the backpack on top of the B&R, which means when dragging it the full weight of the backpack (and some of the weight of the 22") is on my upper arm and side muscles.

So I'm going to try a multi-wheel (e.g., spinner) bag. Turns out B&R doesn't make a 21" or 22", I assume to ensure the bag fits in any overhead bin. I bought the 20" B&R spinner that is wider, but when I got it home I couldn't fit everything that was in the 22" in it. So, I think I'm going to switch to a Victorinox WT 22" dual-castor. The warranty doesn't look as good as B&R, and I'm sorry to leave B&R. I haven't seen the bag in person yet.

Mellonc

Just throwing this out there........

I just don't see why people like Tom Bihn stuff. Most people say, "Look how much I can fit into this!!!". That's because the sides of the bag are soft and the only thing between your own back and the suit you paid $1,000 for is a little piece of nylon going back and forth moving about left and right to breakdown your canvas lining on your lapel and shoulders. Yes, the free conference bags have Cordurus Super 1000 Fabric that stops bullets too.

A luggage has to be sturdy to stay put. Your movements should not bother the contents of the bag (like your clothing). You shouldn't have to plan and you shouldn't have to have any technique to pack. Also you shouldn't have to carry anything on your back. The luggage has to do the work for you. at the end of the day, you are not climbing K2. You are simply going about your own day that simply involves getting your item from point A to point B. If I pay (good bags are expensive) for something to do that job, why should I carry the burden of lugging my own luggage on my back?

----------I'll stop the ranting about all these Glad Forceflex bags that has mega zillions tensile strength. I just saw another Tom Bihn bag right next to my bag taking up literally two spots. It was over packed beyond belief (almost like a ball) and the guy was boasting that it can take so much

conejo23

Mellonc....depends on what you want from your luggage. For years I've done either the large wheeled packing cases or the rolling carry ons. Just took a trip with nothing but a Tom Bihn Tri Star on my back and LOVED the different experience. I never liked dragging around a wheeled case. If you do, then by all means, continue. One isn't right and one wrong, it's about what fits YOUR desired means of travel.

for those who want to travel with one bag, the Tom Bihn stuff is a great call. And if you want to go on more than a night or two trip with just one bag, then yes, you're probably going to have to do some strategic packing. Again, if that's the style of travel you wish to use, then stuff like Tom Bihn or RedOxx or Patagonia are solid choices. If you want to wheel something around behind you, then by all means, stick with what you've got now.

For me, this style of travel is more effortless and enjoyable. Your mileage may vary.

deirdre

Me neither, but for me it's primarily because the aesthetics just aren't there. Without that, doesn't matter to me how they're made, I still wouldn't buy 'em.

conejo23

Interesting.

just another example of how subjective this stuff is. To me, I love their designs. I think the Tri-Star is a beautifully designed bag. I think it's far more attractive than virtually every piece of Briggs & Riley luggage I've seen, and most of the new Tumi stuff, too.

but I completely agree with the sentiment that no matter how strong the functionality or quality, if you don't enjoy looking at and using something, then it's probably not for you. Nice that we all have choices.

deirdre

Well, I think B&R designs are pretty fugly too. Tumi I mostly like. I do agree with your last paragraph 100%, though!