So, I’ve been using my new BlackBriar 25-litre Range backpack for three weeks and about 8,000 miles of air travel. Its impressive build quality will give premium brands such as Tumi a good run for the money.
Capacity
While there are larger models, the 25L was a perfect replacement for my old backpack, which has two vertical compartments for a laptop and some work papers or what-have-you. Backpacks come in many layouts to suit user personas, e.g., tourist, digital nomad, office worker, student, etc. My use case is that of an occasional tourist who carries a laptop for some light work back at the hotel.
My previous backpack was a freebie from a software company and made for nobody in particular. Its two vertical slots were fine for a laptop and some papers, but it wasn’t good as an overnighter or even for packing some last-minute purchases at the end of a vacation. It has a second pocket for smaller items.
The BlackBriar has a single large storage area that opens out like a suitcase, as shown in the photo.
There are six zipped pockets and a large sleeve. On the outside and under the main handle is a zipped area where you can keep stuff you are likely to access from the overhead bin on a plane.
In the photo above, I have shown three shirts and one pair of trousers, along with some paraphernalia. You can see there is room to spare.
My laptop is an old Dell Inspiron 15 5000 and fits comfortably, so a 17-inch laptop would also be happy there. I also keep my travel papers in this side pocket.
Build
The fabric and straps are top-class and will not wear out before you replace the backpack for other reasons. There are generous side pockets for water bottles and loops for anything you care to carry. A thoughtful touch is a small ring for hanging the bag in an airport toilet cubicle. Two side straps are handy for grabbing the bag from either side.
Other colours are available, but I chose black to hide possible stains that bags seem to pick up from dirty airport floors. Dearer models also have a combination lock to deter theft at night while we sleep on those long trans-Pacific flights.
In Use
As a business traveller, I found it to be the perfect size for a short 3-day trip, going hand-luggage-only (HLO). It sits comfortably on my back, particularly on those long walks between terminals – have you walked from LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal to say, United at Terminal 7? At the Immigration counter, my travel papers are easily reached within seconds. At the hotel, I can easily access my folded clothes.