Looking for a BIFL travel backpack

Submitted by W-Stuart t3_yegze9 in BuyItForLife

So, I’m back to travelling for work. At the moment I’m using an OGIO that I got from a former employer. It works OK, but I can tell by the way it’s already worn in with a minimum of travel that it won’t last more than a year or two.

The bag will be used a lot- trips to the zoo, road trips, occasional camping, and quite a bit of air travel for work.

Asthetically, I’m quite flexible but as it’s for work trips, I don’t want anything overly tactical or military unless it’s vintage military.

I’ve recently seen the Jansport Hatchet and it looks appealing in design but I don’t know if Jansport is as good as they used to be.

Anyway, any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

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HobbesNJ t1_ity227i wrote

You don't specify what size backpack you are looking for, and what kind of carrying it needs to do. Those are essential details.

But I can recommend Tom Bihn backpacks. Very high quality and durable backpacks of numerous varieties and capacities, as well as other travel bags. I've got bags of theirs I've been using for more than 15 years that still look good as new.

They're not cheap, and some don't care for the functional aesthetics, but they have a very loyal following.

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MsTeacherT t1_ity2jyq wrote

Came here to say this same thing. Have had my TB backpack and carryon forever and they look brand new. Also, the company does repairs.

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Milton__Obote t1_iu0p7t9 wrote

I have 3 TB backpacks in various sizes and swear by them.

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Von_Lehmann t1_ityk3yo wrote

Osprey Farpoint 40, Patagonia MCL 45

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_SoigneWest t1_iu0qkhg wrote

Updoot for the Farpoint. I don’t know that I’d need 40L for a trip to the zoo lol but for everything else it’s perfect. Meets most carry-on requirements too.

Edit: also Osprey does repairs free of charge on their products

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bmoneybloodbath t1_iu0r8wt wrote

Jumping on the Osprey praise train. I have several of their backpacks and they are the best I've ever had. I once spilt battery acid on my back pack by accident. It dissolved most of my backpack but I sent it into Osprey and they gave me a new one free of charge. They will also do more minor repairs for free as well. All around good company.

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cherlin t1_iu0vntq wrote

Have both a Patagonia mlc 45 and the new mlc mini 26, love them both tremendously. Strongly recommend them

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Von_Lehmann t1_iu0wu1s wrote

I have a farpoint 40 (old model) and was going to sell it and get the MLC

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ThisWillBeOnTheExam t1_iu2zlpk wrote

Came here to say my Osprey 40L Farpoint has served me well traveling through 7 countries living out of it for up to 6 weeks at a time. It’s the maximum you can fit into an airplane carry on without bending the rules. I’ve packed it to the brim and it really holds up. It is not designed as a day pack at all though. I am 5’11 and 210lb male and at capacity I can handle it fine but it might be too much for someone built smaller.

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Von_Lehmann t1_iu3i457 wrote

The only thing I hated was the laptop pocket. It sometimes felt like if I out tech stuff there then the whole bag would pull be backwards but the new farpoint seems to have fixed that

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ThisWillBeOnTheExam t1_iu3ir1d wrote

Funny you mention, that’s on my list of gripes too. The ‘laptop’ sleeve on the back, it only fits like an iPad tablet and even the 11” chrome book I have is too large and it doesn’t zip around it. Also I noticed too much of anything on the front zippers and it makes the whole front main flap super heavy and unwieldy. It’s not really an easy access bag in that sense but I do like how it packs when totally fully. Definitely hope they fixed those issues.

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heebeegb96 t1_iu41vm9 wrote

Does Osprey have a similar return policy to Patagonia? I know you can return anything at Patagonia, no questions asked.

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Von_Lehmann t1_iu47n7x wrote

Yes I believe so does Osprey, but I think you may have to pay to mail it back (at least here in EU)

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Euphoric-Laugh377 t1_ity754o wrote

I highly recommend Timbuk2. They have a lifetime repair policy I beleive. Plenty of sleek and professional styles, and always well made.

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danfromatl t1_iu0ik4o wrote

To boost your comment, I got a cycling backpack with a laptop compartment from them about 10 years ago, and I still use it for trips around town, across country, and international travel. It’s not had any failures at the seams, zippers, or Velcro. Nothing has worn out or shown signs of needing to be replaced. I fully expect that this bag will last me the rest of my life.

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BluepaiN t1_iu487du wrote

Agreed. I have a 15 year old Timbuk2 bag, thats been used daily and been around the world several times. Still holds up to this day.

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Patient-Light-3577 t1_ityrp87 wrote

Duluth Pack. Made in USA. Many different fabrics available. Not the cheapest but they last.

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ConBroMitch t1_itzf6l9 wrote

And warrantied forever to boot!

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Patient-Light-3577 t1_itzlxar wrote

Yes. Duluth Pack has been around since 1882. I think they’ll be around to honor their warranty.

The other nice thing about them is you can bring your old Duluth Pack bag to them (or ship it) and they will remanufacture it. Do things like put in new zippers or buckles, replace worn panels, replace straps. They truly are a BIFL company.

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yourmomrocks7 t1_ity2m9t wrote

Eddie Bauer. If it starts to wear they replace it in store no questions asked.

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JustMeLurkingAround- t1_ity44hb wrote

I'm a sucker for Deuter backpacks. I had mine on the road with me for over 3 years constantly traveling and its still as good as new. It's 10 years old now and still in occasional use. A washing service once broke one of the metal struts in the back (totally their fault) and deuter send me a replacement free of charge, way out of warranty.

Bought a smaller Jack Wolfskin later and after using it a couple of times it already has a broken claps and some loose elastics.

If i ever buy a travel backpack again it will be a deuter again for sure.

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_odgj t1_ityd604 wrote

Look at GoRuck. They built to be abused!

Edit: They did colab with Carryology and Huckberry and these versions are less "tactical" without MOLLE webbing.

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mikeTastic23 t1_ity4xz0 wrote

Masterpiece Bags from Japan.

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couverando1984 t1_ity6cr5 wrote

Thanks for this. Was previously thinking of buying a bag before going to Japan... Might end up buying in Japan.

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sab54053 t1_ityy1sj wrote

I’ve also been looking. I’ve bought the same cheap ($30) backpack twice now because it lasted about 3 years each time but I’m ready for a BIFL. My problem is I want something that ususally on work travel I also take my bag into work with me so I don’t want it to be huge but I still want to be able to carry like two days of clothes incase I forgo my duffel bag for short trips.

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JordanBost t1_itz0ohj wrote

Patagonia Black Hole bags have always been my go to for any travel gear, especially if I’m wearing it out when I get where I’m going.

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VirtualAd6248 t1_ity92rh wrote

Boundary supply arris, Topo designs travel backpack, peak design travel bag, Aer travel backpack

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thoughtfillednorth t1_ityyimi wrote

Size matters when asking about bags. I use a 55L Osprey for travel to Switzerland that is just above the limit for size on a plane but I force it to work. I love it because I can have options for a longer trip and I e got backpacking options.

That same bag is a nightmare if it goes a bit too heavy. It becomes unwieldy and causes bruising due to my ability to overload it with huge quantities of weight . So be careful on what you ask for, you may have a perfect bag for different uses but you can use them in bad ways which makes usage suffer.

Lessons learned for myself. Go smaller, pack lighter=happier me.

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splitsleeve t1_itz7tmz wrote

What size are you looking for?

I love my osprey daylite for weekend trips, but I'm a super light packer.

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Cpowel2 t1_iu0y344 wrote

I would recommend looking into a hiking backpack as they are generally built to last. Osprey, and Gregory are brands I've personally used and can recommend but there are tons of others out there.

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Chrome-Molly t1_iu2bz02 wrote

After wearing out multiple back packs every school year, I got one from L.L. Bean. It lasted me thru Jr high and high school and college, then my husband used it for his rain gear on a heavy highway road crew for years. I only let it go when it was hopelessly covered in tar and diesel fuel. Not sure what other types of bags they make or how the quality compares to the late '80s, but I'm sure there are reviews.

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xearlex t1_itydvlt wrote

Mission Workshop - rambler. It’s expandable, lifetime warranty, and made for messenger bikes in cities.. so super durable. I can fit my 15” pc, 3days of clothes/supplies and once I get somewhere just drop what I need and collapse it.

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outsideforlife t1_itzb7he wrote

Kifaru would be the one I would go with.

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put_on_the_mask t1_itzndis wrote

Peak Design Everyday Backpack. I've used mine for everything on your list and it steers well clear of the mall ninja/tacticool EDC douche look.

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leadfoot70 t1_itzxtor wrote

I carry a Briggs & Riley backpack. They are well made, business styled, and it's lasted more than 5 years of heavy travel.

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nicc618g7 t1_iu03bxm wrote

Try everki, have had mine almost 10 years with almost daily use as well as travel.

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amanda13panda t1_iu068if wrote

I've had an Evolved Motion backpack for four years now and I love it. It's meant to go between weight lifting bag (up to 80 lbs for the large) and a regular ol backpack. I have both a large and a medium, and use them both for weight lifting and carrying my stuff around. It's got very solid construction, I think it will last 10+ years with heavy use. https://theempack.com/

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Jealous_Vegetable606 t1_iu0poon wrote

A good sports bag. I used an Easton baseball bag for a few years, school, baseball, travel, and camping. It’s still in good order, and my dad uses it on the railroad now bc I graduated. Still working great

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funkja t1_iu0reks wrote

If you can find an LL Bean waxed canvas Continental it's pretty damn bomb proof. Heavy, heavy, and solid. I spent 6 weeks this summer tent camping and it held what I needed gear wise.

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ToilAndTummyTrouble t1_iu0vucy wrote

For work travel I use a Cotopaxi Allpa 35L. They’re an investment, but made very well, should last a long time, have a repair warranty, and a lot of the features I look for when traveling light for short business trips. The 35L is also the perfect airline carry on size.

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FiddleTheFigures t1_iu1a2fq wrote

Lot of good options out there. I went with Goruck GR2 and never liked back. It’s on the heavier side (like most BIFL products) but I’m very happy.

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Babycakes87 t1_iu1u9zo wrote

I work for the railroad. Always travel for work. My life has to fit in a bag. This is the best one I’ve found, you will pay for it, it’s not cheap! But it has a lifetime warranty. The folks I’ve worked with recommended it to me, either they had no issues with it at all or they got a brand new bag of the manufacture was unable to repair it. Here’s the link to red oxx

https://www.redoxx.com/

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cars3211 t1_iu1x4nb wrote

Trakke if you like waxed cotton

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PeterC18st t1_iu27z03 wrote

Briggs & Riley @work backpacks have a lifetime warranty look professional and are versatile.

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jmknmecrzy t1_iu4mgu0 wrote

I have carried a Chrome Industries messenger bag for years and years, they have a life time warranty, they are super comfortable, water proof and versatile. They are the bags with the seatbelt buckle strap. They look cool. I recommend checking them out. Also they are made in America.

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Zachet t1_iu5n6au wrote

lttstore.com

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