Eagle Creek Convertabrief

I travel every week and needed something that would carry my gadgets, a laptop or two, have space for a shaving kit and change of clothes yet still fit under the seat AND be my briefcase during the week. I have used this bag on 5 trips and carry it everyday to work. It is awesome. Remarkably lightweight to be so durable - you cannot tell I have drug it around, shoved under seats, kicked around and tossed about the car - it is very well made. It is nicely padded but not bulky. The first few trips I was nervous thinking it would never fit under the seat, but it fits perfectly AND leaves room for one foot, so I can shift it back and forth and stretch my legs. The ONLY thing that is not Totally Wonderful about this bag is the 'human-side' of the shoulder strap...it will slip off my shoulder pretty regularly, especially if I wear a nylon shirt or windbreaker - would be nice if it was less slippery. But the more I use this bag, the more I like it and the better it performs. Access to the various sections and compartments is excellent - I can find anything and rarely 'lose' anything, Having used a variety of backpacks and laptop bags over the last 25 years, I have to say this is far and away the most practical, well thought out under-seat overnight bag ever.Update: been a month or so, this bag goes under the seat 4 times a week, goes to work every day, gets way over-stuffed once a month and still looks brand new, no sign of wear. Zippers and strap are perfect. I'm feeling kind of creepy gushing about a bag, but I depend on it a lot and it is awesome.A years worth of use and abuse later, this bag still looks great, remains incredibly functional, has zero problems (the seams are perfect, the zippers are perfect, the strap is perfect) and gets me through every day. It is just barely scuffed because I kick it back and forth under the airplane seat so I can stretch out my legs. And while it isn't quite the most stylish bag out there, it is a thousand times better than being an adult with a student backpack.

So if you are reading this you are searching for the perfect bag that will convert into a backpack for those occasions where you need to alleviate some of the stress on one shoulder or the other during a long walking trip (otherwise you would just set it down). EC is marketing it wrong, they emphasize its security, not its functionality, a mistake in my opinion. I would like to say that its the first one, but its not. The first one lasted about 20 years, 4 years of school, across the country 3 times in cars and trucks, many many flights and all sorts of abuse. I still haven't gotten rid of it because its an old friend. Did I buy this out of hand on a whim, no, I did all the research you are doing. Spent time watching Chase Reeves and Bo Ismono and researching all of the backpacks they reviewed to see if there is a better option. I didn't see one. (although I love the looks of the Topo). Getting emails from REI and TNF and looking at all their new products. Looking at kickstarter projects (there are over 50 for just backpacks-forget about messenger bags) and researching those too. Many hours debating over what I would be carrying for the next couple of years, I hate making mistakes that have to be returned. Keeping in mind that this is designed as a briefcase for the professional (of which I am not) who does on occasion have to get on a plane and pass through security, worries about security, size and durability -it will be a wonderful choice. I'm not sure it will take the abuses that I gave my first one, carrying around calculus and biology books, lunch and the TI89, strapping it on the back of my KZ650 for the 40 minute drive. Today we all carry laptops and the bag that carries one has to be padded, this one is and protects your laptop wether you carry it in either configuration. For real outdoorsy trips, I have a Deuter backpack, for vacations (with a 6yo) I have a Granite Gear backpack/luggage combo. For strictly a long photo shoot, Tamrac 12, short ones, the Thinktank.Is it all peaches and cream?, no. I think that eagle creek has a tendency to skimp on the strap, or they don't know how to make a great one. I have a Thinktank bag and they make a wonderful strap, I swap them out between outings depending on what I'm doing. For most though, the strap will do the job.I hated not having a place to put a water bottle on my first bag, this one has a pocket in the front which holds the small Yeti thermos or a 16oz water bottle, but nothing bigger. That its there, makes me happy.Right now, my bag is at 23 lbs and is OK to carry around, It is much lighter without the Canon and two lenses and laptop. But its kind of a lightweight BOB bag with first aid kit, flashlights, extra clothes, kit and unmentionables with enough room for the camera, laptop and some food if I need it. And the never forgotten multi-tool, which is only left behind by ultralight hikers! I am carrying summer clothes, winter would be a different story ( I would be cold if I needed them). I have stuffed my ultra light down coat and gortex jacket into a packing cube and then stuffed it into my bag to try it out, but the camera equipment and laptop had to come out.For me, a non-professional that doesn't sit in a cubie all day dreaming of the outdoors, the look is a little over the top. But if you are a metro commuter, or do work in a cubie, this will handle all that.Finally, if you are reading this far, I have an observation. Eagle creek has been around for a long time. They have winnowed down their manufacturing processes to make less waste and make more money. Every start up doesn't. 50 different backpacks on kickstarter means more and more environmental waste. And don't forget the returns. Landfill. be environmentally conscious. Please.

The only reason I’d drop a star on thing is the luggage handle loop thingy isn’t tight enough over the handle. Confusing I know but it just wobbles around on your carryon handle.