Randy Petersen has taken to YouTube to explain his endorsement of the Lands End Flighwise bags.
I’m more of a rollaboard kinda guy, I like my Briggs & Riley 20″ but for more value-oriented quality the Travelpro Crew 7 is a good bag at more like $125 instead of the $279-ish that the Briggs & Riley usually goes for.
And for my laptop, I’m still in love with the Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer.
Randy says in the video that he’s never found a bag with a strap he liked before the Lands End one, but I really do have to recommend Tom Bihn’s absolute shoulder strap — not cheap at $30 but the most comfortable thing I’ve ever carried a bag with.
Still, these Lands End bags aren’t expensive, less than the TravelPro Crew series, so if duffle is your thing and Tom Bihn is too much dough, might just work.
lame
Gary,
Would you recommend adding the TB absolute shoulder strap to a non-TB bag such as my Tumi? The Tumi strap is a bit uncomfortable for me.
Yeah, and you look cool, too!
And where are you finding the $279ish price for your B&R exactly? They are fantastic bags though.
I agree on the rollaboard>duffle but I also feel backpack>laptop bag unless looking professional is more important than comfort and convenience. To be completely comprehensive, have you seen any good products for a sort of checkpoint laptop backpack, if such a thing exists? A backpack is great for carrying a laptop, magazines, and misc stuff with you through the airport, but if that backpack had a special fold or slide out compartment so the laptop did not need to be removed that would be even better. Ideally it could even have another little side compartment just the right size to hold a zip lock bag full of 3oz liquids. I guess it would be ok if you did just remove the laptop, if it was made so the laptop fit in its own compartment that could be quickly opened and shut with one zipper separate from other compartments.
Wow, is there no end to the Randy sell-out machine? Sheesh.
“And, it’s great for banging into the aisle seat people as you make your way down the aisle”
Any suggestions for a good netbook bag? I don’t want a shoulder strap but do want hand grips (or whatever they’re called, handles)
I agree with Gary that the Tom Bihn bags are excellent. I appreciate that they are made in Seattle by fairly-paid workers. I’d love to buy a Briggs&Riley since they have such an outstanding warranty, but for the price they charge they could very easily manufacture those items in a country with fair labor practices. Same for travelpro.
@Foster, I’ve gotten death threats for saying this before (http://viewfromthewing.com/2010/03/07/who-ever-thought-that-a-laptop-bag-review-could-generate-death-threats/) but I find that position to be pretty harsh, the workers in far more dire straits than those in the US benefit greatly by production facilities in their countries. My greater concern would be for the poorest, not relatively wealthy (by world standards) Seattle-ites.
If he’s so convinced… perhaps it’s time for another give-away!
Gotta love the FT bagtag!
“[paper] airline ticket, got to have that to fly” yeah, back in 1998. hope he only endorses products he knows are good