Briggs and Riley Excursion Backpack: Functional and Classy

By Rick Shandley

Briggs and Riley Excursion Backpack is a daypack you can use for business and pleasure. Excursion is part of the new BRX collection, a series of active travel luggage Briggs and Riley has every reason to be excited about. We ran with the Excursion Backpack for several months, generally on a daily basis. There were the grind commutes into LA to participate in the rat race. And there were out of town trips where there’s always a chance to explore and get some exercise on nearby trails or state parks.

Typically, the Excursion was loaded with files, laptop computer, and the usual knickknacks that support a human during the dog days of a work week. There were those bemusing days of multiple stops…in traffic…where the mind wonders if moving to Montana is really an option or just a pipe dream.  And there was lots of city hiking from the public parking lots, covering a few blocks, then ducking into a once magnificent office tower and up the elevators to work on some project. On a daily pace, the Excursion worked great as a mobile office.

Inside the U-shaped laptop sleeve, a 15-inch HP Pavilion laptop computer was adequately cushioned and separated from the Day Runner, manila files, and notepads. Specifications on this daypack (Product # BP118 in the BRX collection) indicate the laptop sleeve will fit up to a 16-inch laptop.

What’s impressive is this Briggs and Riley Excursion Backpack looks like the high-end piece of luggage it is. Whether you are checking

Excursion carries down jacket, hydration bladder, and everything you need for a day.

in to a luxury hotel or walking onto an aircraft with your business-class upgrade paid for with air miles you so wish you didn’t need, the Excursion fits in well. The Excursion has an overall profile that allows it to easily slide into the overhead storage bin of an aircraft, under the jaundiced gaze of the flight attendant, with no style points being deducted.

Oh, but it is when you have to travel and stay away from home for awhile that was nice about this Excursion. For the times you’re strapped to a hotel for a week or more, any fresh air you get will have to be carved out of whatever time you have and place you find yourself. The Briggs and Riley Excursion Backpack is versatile enough to go from assigned only to protecting your laptop and files, to an day pack that permits you to get out of the hotel room and hike that trail you found online.

This scenario happened a few times. Get to the hotel room, unload the laptop and set up the nice desk with all your business related things, and fill the backpack with water, snacks, a wind parka and head back out to the rental car to end the day with a long walk. Most big American cities like Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, even New York and LA have hiking and outdoor recreation right outside the tragic clusters of conflict known as downtown anywhere. If you enjoy getting outside, as opposed to dutifully relegating yourself to the hotel fitness room, having some kind of backpack is mandatory. This one just does it with panache.

Deep U-shaped Excursion lid offers good access to gear.

Excursion offers a deep U-shaped front loading pocket and an overall capacity of 18×12x9 inches of storage. With the business collateral poured out, the laptop pocket held a two-liter Camelbak Omega Hydrotanium water reservoir with no problems. Problems no, but this pack would be even more versatile if it also had retainer straps for a water reservoir. And it would be nice to have an opening on either side of the top of the pack to run the water flow tube and mouthpiece through to the exterior, so you can use it without unzipping a corner of the top flap. That’s how the Excursion was used on trips: The Camelbak Pure Flow tube ran out through a slightly unzipped corner of the pack.

A deep storage pocket inside the main compartment and forward of the laptop sleeve offered enough room for a Cloudveil Inversion down jacket compressed into its little stuff-sack, and all the gear one might need for a couple evening hours of hiking. The mesh water bottle holder on the right side works when that’s all the water you need.  On the opposite side from the mesh water bottle holder is an inverted-U shaped pocket that can be used for holding your sunglasses or reading glasses…or another bottle of water. A zipped pocket on the outside of the main flap of the Excursion works well for storing small items like your keys and quick access support items.

At the front of the pack, just behind the large exterior pocket is a slide-out identification holder, just in case the airlines have to

Excursion is rugged enough for most any situation you'll need a dual-purpose pack. On Monday, it goes back to mobile-office duty.

FedEx your pack back to you. The large zipped pocket on the front of the Excursion holds several separate compartments for sorting business cards, storing the cell phone, a wallet, and any of the smaller items you might need. Inside the outer fabric of this large front pocket is another zipped pocket for your traveler checks, passport, or your secret stash of jelly beans. Forward, and at the absolute outside of this main exterior front pocket is a non-zippered pouch that seems to collect all the access badges on lanyards, trip receipts, and loose change just as you walk up to the airport X-ray machines.

Two daisy chained clip points are arranged on either upper shoulder of the pack. Three clip-point positions are available on each side. Like larger packs, these clip-points come in handy. We use them to clip on lens-cleaning cloth and an expedition watch with a carabiner clip. It’s a nice touch, and these clip-points are an asset when you need them.

We found the padded back-panel and the shoulder straps to be comfortable and the shoulder straps are easily adjusted with standard heavy-gauge fasteners. The Excursion does not come with a hip belt, nor is one necessarily needed. However, a chest strap spans between the shoulder straps and does a good job of keeping the pack on your back and close to your chest.

Briggs & Riley logo on leather tab atop front pocket.

And at the very top of the Excursion is a nicely padded handle with the Briggs and Riley logo embossed into the leather. Another Briggs and Riley brand logo in sharp relief is located on the top of the primary front pocket. Just beneath the top handle is yet another zipped pocket that contains an anchored clip-strap to work with other roll-on Briggs and Riley luggage. Yep, you can secure the Excursion to the top of the roll-on handle as you waltz away from baggage claim, past the limo drivers morosely holding large paper signs with names other than your own on them, as you make your way to the rental car.

The Briggs and Riley Excursion Backpack is part of several new styles of roll-on luggage and accessories. At MSRP, your investment would be about $120.00. Sure, you are paying for the name, but it’s a name associated with quality, and there is nothing we can take away from that. We found, from the day it arrived, that this pack is versatile and it immediately became an everyday item in our world. It does look like it is high-end, and for folks who must be seen only with the best stuff other folks would recognize, this backpack is the real thing. But in everyday use, the Excursion is just as rugged and useful as any daypack could aspire to be for its function and classy style.

For your journey to higher performance levels, the Hydrapak 2010 Morro series is serious about the climb!

Hydropak’s new Morro was designed for all-day mountain bike missions where keeping hydrated and nourished is just as important as that helmet on your head.  And for you day hikers, the need for water is no less critical. And you are going to need some carrying capacity to store your fleece pullover, Power Bar’s, and anything you don’t want to carry in your pockets. The team at Hydrapak have been building hydration and storage gear for the mountain biking for years now, and the Morro is their flagship day-pack that let’s you know Hydrapak gets you.

Hydrapak sought to design a pack to accommodate a daylong supply of water, and with enough storage capacity to keep all the gear you’ll need for a long day of busting trails on a mountain bike or on your feet.

So we took the opportunity to take the Hydrapak Morro on a couple day trips that included bike rides and trail hikes. Our overall take on the Morro is that it’s well thought out, sturdy, and held enough water and gear to last a long day. Here are some of our observations:

All around Storage:

Nylon interior of main compartment is roomy enough to accommodate additional clothing items for change in temperature.  Sweatshirt, gloves and hat are easily stored while textured pull grips on the zipper allow tired hands to retrieve items quickly.

Inside flap of the main compartment houses a soft line pocket with Velcro closure for cell phone and there are also two sleeves for pens and pencils.  Two additional zippered pockets are located at the top and bottom of inside flap, where continuous necessities such as First Aid may be kept.

Morro is a hydration pack designed for Mountain Bike excursions, but it's great when you're on foot.

Side Storage compartments are ideal for snacks and held secure with adjustable straps so items remain intact.  While these side compartments are beneficially constructed, two are not really necessary. An outside meshed drink holder in lieu of one side compartment would be advantageous, as it would allow for additional thirst options.

At the back of pack, a side-loading zippered pocket cradles an inside mesh pocket.  For the music enthusiast, iPods or portable devices are held secure with elastic bands and clip.  A three  -tiered outlet for headphones makes it easy to pull the wires in and out.  Sunglasses may be tucked away in another arc-shaped  pocket at the base of pack.  A beneficial addition to the back of the Hydrapak Morro would be greater reflected material for evening outings.

Plenty of Hydration:

A sturdy, pliable, bladder offers almost three liters of water storage capacity. Bladder was a cinch  to fill up, and easily secured with flap and sliding enclosure.  A hook is provided to hang inside the second main storage compartment. The water tube is strong and can well serve the thirsty traveler, though the positioning of the hose opening at the bottom of pack makes for a lengthy, but necessary, route.  The hose opening  on the Morro pack could also be a little larger, as it was a bit of work to pull the (mouth piece) bit in and out. However, the soft plastic bite valve feels comfortable and easy on the teeth and gums.

Breathable Fabrics:

Material used on the Morro shoulder straps and backside of the pack absorbed perspiration on upward climbs and strenuous calorie-burning sessions, but additional padding would have been an added benefit to the pack, especially on the shoulders.

Compact in size without compromising space, Hydrapak 2010 accomplishes intended goals.  The day hiker or cyclist can be assured they will be well hydrated and able to safely stow personal items to their ultimate destination.

By Mary Webb

Specifications:

• Capacity: 800 cubic inches (13.1 Liters)
• Volume: 100oz water bladder (2.96 Liters)
• Drink hose: Big Bore
• MSRP: $110
• Colors: Black (as tested); Orange/white

Long Trail Hauler… Cerro Torre TFX 10

 Lowe Alpine’s 2010 Cerro Torre 65:85 TFX 10 (Torso Fit Expedition) backpack is a thoughtfully designed, internal frame, platform built to perform on multi-day treks with moderate to heavy loads up to 66 pounds. And deliver it does. We’ve had the Cerro Torre 65:85 on several alpine hikes where any lapses in pack comfort and durability would be revealed by the end of any one day on the trail. Check it out now for your consideration as this pack should be available by March 2010 or early spring. 

Cerro Torre is a top-loader pack designed with dual vertical aluminum stays providing rigid support for the internal frame to work with the TFX multi-adjustment suspension system.

Fitting the Cerro Torre to your body type is a simple procedure. With the pack off, and the shoulder straps facing you, just flip the lumbar pad up, loose the buckle to slide the color-coded back-plate up or down to fit your torso according to the horizontal lines (Medium, Large, X-large) on the back-plate. Your torso measurement will appear in the buckle. Next you re-fit the lumbar pad and you’re good to go.

Back balance is handled by the Torso Motion system designed to let the waistbelt move relative to your spine as the internal frame of the Cerro Torre TFX moves and rotates with your torso. As part of the TXF system, high performance foam inside the lumbar pad forms to the natural curve of your lower back, and the upper pads offer cushion to your upper back while allowing the pack to ride close to your body.   

Torso Fit Expedition (TFX) adjustment system shows lumbar pad, buckle, and back support.

Cerro Torre can expand from 65-Liters of cargo space, to 85-Liters when you require more carrying capacity. This 20-Liter’s of extra/optional cargo space has closures at the top of the main pack compartment and at top of the pack extension. This double-collar closure system protects cargo (in addition to the top lid flap) whether the Cerro Torre TFX 10 is at maximum load capacity or not.

The pack lid is removable, and the entire depth of the pack can be used for packing bulky gear, such as setting up a base camp where each person carries entire loads dedicated to food, tents, sleeping bags, water, etc. Zippered compartments at top, bottom, and the middle of the pack permit total access to gear without unloading the entire pack.

At the bottom of the main pack, where your lighter load items should be packed, an ample sleeping bag compartment has enough room for a down sleeping bag and additional gear. For our trips, the sleeping bag compartment was loaded with a Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 30 down sleeping bag in its stuff sack, the new Therm-A-Rest NeoAire sleeping pad (very compact and light) as well as a down sweater and Adventure Medical First Aid kit.

Bottom sleeping bag compartment held a Sierra Designs Arrow Rock 30 down bag, a Therm-A-Rest NeoAire pad, and then some.

A separate sleeping bag compartment is a feature so many backpack designs don’t include, but it makes pack organization and protection for the sleeping bag so much more efficient, and allows you to keep potential spills or wet gear from your sleeping bag.

The Cerro Torre TFX 10 comes with a rain-cover that stores in its own zippered pouch on the frame-side of the main pack flap. The rain cover has elastic material around its circumference to cling onto the Cerro Torre in whatever phase of load capacity it has onboard, with enough room to cover gear (there are exceptions) you might have lashed onto the outside.

On the pack exterior, lash points and well-designed gear loops are located at every logical position you’ll need on the pack exterior for those treks where you’ll want to secure poles, ice ax, snow shovel, sleeping pads, or any piece of equipment that is not practical for storage in the main compartment.   And without going through the top of the pack to get at gear, heavy nylon zippers on the central pack main panel allow you to get at gear inside the main compartment without unpacking the Cerro Torre. For example, if your stove is at the bottom of the main compartment and you need a mid-day cup of hot tea with your lunch, you simply lay the pack on the ground, straps-down, unzip the main compartment and pull your stove, cook kit, and food out. When it’s time to get back to the trail, you’ll replace the gear into the main compartment and zip it back up.  The load cinching compression-straps with side-locking nylon buckles are easy to hook back up to keep your entire pack-load tight and secure; and you are on your way again.

The Cerro Torre TFX 10 comes with its own onboard rain cover. That's always nice to have.

That’s another detail we liked about the Cerro Torre TFX, there are enough compression straps located at the sides, bottom and top of this pack to completely secure your pack load from wiggling or load-shifting . All the side-locking buckles, including the hip-belt, shoulder straps, chest strap, and all the load-securing strap buckles are constructed of lightweight composite materials which contribute to a light overall empty pack weight of about 6 pounds. To achieve this low empty pack weight-to-load carrying capacity, Lowe Alpine uses 1000-denier nylon, 600-denier ripstop polyester, and 600-denier hexagon-patterned polyester fabrics for the pack itself.

 However, because the lightweight nature of the side-locking buckles and nylon straps, you should pull the straps in a straight line to tighten, not just yank them at any odd angle. We did yank one of the load-tightening straps at an off-angle and broke it. You must take that into consideration with any backpack you choose to own.  We’ve owned packs with heavy-duty side-locking strap connectors such as those found on the Kelty Trekker or the Gregory Spear (military) that are almost bomb-proof. But they add accumulated weight to the empty pack. There’s always a design tradeoff, and the buckles used on the Cerro Torre are plenty strong and durable long as you are conscious of how you treat them.

Inside the main cargo chamber of the Cerro Torre, on the frame side, is a pocket for your water bladder along with a fabric hoop at top to suspend the bladder, and a clearly marked exit hole in the upper right side of the pack to thread the drinking hose through. We were using a 2-liter Camelbak water bladder for our trips, but the pocket will easily hold two 2-liter bladders or a 3-liter. This is merely another example of the design being thought out by a team that has been at it for several decades and tons of real-world testing experience to draw from.

Different trip, different gear, the Cerro Torre TFX 10 is a comfortable long-haul backpack.

Torso Fit Expedition lumbar and back suspension view.

Another, zippered, pocket is located on the inside-front of the main cargo chamber for easy access from inside the pack or, by unzipping the front panel, the exterior of the pack to accommodate small, flat, gear items you want to keep separate from primary gear. At the bottom of the main cargo cavity, which is the top of the sleeping bag compartment, is a zippered false-bottom that you can open up and literally use the entire 85-liters (5,187 cubic inches) of the Cerro Torre volume capacity.

We found that with the storage pockets on the inside, bottom, and top of the Cerro Torre, you have enough compartments to organize your gear without the need for exterior side pockets. On the exterior of the pack lid there is a large pocket for your map, compass, and quick access items. Another large pocket is available on the underside of the pack lid; with international distress signal procedure stenciled in clear instructions in French and English.

ON THE TRAIL

The Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre TFX 10 packed great on the trail. On a 12-mile hike in the Sierra Nevada, the Torso Fit Expedition pack fit system is straightforward, allowing easy adjustment and fit-tuning on the trail. By extending the color-coded lumbar support adjustment to fit a long torso, this Cerro Torre, loaded with approximately 40 pounds, rode close to the body and distributed the pack weight across the top of the hip. There was no tendency to bind clothes or chaff the lower back skin when using a leather waist belt to hold up the Mt. Khakis Original Alpine pants. Working in combination with the adjustable hip pad, shoulder straps, and sternum strap, we found the Cerro Torre easy to adjust and cinch up while hiking with the pack on.

On the trail, the Cerro Torre TFX 10 fit close to the body and did not bind or chaff, even in hot weather.

The pack was loaded light at the bottom with the heavier items up towards the top. Compression straps are also located over the bottom sleeping bag pocket of the Cerro Torre. These two vertical straps not only allow you to cinch up to keep gear from moving around on the hike, but they also make a convenient place to hold your jacket or long pants once the sun comes out and you’re shedding clothes by midday.

Whether it was due to incorrect pack adjustment, hunched shoulders, or shoulder-bulk, the shoulder straps seemed to taper too narrow, too quickly, from where they contact the top of the shoulder to the front of the chest. There is plenty of shoulder-strap padding where the straps are at their widest point; but that point was not where the pack rode on this trip, even when the shoulder straps where adjusted very snug. This is the one potential downside we observed with the Cerro Torre, but it’s a subjective observation for one individual that certainly will not apply to most body types it is designed to fit.

Notwithstanding, the Cerro Torre TFX 10 handled the pack weight, had plenty of room and carrying capacity for more gear, and it was comfortable on a hike that was well above 10,000 elevation. The trail itself was rock-strewn and ascended at steep inclines in various places. Both the altitude and the trail were challenging enough to require significant physical effort. There were few trail sections where strolling upright was the norm, most of the time it required leaning into the trail, burning calories and hauling like a misunderstood donkey.

Burning calories and perspiration, especially in summer and early fall seasons, comes with the freedom of backpacking. The Cerro Torre torso and lumbar padding did a good job of wicking away sweat where the pack is in contact with your body.

Deep mesh pockets on either bottom sides of the Cerro Torre held two EcoReusable stainless steel water bottles. This pocket shows the Benchmark Marc A. Lee Glory knife.

A sturdy nylon loop at the inside top of the Cerro Torre and two nylon loops at both sides of the pack bottom facilitated getting the pack on and off, with or without the help of another person. When pack-loads get really heavy, it’s always a good idea to have a friend help you get into the pack or take it off, and those grab handles can come in real handy. The grab handles at the pack bottom are also good lash points for securing gear outside the pack, as are the other built-in lashing points you can employ to tie down your early morning outerwear, ice ax, or trekking poles when not in use.

Two deep pockets at either bottom side of the Cerro Torre are convenient for storing water bottles, gloves, and anything else you want easy access to. On this trip, two stainless steel EcoReusable liter-sized water bottles rode in these pockets and secured with small carabiners onto the compression straps outside the pockets. With the elastic pocket tops, the compression strap, carabiners, and deep pockets, there was no worry about losing the water bottles.

Final Thoughts

We found the Cerro Torre TFX to be an extremely capable, multi-day backpack that is fully able to perform on long-mileage hikes. The pack is able to take on heavier loads, adjusts very well with the compression straps to secure the load and size-it down as you use up food or simply take it on an overnight hike with minimal gear.

Because the upper, expandable section of the Cerro Torre uses dual enclosures to seal the top of the pack, we found this a great location for carrying a three-man Hilleberg Kaitum 3 mountaineering tent. Plenty of cargo room and enough pack adjustments for long trips made the Cerro Torre one of the best long mileage, internal-frame packs we have enjoyed this year. It’s a pack you can so easily adjust to fit several torso sizes that you can grow into it, if you are a youngster, or make it available to friends who want to get into backpacking and may not own their own backpack just yet.

Asolo Lowe Alpine and the gear they produce are known for reliability and comfort. The new Cerro Torre TFX 10 is a backpack we will definitely take on future backpack and alpine trips. And you will be seeing this pack in the gear list on trail stories going forward.

 Review/Photos by R. Shandley

End of the day. We found this big flat rock to cook on and sort out the gear. A Hilleberg Kaitum 3 tent sits at top of the Cerro Torre TFX 10.

Cerro Torre TFX 10 loaded up and ready to hike.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Price: $299.99

Dimensions: 29” x 15” x 11”

Weight: 6 pounds (empty)

Access: Top / Bottom / Front 

Volume: 65L (3,967 cu in) expandable to 85 L (5,187 cu in)
Torso: 16 – 23 in (41 – 59 cm)

Frame: Internal frame

Materials: Ripstop Nylon/ Ballistic

Colors: Croc-Green, Terracotta, Black
Features:

Load range: 55 – 70 lbs.

Expedition quality: Yes

Expandable Capacity: Yes

Exterior Lash Points: Yes

Fully Adjustable: Yes

Full Access: Yes

Hydration Compatible: Yes

Ice Axe Loops: Yes

Dual Trekking Pole Loops: Yes

Sleeping Bag Compartment: Yes

Rain Cover: Yes

Compression Straps: Yes

Grab Handles: Yes