Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Briggs & Riley 29" Wheeled Duffle BagAs the luggage dumped one-by-one off the conveyer belt and onto the airport carousel, I was pleased that my Briggs and Riley duffle bag was desert gold in color. Not only was it easy to spot, it was easy to describe to the bellhop the next day in Alaska when my luggage was delivered to the wrong hotel room. Fortunately, my luggage was only lost temporarily.

Priced at $309, the 29" wheeled duffle, (yes, that's Briggs and Riley's proper spelling) is expensive, but it comes with a "Simple as that" warranty that even covers airline damage. At 10.4 pounds, the rolling bag is lightweight, water repellant and resistant to abrasions, tears and fabric punctures with its "Tuff-Lite (tm) manufacturing process. The company offers free shipping on all orders over $100.

I like the U-shaped opening, allowing for easy access into the duffle bag. The flat, front pocket held my passport and travel documents that I carry in a plastic folio. The large lid pocket on top of the bag kept my dirty laundry separate from clean clothes, while the two, slim, zippered pockets inside the bag held my Deadman's Reach coffee from Raven's Brew that I picked up in Ketchikan, Alaska.

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PACKING TIP:

I don't usually recommend packing coffee in luggage, as the smell can permeate into clothes and luggage. In this particular instance, I put the coffee in a zip lock freezer bag and then stashed it in the zippered pocket, careful to remove the coffee each night and re-pack it in the morning.

 Briggs and Riley 1 (888) 462-2247