ebags Mother Lode Jr Packable 18 Inch Travel Backpack

I’ve used this bag twice now, in different ways. Here are my thoughts. I travel for business and in the past, carried two items: the larger (luggage) carry-on and a briefcase. The briefcase was always jam packed and even if I bought a bottle of water in the airport, I couldn’t fit in in there.As note, this bag has two setups: briefcase mode (where shoulder straps are tucked away) and backpack mode.The first time I used this, it was in place of the briefcase. Worked great – it's much larger than my old briefcase and I had plenty of room for all of the work items I needed and all of the additional things I wanted (iPad, headphones, water, etc…). And, it fit under the seat nicely (not a lot of foot space, but that’s usual with a bag under the seat). It worked well. I had my clothes in a luggage carryon that went into the overhead bin.The second time I used it, I decided to just go for it and it make this my only carryon item (my only bag at all…both a briefcase and luggage). It was a 3 day/2 night trip and I used packing cubes to help (so that when I got to the destination airport rental car, I could remove the clothes quickly and stash them in the trunk of the car…so then I could compress the bag and use it in briefcase mode). It was obviously heavier with all of my clothes in it, but I was able to put it in the overhead bin and enjoy the legroom on the plane! And, with the should straps, the bag wasn't too heavy to get through the airports.It worked well in both of the scenarios I tried it in. Going forward (depending on the length of the trip), I’ll have two ways to use: second carryon/briefcase, but for shorter trips, it can certainly take the place of both the briefcase and luggage.As far a professional briefcase, it is not (and isn’t designed to be), so as long as you’re not trying to impress someone with a shiny leather briefcase, this should fit in at any workplace these days.My only complaint is that it needs a shoulder strap when in ‘briefcase’ mode, as it only has a handle and it’s tough to carry things (donuts & coffee) without a shoulder strap.It’s also well made and seems durable. Time will tell.

So far I’ve only explored all the pockets and compartments and packed for a long weekend, but I packed without really trying to conserve space and fit enough for 4 days of casual clothes, PJs, and 2 formal dresses, plus a few pairs of shoes. I can’t wait to see what I can fit once I add packing cubes! I’ll update this if I have any trouble with the straps or travelUpdate 10/19: I got this bag in December and this has been a very travel-heavy year for me so I got to make good use of it. I was able to pack for a week-long cruise in Alaska (during spring), without expanding the backpack. I used packing cubes and packed very carefully so I could fly with just this as my carry on plus a large crossbody purse as my personal item. It was so nice to be able to easily carry my own luggage around the airport and on and off the cruise. I don't remember exactly what I packed, but I fit 3 long thin packing cubes and a medium sized one, plus a spare pair of sneakers and flats. I also fit souvenirs on the way home by packing with the bag expanded and using the straps and some force to zip it to the smaller size. It even fit under the seat of a tiny plane on the way home, and fit easily in the overhead bins on our other flights.I also used this for a trip to Disney with a friend in September. I packed 5 outfits for 4 days in the park, bathing suit, cover up, sweatshirt, rain coat, PJs, 2 pairs of shoes, toiletries and mini day packpack. I could've fit my personal item purse if I hadn't bought souvenirs.I'm not nice to my bags and this is holding up great, even though I stress the zippers sometimes. It's comfortable to wear and easy to pack in.

These bags can hold a lot, so they were handy for a long trip to Europe. The trick is they are too big for some carry-on rules by US budget carrier standards (I’d never try a loaded one with Frontier), while they worked for international where you get more space allowed.The straps also feel a bit odd as they seem a bit low and make the bad feel like it sits high—not by a lot, but enough that it feels different from a typical backpack.

My old backpack of 10 years died and after hours of searching on Amazon reading reviews, I decided on this one. I'm glad I did. It's got tons of space inside, and it's compartmentalized so that I can keep things separate. Easy access to my laptop when going through airport security. My work laptop is an ancient 16 inch beast and it fits with no issues. I've taken this on two trips so far and it has held up well and seems like it will continue to do so. It's well made. I like the fact that it has a strap that you can carry it as a messenger bag. You can also tuck in the shoulder straps and carry it like a suitcase. The only thing I'm not liking about it is that the clips for the shoulder straps are plastic and I can see those wearing out earlier than the pack, but we'll see how it goes.

Absolutely love this backpack! It's the perfect size for a carryon bag, expands, has LOTS of pockets and can be stored under the seat. Highly recommend if you're looking for a durable, roomy bag for travel.

Used this backpack as a carry-on bag to Colorado. Worked perfect. Held everything I needed for a 3 day trip and still had room left. Comfortable to wear around the airport and walking.

My wife and I both have these backpacks. Since purchasing we have bought them for two of our children and their spouses. These fit perfectly under a plane seat and allow for an extra carryon basically. These are also rugged. We spent 16 days travelling in Greece with just these backpacks and a small carryon. If you travel then you need this in your life.