Arc'teryx Brize 25
I've had this bag since December 29th, 2021
This bag is a beast. Originally purchased in London out of a desire to downsize my travel setup and shed some weight, it became immediately apparent that this bag was special. For context, I love optimizing the things I buy based on functionality, looks, and material/quality. Putting lots of thought and trying to view as many options as I can before pulling the trigger is the way I do it.
This bag strikes the perfect balance of all three variables.
With the original MSRP sitting under $200, a bag of this quality is astounding and reminiscent of old Arc'teryx, and I can't for the life of me understand why they stopped production. For the time being, they can still be found on eBay and through proxy sites like Buyee from Japan (Japan seems to have discovered the magic of this bag more so than the West).
In the three years I've had this bag, it's been beat to shit on a 9 month international journey from Cambodia to Iceland, used as a daily school bag (I bike in the rain), and used on every trip of any kind in between. It still looks brand new.
Sizing
Sitting at 25 litres, it's not in the territory of a large backpack, let alone being considered as a multi-day pack, and I think this is the beginning of its misappreciation. When shopping for a pack, 25L is often too small for anybody to effectively live out of, so people opt for larger packs: 30L, 40L, and onwards are generally recommended. But what I've noticed since owning this pack and trying other packs extensively is that the way space is used in larger packs is sloppy, resulting in a bigger pack with less space.
That's where this bag excels: efficiency. It can be packed for a single day hike, straddled with shoes to serve as a home base for 9 months, or taken to work with two items in it. The difference lies in technique, I can fill this bag for a day hike with 25% of the items that fit when packed for an extensive trip. When packed for the trip, using packing cubes single handedly increases the efficiency by what feels like 30%. With shoes on the outside, you suddenly have 35L of space in the same footprint.
But why go for a smaller pack? It makes life easier. Though there's a point of diminishing return, it's different for most people, and when travelling your energy is taken up by new experiences and activities, so the effort that previously went into dressing nicely -- and differently -- most days, is spent elsewhere, leaving you with unworn clothes that have no business being with you. The golden rule for packing is, "bring half the clothes and twice the money."
- One 12.5 x 10.5 x 3.5 inch large cube
- Two 9 x 8.5 x 3.5 inch small cube
- Whatever toiletry bag is convenient, I used a
The process for learning efficient packing can essentially be broken down into a loop; start with what you think will fit, then:
And only stop when the way in which you pack the bag determines if you can fit everything. If you’re travelling and hoping to bring back a bunch of random souvenirs, don’t use this method, obviously.
Quality
Unrippable nylon that is waterproof for like, 35 minutes in the heavy rain. After that, it doesn’t absorb any more and water begins to drip in.
The breathable back is equally indestructible like the nylon. Overall, the quality of materials used is extremely high, and it shows.
Functionality
The side pockets are excellent, though not huge.
The additional straps on the side are extremely useful, whether holding ski poles, shoes, large water bottles, whatever.
The laptop sleeve fits a 13 inch mac comfortably, I don’t use the security pocket (opting for internal storage instead) and I can always fit more into the top 1.5L pocket than I think.
It also has this elastic strap mechanism allowing you to hold large garments or soft things on the outside of the pack. I didn’t discover this until a few months of having the bag, and I was shocked. It’s cool.
Comfortability
The breathable back is spongy and quite comfortable, but not always on bare skin. I have pine needles that have collected at the base of it, but that doesn’t matter.
The straps have nice padding on them, and can be worn for hours under load without getting uncomfortable.
The sizing of the bag fits my torso well, with the bottom sitting just above my hips. I have a longer torso, and I’m 6’2 for reference.
Cons
This bag, when not filled, looks awkward and feels a bit weird. The top pocket collapses and folds over the rest of the bag; it just looks odd.
The top loading (for some) might be a huge con, but if you pack as I described above (and really, no matter the bag you should be packing using cubes) you can access what you need in less than 15 seconds.
Lastly, the width is a bit too short for binders to sit comfortably, they end up slightly sideways, and as a result, I used to use a different bag for school. Having switched to an iPad for notes, this problem isn’t present anymore.
Closing
I understand this isn’t the bag for everyone, even though I could argue that until my death. I have a romantic lens that's born of the time I spent with it and because it fits my style and needs. I believe if you can try to love this bag, an important ethos will transfer even if you end up moving on.