Exped Skyline 25 vs. Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Skyline 25 | Feature | Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 4 |
| N | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| Y | Hip Belt | Y |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| N | Laptop | 17in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 2 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| Y | Rain-fly | N |
| 2 | Water Bottle Holder | 1 |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 210 D Robic HD Ripstop nylon, PU coated, 1'500 mm water column | 800D ballistic nylon |
Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack
| Capacity | 24 L |
| Weight | 0.9 kg |
| Dimensions | 45.7×30.5×22.4 cm |
| Airline fit | 74% |
| Price | $239 |
Key differences between the Exped Skyline 25 and Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack
- Laptop sleeve: No on the Exped Skyline 25; 17in on the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.
- Main compartments: 1 on the Exped Skyline 25; 2 on the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.
- Rain cover: Yes on the Exped Skyline 25; No on the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.
- Water bottle pockets: 2 on the Exped Skyline 25; 1 on the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.
Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 74 accept both. 1 accept only the Exped Skyline 25, and 65 accept only the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.
Only the Exped Skyline 25 fits
Great Lakes Airlines.
Only the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack fits
Air Asia, Air Canada, Air Macau, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, CommutAir, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, Garuda Indonesia, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kulula, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Republic Airways, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, Tiger Airways, Trans States, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, WestJet.
Exped Skyline 25 vs. Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack: which should you pack?
The Exped Skyline 25 carries 1L more than the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack (25L vs. 24L), while the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1.03kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack fits 74% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Skyline 25; if you want to travel lighter, the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack is the better call.