Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack vs. Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack

Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.

Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack

Front facing view of the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack
Capacity38 L
Weight1.31 kg
Dimensions55.88×32×28.45 cm
Airline fit2%
Price$150

Feature by feature

Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On PackFeatureBriggs & Riley Cargo Backpack
Storage
Y Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
4 Opening 4
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
hideable Hip Belt Y
hideable Sternum Strap Y
Inside
17in Laptop 17in
2 Main Compartments 2
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
1 Water Bottle Holder 1
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
Recycled Polyester/Nylon800D ballistic nylon

Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack

Front facing view of the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack
Capacity24 L
Weight0.9 kg
Dimensions45.7×30.5×22.4 cm
Airline fit74%
Price$239

Key differences between the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack and Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack

Both have: backpack straps, laptop sleeve, water bottle pockets, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 4 accept both. 0 accept only the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack, and 135 accept only the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack.

Only the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air Europa, Air France, Air India, Air Koryo, Air Macau, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Azul Linhas, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Southern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Cubana de Aviacion, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Indigo, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Peach, PenAir, Philippine Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Republic Airways, Royal Air Morocco, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scoot, Sichuan Airlines, SilkAir, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, SpiceJet, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAAG Angola, TAM Airlines, Thai Airways, Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Ural Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, WestJet, WOW Airlines.

Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack vs. Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack: which should you pack?

The Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack carries 14L more than the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack (38L vs. 24L), while the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1.31kg). 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 Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack; if you want to travel lighter, the Briggs & Riley Cargo Backpack is the better call.