I’d been summoned to Ireland for a casual, company Christmas party – literally a two-day trip. No need to pack the Briggs & Riley rollaboard, but the journey definitely called for more than the leather satchel I use to tool around Prague with my laptop and other gear. The Farpoint 55 (Fairview 55 for women) was the perfect solution – a pair of jeans, nice pair of khakis, a couple shirts, shoes for the party, and Dopp Kit, along with my laptop and electronics bag.

Better yet, the 55-liter includes a day-pack zipped to the front, great for detaching and bee-bopping around town without your full pack. Remove the day-pack and the Farpoint55 fits in the overhead compartment of all but the smallest puddle-jumpers. I’ve burned through a lifetime of backpacks I thought were useful but turned out to be trash. My Farpoint has been the only keeper.