Wenger Patriot Rolling Business Set - Premium Expandable Laptop Briefcase with Wheels for Travel & Office Use

Well built bag. As you'd expect from Wenger the construction, wheels, zippers are all solid. Sometimes the handle is a little tricky to extend or stow and over all it "feels" shakier than I would like but this is a common issue among these 4 stage extensions.I like the layout. LOVE the front zip pocket and the file/flex drop down.Note the size, particularly if you are looking at it for travel - it won't fit into many of the small overhead compartments such as the CRJs. Also, If you put much into the included laptop back (like a laptop) it really bulges into the adjoining pockets both in front and back. (I don't use the back compartment for clothes, but rather books - (which have to be offset as it is not tailored to fit dual 8x11 for instance).That having been said, I *love* the bag when I am on site - aka just going back and forth between the home/hotel and office. The included laptop back includes the dedicated mounting strap so it can easily ride on the main case as an add on piece eliminating any "under utilization" elements from trying to overload it. There are also no concerns with overhead in this situation.Just don't try to over pack it and know you will be gate-checking it if space is any sort of an issue.PS We got my wife the Potomac. The layout is a little different, the "wonder" pocket that I love so much is moved to the front and it eliminates the back "extra" compartment. It isn't that much thinner and she is still having problems with it in some overheads. It also lacks the dedicated strap on the side so you end up using the handles of the case itself.The Wenger Patriot is, for me, the classic road warrior bag. It has plenty of geek appeal, with its many pockets that allow the anal retentive organizer separate and categorize its content. It is large enough to be my primary carry-on for day trips up to 2 or 3 days, and small enough to squeak by as a "personal item or brief case" on most flights other than those on excruciatingly small commuter planes. The frequent traveler will see this bag being rolled around by more other frequent travelers than almost any other bag - and there is good reason. It is more bag for the price than almost any other. There have been many minor version changes over the years as the company has made minor changes. I'm on my second one after about 7 years. The old one is still usable, but the wheels got embarrassingly noisy as the bearings wore out from miles of duress. My new one has slightly less room in the back compartment due to thicker, presumably more durable or cheaper-to-make tubes on the pop-up handle - the old one's handle was much thinner but never gave up on me despite the fact I put that bag through hell. This is indeed the "swiss army knife of travel bags." Unless you need much more expensive "status luggage" to satisfy an executive ego, you cannot go wrong with it. My old one has been my most reliable travel companion for years, outliving 3 laptops, 2 projectors, 3 cell phones, and so on. Even though I've replaced it, I won't throw it away. It will become my second bag on those trips where I need more capacity, because these are just the right size that you can stack them and get away with carrying two of them onto most planes.Starting some years ago as a roller case for a 15.4 laptop, this bag offers great design, engineering and construction quality for a decent price. Most importantly - it has more than adequate padding all around for computer protection. Using it with a 15.4" laptop - it has a separate case within a case for the utmost protection and have used this combination for many years.Zippers are well constructed and self repairing. Openings are generously wide - accommodating my 17" plastic cover laptop without any danger of scratching; compartments for any and all types of accessories abound, with nets, dividers, partitions. Wheels are great for smooth rolling - a case carry handle for lifting in and out of tight places like car trunks and overhead airplane bins. It has a front bottom rest that allows a fully loaded bag to not topple over.When I purchased a 17" laptop for extended use on the road, I was under the impression this case would not take a 17" laptop, purchased a series of 17" cases from brand name vendors but have never found another 17" roller case that offered the protection, or carrying capacity for accessories this one did. By simply removing the inner 15.4" laptop case - my 17" HP has found a new home. Still well protected without the case the insert - this bag has space for external hard drives, power bricks, point and shoot cameras, power strips, CD/DVDs including my favorite DVD movies and thumb drives - with room left over in a top zippered compartment for car keys, pocket change, rings, watches and anything else you need to remove before going through airport security.Earlier models have had trouble with cracking of the extended carry handle - and the vendor I purchased it from has honored a lifetime Wenger guarantee ... no questions asked.The negatives are few - often caused by success of the design of the case in other areas.- when loaded to capacity: the bag weighs a ton and the extended carry handle is vunerable to torque damage to the metal or cracking of the plastic handle. later design (my free replacement) apparently has addressed that problem the bag barely makes it (widthwise) into overhead airline bins and may not leave room for your feet if you manage to cram it under many airline seats.CONCLUSIONBuy from a vendor who honors the Wenger warranty and happy traveling ...I needed a replacement for my old Wenger Rhea trolley as it was starting to show its age. After much thought and deliberation I chose this product and I am so disappointed with it.I am part of a worksmart office, so have to travel between sites with my own equipment as other than a monitor nothing is supplied.This trolley appears to have everything I should need it has a lot of storage compartments, yet I still can not fit all my equipment in?? If you fill one pocket it impacts the next pocket and limits available space and so on. I will continue to work on a way to fit it all inThe message bag is handy but I do have to use both when I go to work which defeats the object, it does slip over the handle but this brings concern the extra weight will impact the handle , add my lunch bag and it's like I am going on holiday.The back pocket is basically useless, unless it's A5 size and put either side of compartment or it won't fit due to the telescopic handle.I would forgive all of the cons if it was not for the design flaw of the handle. What about the handle I hear you say?Well, yes it does have adjustable height which my previous Rhea did not have. It's just such a shame it is so wobbly and every time I use it, it feels like it is going to snap. I am tending to carry the bag to and from the car rather than pull it which defeats the object of having it.I so wanted to love this product but I just can't. I have kept it as I could not be doing with the hassle of returning it. Everyday I use it my first thought is will the handle make it through the day? For the price and brand I expected better.This bag cost around £90 when I bought it, so it isn't cheap. It is, however, good quality. It includes a main bag, and a small laptop case.Main BagGoing from the front of the bag to the back, it has:1. A front zipped pocket with spaces for phone, documents / tickets etc.. This also has two mesh pockets. The pocket as a whole is large enough for A4 documents.2. A small zipped pocket. The length of the pocket matches the two red flashes on the front of the bag. This is easy to access, and can hold tickets, a phone, an iPad mini sized tablet, or an eBook reader.3. A document pocket, with three pockets. I find this really useful for separating course materials when I am teaching.4 A large pocket with a straining strap for a laptop or similar. It fits a large Toshiba laptop, and I can get the cable in as well. Alternatively, it would carry a lot of papers. The zipper pulls on this compartment have a loop to allow a padlock to be used, if wishes.5. A final pocket at the rear of the bag that can be used for a shirt / blouse, etc. It also has two mesh pockets for bits and pieces. The size of this pocket is constrained by extendable handle, which is immediately behind it.The extendable handle is in a zipped compartment at the back, so folds away completely. There is a button on the handle that you use when opening and closing it. It doesnt feel particularly sturdy, but it works fine so far. There is a band on the back of the bag with a velcro fastening, whcih seems to be there to allow it to be looped over a larger bag.The bottom of the case has a hard plastic rest that can also be used a a handle if you need to move it about. The wheels are small, and quite neat, with the Wenger logo on their hub. There is a small carrying handle on the top, again with the Wenger logo. There is another Wenger logo on the hard plastic at the back of the bag, and a further logo on a tag inside the first ompartment.Laptop BagWhen you buy the bag, this laptop bag is inside the main laptop compartment. It is a fairly light, padded shoulder bag. It has a soft rubber carrying handle, and a shoulder strap.The laptop bag has a front pocket with two mesh pockets inside it, and a small rectangular pocket. The front pocket itself easily accommodates the kind of A4 size papers you would have for an average meeting.The main pocket is a padded, zipped compartment. My Toshiba laptop, which is 36cm x 25cm x 3.5cm just fits in it, but you wouldn't be able to fit in something much larger. This bag also has a strap on the back with can be looped over the extended carrying handle of the main case.OverallIn use, it can et quite heavy. The main bag is not very comfortable to carry for long periods by it's carry handle, because of the width of the bag, and also because of the amoutn of gear you can cram in to it. Obviously it is designed to be rolled, using the extendable handle, however, and it works well like this,with the laptop bag fitting well on to the handle.It feels like a quality item to me. I don't have anything to compare it to, but the zips are strong, the zippers are wide and satisfyingly solid, and the bag itself feels well made. It's made as light as possible, so it's not like handling a hard case, but it is certainly strong enough for my use. I don't think I would want to pull it over rough ground, partly because of the wheel size, but also because I feel the wheels could be damaged (although I have no evidence for this feeling). I have used it in moderate rain, and while it's not waterproof as far as I can see, it kept everything dry.I use it when I am delivering training courses, and it's great for that. It looks professional, so gives a better impression, I believe, than taking materials out of a back pack as I used to do at times. .It's fine to take from car to hotel to training venue, and it's even okay on a train. I haven't taken it on a 'plane. I wouldn't like to carry it, laden, for long distances where I couldn't roll it, but for the purpose I'm using it for, it's excellent.Very good roll along briefcase. had 3 of them over the past 5 years. After a 12-18 months of bumping over London pavements, eventually one of the wheels falls off and the only option is to buy a new case.The other pain in the neck is that the screws on the telescopic handle come loose and you cannot collapse it....this happened a few times when meeting anew customer which was very frustrating. I now keep a tube of nutlock and a small screwdriver in the case for periodic repairs while I am travelling along on the Underground! ....The fall-off wheels and loose screws have led me to looks for other options many times but have found the briefcase good value for money so keep buying another one.Pity the manufacturer cant sort these 2 simple problems....especially the loose screw problem....seems such a simple things to put right. i have noticed other reviews refer to the same problem.An excellent, well built case. I have slung it around quite a lot, dragging it on some pretty rough surfaces, and everything is holding together well so far. I can get 3 nights worth of shirts etc in it, plus all the work gear. It's heavy, and carrying it upstairs in the winter the salt will happily spread itself off the wheels all over your trousers, unless you remember to turn it around so the wheels are away from you. The compartments are pretty cavernous and the little pockets are useful. The little laptop bag is nice too when you can leave the rest of the bag in the hotel and travel light, although I wish it had 2 zips for the laptop pocket and the strap is not particularly comfortable. But overall, it's the best case I've ever had. I'm 6'2" and it doesn't catch my feet so long as I remember to hold the handle at one side, rather than in the middle. The case trails along behind just enough to one side to be free of my heels.I've had this for over a year now and used it as hand-luggage on several international trips, as well as on a number of domestic train trips or as part of my luggage for car trips. So far it is holding up very well - the wheels and retractable handle work well, although as it's wider than taller (unlike much wheeled hand luggage) it can be a bit awkward when wheeling it through crowded airport terminals. I generally fly easyJet with their Plus programme so have a slightly larger hand-luggage allowance than standard and this seems to be acceptable for that ... just, provided the front zipped compartment is left almost empty; I can get most of what I want to carry in the other compartments, plus I can carry a small second piece of hand luggage. I doubt though it would be accepted in certain other low-cost airlines. However, I'm perfectly happy with it so far and if it gives me a few more years of trouble-free service then it will have repaid the purchase price.