The bags I buy will initially be used in Italy for a 2-3 month summer tour, but after that, i'm coming home to Seattle, so...yeah, i'd say water resistance will be a big factor. I'm sort of an asthetics snob, and most of the bags I see out there are flat out ugly. I don't want my pretty bike to be wearing bags like those. Some of the Ortleib ones are ok because they are plain and not too loud. The single compartment bugs me though. And if you're going to subdivide your stuff into smaller bags within, why not just get a bag that does that for you, without the risk of stinking everything up? The only bag iv'e seen that comes close to the Brooks are Berthouds. They don't seem to have the same level of weather resistance and security though.