Post by leadbelly on Jan 9, 2024 13:23:00 GMT -8
As our adult children began 'borrowing' my favorite duffel bags the past few years, I have slowly been upgrading. Some impressions, for whatever it's worth. I'm biased toward duffels with usable dual shoulder straps so I can carry them like a backpack, and I don't do wheels on duffels - I have a roller carry-on suitcase for normal work travel.
LL Bean Adventure Duffels: we have a bunch of these circulating among our family in various sizes. The oldest one is over 40 years old; it has been dragged quite a bit and has a quarter-sized hole at one end as a result, and it was my primary gear-hauler for checked baggage or tossing in the back of a vehicle until my kids appropriated it a few years ago. Otherwise, zippers, fabric, and hardware all intact. one small flat exterior pocket to stow the shoulder strap, no internal organization. They're relatively inexpensive, relatively lightweight, and offer good durability. Fabrics are on the lighter-grade end of the range at 420-denier nylon for solid colors, 600-denier for bags with a pattern; bottoms are reinforced somewhat. One straight zipper opening (less convenient to access contents), simple handles plus a removable shoulder strap. The shoulder strap is functional but not comfortable for a heavier bag. the smaller carry-on sizes are pretty good because they don't take as much of a beating, but they lack backpack straps. takeaway - a decent low-cost option with minor durability and more significant convenience constraints.
LL Bean's Adventure rolling duffels: these were a fail for us. The frames on both were broken in transit on flights, and the sharp edges on the hard plastic frame tore some of the fabric. They're also quite heavy. also, they don't stand up on their own, annoying for a roller
the North Face small base camp duffel (50 liter): this has been my primary carry-on when I don't use a roller suitcase for at least ten years. Fabric, zippers hardware is all highly durable. the top is a D-shaped zipper, so fully unzipping gives good access to the contents. It has handles at each end, a normal paired handle in the middle, and backpack straps that are removable. a couple of daisy chains on the outside to lash it down. one internal zippered mesh pocket under the lid. these are fairly pricy, particularly if you get into larger sizes. Still, it was a great purchase, it might outlast me. as noted below, I considered a larger sized one in some depth.
Eddie Bauer First Ascent 70 liter duffel - now called the 'Maximus 2.0.': Purchased about nine years ago; daughter snagged it for a semester abroad in Europe. D shaped opening, a pair of mesh zippered pockets on each end, handles on each end, a basic two-sided middle handle with a hard plastic grip (look at the bag, it's apparent what that means); has a feature where it stores into its own carry feature at one end. at the other end, unzip a compartment, and you have an integrated shoulder strap that clips to the pack bottom. easy to deploy, then stow. This has been my primary carrier for trips up to a week. My primary concern is the fabric if you're rough on bags - it's 600-denier polyester, and though it claims to be the same weight as the LL Bean duffels, it feels thinner and potentially less durable. The thinner fabric also means it sags a little when using the shoulder straps, but the straps are quite comfortable. It's in fine shape, but I haven't dragged it or taken it on treks that would do that. also, the full retail price is high - look for the periodic Eddie Bauer 40% off sales if it interests you. that the shoulder straps stow but aren't totally removable might annoy some people. I thought about getting the newer version, but the lighter fabric and price combo deterred me.
Eddie Bauer roller duffel: daughter likes hers, but it's heavy. it's easy to expand and get more volume and has a sizeable dirty laundry compartment. zips open to see the contents. has a comfortable top handle, but the bag is heavy enough that it's not usable. stands up on its own. a big squat, and I've only seen medium-sized versions. some nice zippered pockets and compression straps; it's really a hybrid duffel/suitcase in my view. quality is good, though, did fine on some international trips as checked luggage.
Gregory Alpaca 120 - the duffel that replaced the large LL Bean bag a few years ago. Highly recommended if you can find them on sale, which you can periodically. Materials are on par with the North Face bag, thick and durable. Shoulder straps are comfortable, handles in the middle and on each end, daisy chains along each side. D shaped zippered opening, a pair of zippered mesh pockets under the lid. one outside zippered pocket at one end, large enough for a pair of hiking shoes. shoulder straps are comfortable, though hauling a duffel this large is never great. shoulder straps are removable, but not as easily as on the Eddie Bauer duffel - the straps loop through a loop on the duffel at the bottom, and putting them back on can be somewhat confusing until you get used to it. Would gotten a smaller one, but the sizes didn't work. these are different than the Gregory supply duffels, which are less expensive, lighter-grade, shoulder straps aren't removable. I like the Eddie Bauer duffels better than the Gregory supply duffels, and sale prices are comparable, but they're both good, usable bags for hauling your stuff.
REI Big Haul: the 40 liter size is our son's non-work weekender and travel bag. Loves it. also sold in 60, 90, 120 liter sizes. Good reinforced bottom; the body fabric is pretty lightweight. I find the straps and zipper configuration a little confusing, but it carries nicely on shoulder straps that are easy to stash away - though I'm not sure they're fully removable. also has traditional 2 piece handle, handles on each end, daisy chains. and more diverse zippered pocket options than many bags. Probably not the most durable bag, but pretty good, and REI has sales and the ability to use dividends; full retail, they're not cheap.
Inbound: Thule Chasm 70, which appears to have been discontinued hence there are good sale prices now. This is replacing the Eddie Bauer 70 liter duffel. I primarily debated this one and a North Face 70 liter base camp. Chose this based on reviews that the shoulder straps are particularly good, and that it's all-around a great bag - heavy grade fabrics, larger than normal zippered top, a trio of inside pockets.
Duffels I excluded in my current search and reasons:
Osprey Transporter isn't sold in 70, either 65 or 95. It lacks traditional carry handles. It's quite expensive. Really nice-looking bag though.
Sea to Summit duffel - sold in 65 or 90 liters. a great-looking duffel, relatively innovative carry options; discontinued, and prices remain high.
Gregory Alpaca - only sold in 60 or 80 liter sizes. if 60 were OK with me, there were some good discounts available.
Patagonia black hole 70 - I see people travel with Patagonia duffels a lot, and they're super-nice. They're also expensive and seemingly never discounted.
Cotopaxi allpa 70 - I thought about it. Daughters love Cotopaxi's color schemes, which are varied and at times quite bright. Lots of compartments and pockets, which I don't really want/need, but it's the duffel to get if you like that. Reinforced bottom, feels decently sturdy. Big zippered opening, daisy chains, typical handles. I prefer removable shoulder straps to those that stash away into a compartment, and the padding seemed kind of thin on the shoulder straps.
LL Bean Adventure Duffels: we have a bunch of these circulating among our family in various sizes. The oldest one is over 40 years old; it has been dragged quite a bit and has a quarter-sized hole at one end as a result, and it was my primary gear-hauler for checked baggage or tossing in the back of a vehicle until my kids appropriated it a few years ago. Otherwise, zippers, fabric, and hardware all intact. one small flat exterior pocket to stow the shoulder strap, no internal organization. They're relatively inexpensive, relatively lightweight, and offer good durability. Fabrics are on the lighter-grade end of the range at 420-denier nylon for solid colors, 600-denier for bags with a pattern; bottoms are reinforced somewhat. One straight zipper opening (less convenient to access contents), simple handles plus a removable shoulder strap. The shoulder strap is functional but not comfortable for a heavier bag. the smaller carry-on sizes are pretty good because they don't take as much of a beating, but they lack backpack straps. takeaway - a decent low-cost option with minor durability and more significant convenience constraints.
LL Bean's Adventure rolling duffels: these were a fail for us. The frames on both were broken in transit on flights, and the sharp edges on the hard plastic frame tore some of the fabric. They're also quite heavy. also, they don't stand up on their own, annoying for a roller
the North Face small base camp duffel (50 liter): this has been my primary carry-on when I don't use a roller suitcase for at least ten years. Fabric, zippers hardware is all highly durable. the top is a D-shaped zipper, so fully unzipping gives good access to the contents. It has handles at each end, a normal paired handle in the middle, and backpack straps that are removable. a couple of daisy chains on the outside to lash it down. one internal zippered mesh pocket under the lid. these are fairly pricy, particularly if you get into larger sizes. Still, it was a great purchase, it might outlast me. as noted below, I considered a larger sized one in some depth.
Eddie Bauer First Ascent 70 liter duffel - now called the 'Maximus 2.0.': Purchased about nine years ago; daughter snagged it for a semester abroad in Europe. D shaped opening, a pair of mesh zippered pockets on each end, handles on each end, a basic two-sided middle handle with a hard plastic grip (look at the bag, it's apparent what that means); has a feature where it stores into its own carry feature at one end. at the other end, unzip a compartment, and you have an integrated shoulder strap that clips to the pack bottom. easy to deploy, then stow. This has been my primary carrier for trips up to a week. My primary concern is the fabric if you're rough on bags - it's 600-denier polyester, and though it claims to be the same weight as the LL Bean duffels, it feels thinner and potentially less durable. The thinner fabric also means it sags a little when using the shoulder straps, but the straps are quite comfortable. It's in fine shape, but I haven't dragged it or taken it on treks that would do that. also, the full retail price is high - look for the periodic Eddie Bauer 40% off sales if it interests you. that the shoulder straps stow but aren't totally removable might annoy some people. I thought about getting the newer version, but the lighter fabric and price combo deterred me.
Eddie Bauer roller duffel: daughter likes hers, but it's heavy. it's easy to expand and get more volume and has a sizeable dirty laundry compartment. zips open to see the contents. has a comfortable top handle, but the bag is heavy enough that it's not usable. stands up on its own. a big squat, and I've only seen medium-sized versions. some nice zippered pockets and compression straps; it's really a hybrid duffel/suitcase in my view. quality is good, though, did fine on some international trips as checked luggage.
Gregory Alpaca 120 - the duffel that replaced the large LL Bean bag a few years ago. Highly recommended if you can find them on sale, which you can periodically. Materials are on par with the North Face bag, thick and durable. Shoulder straps are comfortable, handles in the middle and on each end, daisy chains along each side. D shaped zippered opening, a pair of zippered mesh pockets under the lid. one outside zippered pocket at one end, large enough for a pair of hiking shoes. shoulder straps are comfortable, though hauling a duffel this large is never great. shoulder straps are removable, but not as easily as on the Eddie Bauer duffel - the straps loop through a loop on the duffel at the bottom, and putting them back on can be somewhat confusing until you get used to it. Would gotten a smaller one, but the sizes didn't work. these are different than the Gregory supply duffels, which are less expensive, lighter-grade, shoulder straps aren't removable. I like the Eddie Bauer duffels better than the Gregory supply duffels, and sale prices are comparable, but they're both good, usable bags for hauling your stuff.
REI Big Haul: the 40 liter size is our son's non-work weekender and travel bag. Loves it. also sold in 60, 90, 120 liter sizes. Good reinforced bottom; the body fabric is pretty lightweight. I find the straps and zipper configuration a little confusing, but it carries nicely on shoulder straps that are easy to stash away - though I'm not sure they're fully removable. also has traditional 2 piece handle, handles on each end, daisy chains. and more diverse zippered pocket options than many bags. Probably not the most durable bag, but pretty good, and REI has sales and the ability to use dividends; full retail, they're not cheap.
Inbound: Thule Chasm 70, which appears to have been discontinued hence there are good sale prices now. This is replacing the Eddie Bauer 70 liter duffel. I primarily debated this one and a North Face 70 liter base camp. Chose this based on reviews that the shoulder straps are particularly good, and that it's all-around a great bag - heavy grade fabrics, larger than normal zippered top, a trio of inside pockets.
Duffels I excluded in my current search and reasons:
Osprey Transporter isn't sold in 70, either 65 or 95. It lacks traditional carry handles. It's quite expensive. Really nice-looking bag though.
Sea to Summit duffel - sold in 65 or 90 liters. a great-looking duffel, relatively innovative carry options; discontinued, and prices remain high.
Gregory Alpaca - only sold in 60 or 80 liter sizes. if 60 were OK with me, there were some good discounts available.
Patagonia black hole 70 - I see people travel with Patagonia duffels a lot, and they're super-nice. They're also expensive and seemingly never discounted.
Cotopaxi allpa 70 - I thought about it. Daughters love Cotopaxi's color schemes, which are varied and at times quite bright. Lots of compartments and pockets, which I don't really want/need, but it's the duffel to get if you like that. Reinforced bottom, feels decently sturdy. Big zippered opening, daisy chains, typical handles. I prefer removable shoulder straps to those that stash away into a compartment, and the padding seemed kind of thin on the shoulder straps.
