Duffels have some awesome advantages when compared to other suitcases, particularly for more adventure-type travel. First, if you are traveling in small aircraft or other space-confined vehicles like boats, duffels squish and squeeze into spaces that a hard-sided suitcase would not (including stupid airline bag-sizers). Second, when “wheeling” is not a viable option, duffels are easy to pick up and move. I.e. you can’t wheel something off a boat landing, or through inches of sand.
Please note–I’m talking about carry-on size duffels. I don’t ‘do’ checked bags, except on rare occasions (like our own destination wedding…that was unavoidable).
Enter the Black-Hole Patagonia Duffel (60L size). And no, this is not a paid commercial. This bag and I? We’re inseparable.
So what’s the big deal about this duffel, you ask? Three key things.
- Backpack straps. Yup, it has straps so you can put it on like a backpack. I’m not talking weenie-skinny-unpadded straps. It has super backpack straps that are about as comfortable as a backpack. They are easy to detach if you ever need to, and also can be configured as one cross-body strap (at least, I have done that with success and I can’t configure anything.) These straps are awesome. It also has a normal duffel handle, plus a grab strap on the end, for quick and easy pick-up.
- Water resistance. Yea, some of the reviews say that the bag is more water resistant than others, but I’ve had great success with the coated fabric. I usually put something on the top layer near the zipper that I don’t care about getting wet, like things already in water-tight bags or my raincoat. That simple. It’s pretty resistant; I’ve never had an issue with wet clothing and mine has had a good amount of unplanned interaction with H2O.
- Durability. I’ve had my Black Hole for at least 4 years now, and the only difference between how it looks now and how it looked new is that the “Patagonia” printed on the side is starting to wear off. The horror. It’s been to four continents. It’s met sand, rain, spilled Starbucks, ocean water, and grime. The outside wipes off easily and the heavy duty zipper still looks, and zips, like new.
DH also has one, and though he was skeptical at first, he even likes his so much he often takes it for work travel and conferences as well as vacations.
While these duffels are slightly–and I mean slightly–over the new carry-on dimensions that most travelers are sooooo excited about (sarcasm, people), I’ve never had an issue. Unless it is stuffed so full that it’s just waiting to explode when you unzip it, because it’s squishy, it can contort to the new size regulations with ease.
Depending on how much stuff I have, and what it is, it usually weighs between 8kg-13kg. (Sorry, I’ve never weighed it in the United States, so I have no idea what that is in pounds, but that’s what google is for, right?) What I’m trying to say is that even when I’ve run into weight restrictions, I’ve never had an issue no matter what’s inside. Not to say that it’s not possible if you like to pack rocks or something, but it’s not that likely.
Lastly, it fits a ton of stuff. Granted, I’ve gotten to be a pretty good packer, but I’ve traveled easily for 2 weeks in this bag on vacation. And I like to wear different clothes nearly every day. And they better be matching.
So enough flattery on the Black-Hole. If you don’t want to carry a backpack, but are looking for something extremely functional, durable, and appropriate for adventure travel, check it out. Not to mention, Patagonia stands behind their products in a major way.
