5 picks
Duffels
Soft bags with a mouth that opens wide, built to be thrown in a truck bed and still shut.
A duffel is the simplest bag there is: one compartment, one zip, a strap. That simplicity is the point, because there is almost nothing on it to break. What separates a good one from a cheap one is the shell and the seams, and the best are welded rather than stitched, so water has nowhere to get in. Most of the makers here back theirs for the life of the bag, which is the other half of the reason they outlast the trip they were bought for.
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| Rank | Pick | Brand | Why it lasts | Price, rating | Backcountry | Amazon | Brand store | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thule Chasm Duffel 70L | Thule | Thule Limited Lifetime warranty on luggage and duffels · Welded tarpaulin shell, no stitched seams | Buy | Buy | |||
| 2 | Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 40L | Patagonia | 40L capacity, packs into internal pocket · Weather-resistant recycled TPU-film laminate | $149 | Buy | Patagonia | ||
| 3 | Osprey Transporter 40 | Osprey | All Mighty Guarantee, repaired free at any age · Stowable harness, carries as a pack | Buy | Buy | Buy | ||
| 4 | YETI Panga 50 Submersible Duffel | YETI | Welded seams, nothing stitched to leak · HydroLok airtight zip | Buy | Buy | |||
| 5 | The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel 62L | The North Face | Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects · Laminated fabric, wide D-opening lid | Buy | Buy |
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Product photograph, ThuleThule Chasm Duffel 70L
ThuleA welded tarpaulin shell with no stitched seams to wet out, a lid that unzips all the way round so the bag opens flat, and stowable backpack straps for the walk from the car. Thule puts luggage and duffels in its Limited Lifetime tier, which is the longest term the company gives anything.
- Thule Limited Lifetime warranty on luggage and duffels
- Welded tarpaulin shell, no stitched seams
- Lid unzips fully, so it packs flat
- Stowable backpack straps
- Lockable zip sliders
-
Product photograph, PatagoniaPatagonia Black Hole Duffel 40L
Patagonia$149 58 ratingsThe Black Hole's weather-resistant, recycled TPU-laminate fabric shrugs off rain and abrasion better than most soft luggage, and it folds into its own pocket when empty. Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee covers free repairs for life, and owners regularly report a decade or more of hard travel and gear hauling before the bag shows real wear.
- 40L capacity, packs into internal pocket
- Weather-resistant recycled TPU-film laminate
- Removable backpack straps
- Patagonia Ironclad Guarantee (lifetime repair)
-
Product photograph, OspreyOsprey Transporter 40
OspreyForty litres of coated nylon with a padded harness that zips away, so it checks as a duffel and carries as a pack. Osprey's All Mighty Guarantee covers it the way it covers everything they make: repaired free, whatever year it was bought and whatever went wrong.
- All Mighty Guarantee, repaired free at any age
- Stowable harness, carries as a pack
- Carry-on sized at 40 litres
- Coated nylon with a weatherproof zip flap
- Lashing points and compression straps
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YETI Panga 50 Submersible Duffel
YETIWelded rather than stitched, with a HydroLok zip borrowed from drysuits, so it does not leak at the seams because it does not have any. The honest caveat is the zip: it needs lubricating occasionally and it is the one part that will eventually want attention, which is still better than a bag that wets out through its stitching.
- Welded seams, nothing stitched to leak
- HydroLok airtight zip
- ThickSkin laminate shell
- Carries as a duffel or a pack
- Three year warranty
-
The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel 62L
The North FaceThe expedition duffel that most of the others are copying, in laminated fabric with a wide D-opening lid and padded straps that stow flat. The North Face covers it under a Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, for what it calls the reasonably expected lifetime of the product.
- Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects
- Laminated fabric, wide D-opening lid
- Stowable padded shoulder straps
- Internal divider and two end pockets
- Haul handles on four sides
- Product photograph, Thule
Thule Chasm Duffel 70L
ThuleBuy at Backcountry View on AmazonA welded tarpaulin shell with no stitched seams to wet out, a lid that unzips all the way round so the bag opens flat, and stowable backpack straps for the walk from the car. Thule puts luggage and duffels in its Limited Lifetime tier, which is the longest term the company gives anything.
- Thule Limited Lifetime warranty on luggage and duffels
- Welded tarpaulin shell, no stitched seams
- Lid unzips fully, so it packs flat
- Stowable backpack straps
- Lockable zip sliders
- Product photograph, Patagonia
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 40L
Patagonia$149 58 ratingsBuy at Backcountry View on PatagoniaThe Black Hole's weather-resistant, recycled TPU-laminate fabric shrugs off rain and abrasion better than most soft luggage, and it folds into its own pocket when empty. Patagonia's Ironclad Guarantee covers free repairs for life, and owners regularly report a decade or more of hard travel and gear hauling before the bag shows real wear.
- 40L capacity, packs into internal pocket
- Weather-resistant recycled TPU-film laminate
- Removable backpack straps
- Patagonia Ironclad Guarantee (lifetime repair)
- Product photograph, Osprey
Osprey Transporter 40
OspreyBuy at Backcountry View on Amazon Buy from OspreyForty litres of coated nylon with a padded harness that zips away, so it checks as a duffel and carries as a pack. Osprey's All Mighty Guarantee covers it the way it covers everything they make: repaired free, whatever year it was bought and whatever went wrong.
- All Mighty Guarantee, repaired free at any age
- Stowable harness, carries as a pack
- Carry-on sized at 40 litres
- Coated nylon with a weatherproof zip flap
- Lashing points and compression straps
-
YETI Panga 50 Submersible Duffel
YETIBuy at Backcountry View on AmazonWelded rather than stitched, with a HydroLok zip borrowed from drysuits, so it does not leak at the seams because it does not have any. The honest caveat is the zip: it needs lubricating occasionally and it is the one part that will eventually want attention, which is still better than a bag that wets out through its stitching.
- Welded seams, nothing stitched to leak
- HydroLok airtight zip
- ThickSkin laminate shell
- Carries as a duffel or a pack
- Three year warranty
-
The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel 62L
The North FaceBuy at Backcountry View on AmazonThe expedition duffel that most of the others are copying, in laminated fabric with a wide D-opening lid and padded straps that stow flat. The North Face covers it under a Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, for what it calls the reasonably expected lifetime of the product.
- Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects
- Laminated fabric, wide D-opening lid
- Stowable padded shoulder straps
- Internal divider and two end pockets
- Haul handles on four sides
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