

And the Black Hole is tough: The fabric is burly 900-denier ripstop nylon with a DWR finish to fend off moisture. This bag is beautifully constructed from end to end, and you get multiple color options from simple black to bright red. In 2023, all Black Holes are made with 100%-recycled materials, along with the premium build quality and trendy colorways that Patagonia is known for. Patagonia’s Black Hole line helped made duffels cool, and we think the 55-liter version is the best all-around bag on the market. What we like: Durable, comfortable as a backpack, and looks great. Best Waterproof Duffel Bag: YETI Panga 75īest Overall Duffel Bag 1.Best Ultralight/Packable Duffel Bag: REI Co-op Stuff Travel Duffel 30L.Best High-Capacity Wheeled Duffel: Osprey Shuttle 100L.Best Weekender Duffel Bag: Thule Aion Duffel Bag.

Best Carry-On Duffel Bag: The North Face Base Camp Voyager Roller 21”.Best Budget Duffel Bag: REI Co-op Roadtripper 100L.Best Overall Duffel Bag: Patagonia Black Hole 55.For more background information, see our duffel bag comparison table and buying advice below the picks. Below we break down the best duffels of 2023, including top travel, outdoor, and waterproof bags of both the standard and rolling varieties. Duffels are popular among all kinds of travelers for good reason: they’re easy to load and carry, and many are built to take a beating. I just say No to anyone who approaches me on the street and watch our things anytime there are a lot of people around.Whether you’re traveling by air, driving up to a cabin for the weekend, or venturing across the world on an expedition, you’ll likely be using a duffel bag to get your gear from one place to the next. I may do a post at some point, but I’m not that knowledgeable about different scams. And I have scans of our passports in my gmail account and on my iPhone camera roll that I could pull up anywhere if I needed them. I leave everything else in the hotel safe. I never travel with my wedding ring, and I only have the bare minimum in my wallet – a credit card, ID and some cash. It’s light and holds a camera and a couple of light kid jackets.Īs to travel safety, if you’re aware of potential pickpockets you’re already semi-prepared. For now I’m using an Osprey Daylite for walking around cities or amusement parks or taking short hikes. For backpacks, I like the Minaal Carry-on for an overall travel/laptop/airplane backpack and have just ordered their Daily bag to try it out.

We don’t travel with nice shoes that we’re trying to protect though – it’s more about keeping shoe dirt off of our clothes. For packing shoes, I usually throw them in the plastic laundry bags that I’ve taken from hotel rooms and put them at the bottom the suitcase. The downside is that the bags can’t stand upright, but that also makes them a little lighter. Other rolling bags tend to last 2-3 years before needing to be replaced but this is going strong, and we similarly haven’t had any problems with our larger (extra-large) red bag purchased three years ago. I’ve never had an issue with the wheels or with the bag ripping. I’ve traveled around the world for more than a decade with my large yellow bag pictured below, from the Indian desert to three African safaris to photo trips through Vietnam, Ethiopia, Burma, Japan and China. We’ve tried a lot of different brands of rolling luggage, including REI and Eagle Creek, but the longest-lasting bags have been those from LL Bean. We fly over 150,000 miles a year, virtually always checking luggage. None of the links are affiliate links and I’m not getting paid by any of these companies to promote their products. So here you go! A note: I have no financial incentive to recommend any of these products. I’ve never done a product post before, but I get a lot of questions about my favorite luggage and other things that make travel easier.
