The North Face Base Camp Duffel

I bought a large duffle middle of last year to replace an old Da Kine Transporter duffle I got as a demo model some 7 years ago. I work in Afghanistan and Iraq for USAID and travel to a lot of different provinces via military vehicle convoy, helicopter, fixed wing flights, and SUVs and stay on bases in anything from a 130 man tent to single room. I wanted something that could replace the Da Kine Transporter which was just a massive vessel in which to through anything and everything I might need to cover every eventuality and could be thrown in the back of an SUV or Humvee and not get destroyed and at the same time make it through the Heathrow baggage handlers and aircraft hold without being ripped open with my stuff being spewed everywhere.

When the Large TNF Duffle arrived I thought it was tiny and almost sent it back for the XL. I guess my Da Kine Transporter was 140 odd litres or so. But I ended up keeping the Large TNF Duffle and love it and would totally recommend the Large. I tend to stuff a bag with what ever I have until it is full instead of choosing what to take carefully whether it fills the bag or not. I realise now that I would often overfill the old 140L bag with crap I didn't need resulting in a bag that was awkward to carry and often incur excess baggage charges on commercial air flights. The Large TNF Duffle will hold enough stuff for a good week or two in the field (with size 13 feet a pair of boots can often take up an entire smaller bag). The compression straps on the side are great if the load is smaller (in fact I did all my shopping on my last trip home using this bag, started with it compressed and toured the shops filling it and expanding it as I went). Material is bomber, very tough and durable, mines been dragged through mud, thrown into and out of planes, trains, and automobiles and retains it's integrity.

I suspect the XL would be good for long haul trips to get a good amount of gear from A to B, but to go from A to B to Z to X to the middle of F nowhere the Large would seem to rule supreme. The internal mesh pocket under the lid is great for all the small bits and bobs that you might want quick access to. The dual zipper pieces are ideal for padlocking so I padlock the bag shut when in the 130man tents and what not. Large main bag interior is accessed by the big top opening which allows good access to the full interior compartment. Rucksack straps are comfy and allow for prolonged carrying of the pack, and the end handles have so far held up to being yanked at to withdraw the bag from a mass pile. Even the name / contact details window is great, I just put a few business cards in there and can easily identify it and have business cards to hand when needed.

All round great bag, Medium I guess is small and ideal for Airplane carry on Luggage, Large is a great all round travel size for multi point short to medium trips, and the XL would be great for transporting gear from point A to B and longer trips.

Hands down, best duffel bag and most versatile gear bag in the market. It's made of virtually indestructible PVC material that is easy to clean and protects your contents well. Zipper is heavy-duty industrial grade stuff that doesn't snag or is easily busted by sticky-finger TSA gorillas. I've got the XL and L which I find useful for moving/relocating purposes as well as for domestic trips and international expeditions. If you're considering a trip where you don't have a lot of gear and you want to pack light and have everything with you as you board the plane, then consider the Medium size, which is like a large backpack. Even carrying the XL and L as backpacks (as opposed to using the shoulder strap) is rather comfortable. I love how it compresses and just swallows everything I choose to stick into it. Great value for your money and probably roomier than most suitcases.

Now for business purposes, this might be a good option if you're on the road a lot or flying (and your luggage won't be seen by clients or colleagues). One of my colleagues takes the medium-sized yellow north face duffel with him - never is filled up, but he loves it because it's easy to spot, fits in the overhead bin easily (even on those tiny puddle-jumper planes), and it's much lighter than lifting a carry-on suitcase over your head. Don't think, just buy one in every size.

I bought my Base Camp Duffle in 2003 and headed off to Asia. The back has backpack straps so it's easy to carry around. after a couple of years in Asia on boat trips and drilling rigs, the bag headed off to Australia and hauled dive gear arounf for another year. The bag came back state side and hauled my stuff around Mexico. It's been on more baggage-go-rounds in more airports than any other bag I've met, and it's still going strong. I've got the bag down here in patagonia keep my stuff safe and dry. A couple of tips. The bag has one pocket inside the flap. Don't put anything heavy in here, or it flops around annoyingly. Also, becasue there are not pockets, and I don;t miss any pockets, I;ve learning to pack in little bags. Toileties in one bag, little gear in another, electronics cords and such in a crown royal bag. Poof- Organization without pockets. Another key to this bag, is that it is just a glorifed duffle bag, theives generally looking for backpacks full of first world goodies, they duffle bag tends not to attract attention. I've been living out of the M for years not, it's all you need. I met someone with a XL, and it was way too big, in my humble opinion.

Fantastic bags... straps in the right places as you can use a single shoulder strap to carry the bag over one shoulder or don the whole thing like a backpack. Construction seems to be very sturdy and the bright yellow color makes the bag easy to find on the luggage carousel. I'm in the Middle East right now and it was super easy to spot my bright yellow bag in a sea of green duffels! I filled up the Large with clothes and it weighed in under 50 lbs... something you would have trouble doing in a roller-bag or regular suitcase. I also got the XL, but it was so HUGE that I decided to bring a second, smaller bag instead of filling up the XL. If you get the XL, expect to pay the airline's extra fees... and if your plan is to get the XL and not stuff it full, you might as well just get the Large... trust me, it's plenty big for a 2-3 week trip (or 6 months in my case)! I'm keeping the XL for road trips though... great for tons of gear!

I wish more people would write down what size they have in their reviews.

On a recent 10 day trip to CO I packed a 42 liter pack inside my Large base camp duffel, and all my backpacking essentials– sleeping bag, filter, hiking shoes, nalgene, stove, camelbak, etc; 5 days of clothes including two warm layers, climbing shoes, harness, some draws and belay devices; and even threw in a couple of books in the internal mesh pocket.

Everything fit fine, airport weighed it in at 40.5 lbs. The straps work wonderful going down flights of stairs to the car. And going from curbside to check-in. Handy little tip: when you are about to check it in cinch the backpack straps all the way down and use the velcro tabs (under the TNF logos) on the straps to hold the excess strap material. You don't need to remove them!

Look forward to using this bag for a very long time.

I own this duffel in a medium, and it holds a lot. The bag is very durable, having held up quite well throughout several years of constant use (Not only do I take it traveling, I usually use it to store stuff even when it is not in use) As a previous reviewer noted it is nearly waterproof, the material of the bag itself withstands water very well but the seams are not sealed, so water will eventually get in through the seams. That said, it is more than water resistant enough for any normal use. The zipper is also very well built and easily zips and unzips (even when the bag is overstuffed) The backpack straps do serve well for moderate distances. To top it off most of the colors are very easily distinguishable at the baggage claim.

I have two of these: the large, which I use for carrying things on trips, and the extra large, which I really just use to store stuff at home. Eventually, maybe I'll go on some epic trip that requires the XL. Or I'll use it as a tent.

I like the bag because it's frameless (many large bags have frames), has handy shoulder straps, and uses that weird rubberized fabric so I don't worry if something spills on it. The "lid" is good and bad - it lets you quickly get into all parts of the back better than a straight zipper, and it has a handy pouch for small items, but it can be hard to zip up if the bag's super full. Finally, the bag has some external loops and is very easy to tie down.