REI Co-op  Big Haul 90 Duffel

I really liked this duffel, I bought it for travel as the backpack straps make it convenient to carry on public transportation and easy to haul around an airport. I wish there were a shoulder strap as well, but I really liked the design and the removable handles. However, I suggest you not use this duffel as a checked the bag for air travel as the materials may not stand up to the harsh handling of TSA and airport workers (see pics). Oh well.

After weeks of debate I purchased this Big Haul 90 for my trip down to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico for a week. I was able to pack everything in it for my 9 days down there, and had room for several of my wife's items as well. It was easy to carry around, regardless of whether I used the grab handles on the bag itself, the carry handles or even the backpack straps! The best part was that since we were on a cruise for most of that time, in a small room with limited space, once I unpacked it folded up and hid away nicely in the closet (wish I could say the same for my wife's hard sided bag). This duffel will serve me well in the coming years!

These bags perfectly hold all of our camp gear and make air travel to camping locations easy. Two bags is enough to carry our Half Dome 2 tent, REI sleeping pads, sleeping bags and plenty of accessories. Since they’re within most airline regulations for checked bags there no worries about having to go to oversized baggage. The removable backpack straps make carrying them a breeze and the grab handles on all four sides are perfect for moving them about at the airport or in the car. With plenty of daisy chains on the outside these could even be used to get all your gear to a walk/hike-in campground. The interior access ID pocket is a nice touch too.

I like duffels for travel, you can fit your gear in places that ordinary luggage cant. Everyone wants to borrow my duffel all the time because of the versatility of the straps. And speaking about the straps, the only issue I have with this bag is one of the PLASTIC buckles broke. The bag is well past a year old so do not know if REI will take it back. So anyways I am using a carabiners to attach the shoulder strap for now. Excellent all around bag for traveling, maybe they can improve the buckles with a more durable material.

So over the years I've used many different types of checkable luggage (as in Airline checked baggage ). None really dazzled me over time or on long trips. They either deteriorated with use or had some annoying design flaw. Now my new REI 90 Duffel proved spot on in a 2 week travel to the northwest that ranged from Portland OR, Mt Hood, Mt Rainer, Seattle, and Mt Olympic Park. The backpack harness system IMO is perfect. I easily carry and store large amounts of gear and clothes. The multiple pockets and synch straps are perfect for managing the load. The material is durable and when I get home I can return the entire Duffel to is small stuff sack for storage. Really neat system. Love it.

This bag is awesome. It is huge. I was able to pack for eight days for relief efforts in Houston, TX. With clothes, rescue gear, and a bottle of bourbon. The backpack straps were surprisingly comfortable. The buckle system is very cool. The zippers are rugged. We will see how it stand up.

I can not say enough good things about this bag. It is a perfect cross between duffel bag and back pack. It is the perfect back for a weekend getaway. You could take this on a flight, car trip or camping. I wouldn't recommend it for backpacking but if you camp site is a mile or less away you could definitely hike with this bag. It is durable and even though I was worried when using it that the back pack straps may tear because of the weight, it had no problems. Very well constructed. I will purchase the smaller duffel bag to use as my kids camping bag and for me to use on short weekend getaways.

This bag is loaded with great features which led me to purchase it over others I was considering. The handles detach easily for quick storage, something the airline employee commented on as I checked my bag. Likewise, the pack straps store quickly in their padded compartment. The pack straps and padded top make the bag comfortable to carry as a backpack, and the eight handle/pack attachment points provide different carry options (e.g., over the shoulder, handle, backpack). The external compression straps allow you to strap the bag down tight, making the bag easy to load or check. The ripstop fabric on the bag's upper sections is lighter weight than other makes, which reduces the bag's weight but may be less durable over time. I did notice abrasions in a few places after checking it the first time. Overall, the Big Haul Duffel is a well constructed bag with great features.

Our family of three bought this for a 10-day trip to Europe. We packed light and put everything into vacuum bags. Doesn't leave much room for souvenirs, obviously, but a sub-30lb bag is not terrible to haul around by the backpack straps, but assumedly this is a far denser load than most people will put in this. It definitely doesn't feel good for long hauls as it's not a backpacking pack with a hip harness. Its profile being square and not round is great for vacuum bagged clothes. It's not the most comfortable load but it sure beats dragging rolling luggage through the cobblestones! Pretty great. Zippers and fabric seem sturdy. I am mildly concerned about the durability of the plastic buckles over time but that may well be fine. The stitching and fabric seems to be of high quality and it offered in subtle colors if you want it. It handled five planes and a train without any issue. It also costs 45% less than the Osprey and notably less than the Patagonia.

The first thing I noticed about this duffel was the heavy duty materials and put together very well. It had ample space for all my gear on a week long fishing trip, and the compression straps were a excellent addition. I had to fit a bunch of gear in my Jeep Wrangler, so minimizing unneeded bulk was helpful. I especially liked the organized pocket so I could find things quickly, like phone charger and other items. I also really like that it had backpack straps that stow away, but are easy to access and attach. My only issue is the bale handle strap attachment. It is unique and easy to use, and while I never had problems with them coming unattached, I'm afraid in the future the loops will become worn and easier for them to pop out, and I wouldn't feel comfortable checking the bag in the airport without the handles stowed away.