Patagonia  Black Hole Duffel - 60L

I just bought the 60l Black Hole and love it. The build is amazing and the features are perfect as well. The material is super durable, but flexible as well. I have the Marmot Long Hauler in the 50l and in comparison, the Black Hole is a better bag. Even though it is 10l larger, it feels like a smaller bag. And the material of the Marmot, while nice, is a bit too thick for my tastes. The thickness lends itself to developing permanent creases and dead spots, which I know will lead to future tears or holes. It does have a lifetime warranty, but I'd rather have the build of the Patagonia. As far as the backpack straps go, they are SUPER easy to remove. I've read a few reviews with people having troubles with them and by looking at a set of pictures in one review, I can tell why. You do NOT shove the D-ring through the buckle, but slide the buckle THROUGH the D-ring. Takes about a second to do each side. I highly recommend this product. Expensive, yes. But I have no doubts it will last for a long time.

Bought this to supplement my North Face duffels. Not really enthusiastic about it - it seems like the details weren't thoroughly thought out or real-world tested. Pros * good looking bag - attractive fabric and trim * seems to be well made - good stitching and joints Cons *unlike every other duffel I own, the zipper feet don't overlap to allow them to be locked together. Which allows the zipper to gap and provides a less secure attachment through the dipper pull-tabs (since the tabs can be ripped off easily) *No external compression straps *Internal straps don't really compress the load, and the location allows the load to shift to the ends. The straps also seem to always migrate to the bottom when you release them, leaving you fishing for them. *The handle wrap is really tight and finicky to wrap and attach (yeah, I know that's whiny, but it was a real pain to fasten in the cold) *The shoulder strap attachments are a cool interlocking d-ring set up at the top. Unfortunately, the attachment digs into my shoulder muscles under any kind of real load. And, again, it's kind of finicky to attach. *The top opening is kind of D-shaped. Provides good access, but it a pain to try and zip closed around the sharp corners when it's loaded. *My favourite "not thought through" detail and then I'll stop whining! There's a cool little "zipper garage" for the side pocket....unfortunatley , it's too small to completely cover the zipper foot....but it's big enough to snag on things when you drag the bag in and out of wherever you've crammed it. Summary Well built, attractive bag that just doesn't work for me. It's kind of become an expensive gym bag while I shop for another option in this size.