Patagonia  Black Hole Duffel - 90L

This is a great bag of the highest durability. And it always gets compliments. But if traveling with this, it's a little difficult to secure, and can only be done so with *two* locks. The side pocket is accessible from both the outside and the inside of the main compartment, meaning that if you unzip it from the outside with the single zipper, you could unzip the interior zipper and then access the main compartment without opening the main zipper. So the only way to actually lock this closed (for air travel or before handing off to a porter) would be to get a *second* travel lock for the side zipper that is long enough to reach the daisy chain (a cable lock works). Not a worry for those who aren't planning to check this bag or who don't care to lock it. But being able to access the side pocket from both inside and outside is definitely a concern.

I bought this bag for an upcoming trip to Washington where I was going to be staying in hostels and also camping. I wanted a bag that would be able to fit all my camping stuff as well as all my clothes and other gear. I knew that I really wanted a duffel but the backpack straps are what really sold me on this duffel. I hate lugging around heavy duffels on one shoulder. The bag had plenty of room for everything and is very good quality. The bag is water resistant which is another plus. I checked this bag twice and it seems like it held really well. I definitely would recommend this bag to anyone and I plan on buying one of the smaller ones in the future!

Bought this bag (two of them) to take for 10 days to the jungles of Panama. Hammocks, camping gear, clothes for a conference, water bottles, solar charger, clothes for playing...you name it, it fit. The detachable backpack straps made it bearable through the airport then popped off in a jif to pack away when we checked them. Straps back on to haul them out to our spot in the jungle. They lived under tarps, under hammocks for a week and the bags were still in great shape, as were the contents. The waterproof outside kept the contents dry when it rained and kept the spiders out of my skivvies, which was awesome. Hubby loved his, I love mine and we'll probably be back for the 60L version at some point, too. Well done, Patagonia!

I originally purchased the 60L duffle, and quickly realized that the larger one was what I needed. I spent a long weekend in Homer and Halibut Cove AK kayaking, hiking, exploring using the 90L duffle (after returning the 60L)- and it was perfect. It held all my gear, as I packed heavily for this venture due to typical weather changes in AK. I had extra room for luxury items such as a Bluetooth player, a bottle of wine, etc. I normally travel light, and the reviews for the 60L state the cons are that it often fits in the overhead compartments when flying....so I plan to repurchase a 60L for adventures when flying. The bag is sturdy, looks great and the backpack style straps for carrying were great when walking up and down the boat ramps to the water taxi.

I bought Patagonia's "Black Hole Duffel 90L" to use as my daily ski bag. When you ski east coast and drive 1 hour and temps from 40˚ to -15˚ and much more wind, your kit has to hold everything. Goretex hard shell, a puffy windstopper jacket, 2-3 levels of insulation, light, medium and heavy base layers, 2 pairs of socks 2 pairs of gloves, mittens, 2 sets of goggles and lenses, wax, hand and toe warmers, windbreaker, 2 helmets because color matters,water, energy bars and lunch. I used to throw it all in the back of my forester, now I carry it all in the black hole. If the Black Hole was heated I wouldn't need my boot bag. It is so well made I bet I will still be using it in 20 years. I love this bag.

I bought this duffle for myself and the grey one for my boyfriend during the Memorial Day Sale and we could not be happier with them! I use mine more for short weekend trips, but my boyfriend has been using it to go back and forth to Oregon and the bags have proven incredibly durable (e.g. airports, getting wet in the rain, dogs sitting on them, etc.). The bag fits an amazing amount of things, especially considering its ability to fold up so small! 10/10 would buy again.

Bought this awhile back....been thru the wars with it....Africa, Central Asia, India, etc... this has taken the beating well and looks brand new still. I would love a new color but I don’t really need another one!!! the access to main compartment via the external pocket is an issue but I solved that with a REI cable combo lock. can’t say a bad thing about it. The 90L is a good size for a long trip (15 days) with all sorts of gear. Highly recommend it.

I've been sold on the Patagonia Black Hole Duffels since leaving all the substitutes aside two years ago -- kept trying to go cheap before the switch but there are some things you shouldn't stint on. I have to admit that I thought the Black Hole line was as good as it gets before this latest iteration came along, but really find myself appreciating the internal compression straps for that extra cinching. And the new D rings for the pack straps sure handled the slippage problems we experienced in the older version's straps (though all we did before was tie an extra knot into the straps and that worked fine if you're patient in the unknotting -- still, the D rings are quick & efficient and so a great improvement!). I have the duffels in every size but the 90L is by far the most versatile for my needs: getting gear from the USA to Nepal in the hold of a plane, bringing that gear to the trailhead on the top of a jeep or truck along some of the worst roads in the world, and then redistributing loads by function so that supplies can get hauled by porters across an 11 & 14,000 ft pass to the remote research site where I need to live for a month or two. While there, the duffel serves for organization and storage. What I mean by "gear" is everything I can't carry in my own backpack: books, office stuff, cooking supplies, clothing, tarps, and whatever else goes for provisioning a research team. I've tried the 120L out and find it great for the plane & jeep, but too much for porters (too tempting to overdo the weight it can contain). This is based on the reports of the guys who carry these on the trail, all of whom agree that the 90L is just right -- holds lots, but keeps the load manageable and humane and the rest stops nicely spaced for all. For the flight to and from Nepal, I put my sleeping bag and backpack inside a duffel and find that they barely make a dent in the capaciousness -- "black hole" is pretty apt. (But I did find that a 90L won't do for that 6 X 8 Tibetan carpet you may want to bring back home with you -- the 120L will take it with room to spare.) These duffels have traveled with me in a whole range of conditions from pre-monsoon rains to snowstorms to gouts of choking dust at the top of a jeep or truck. They've been dropped in mud, covered with heavy morning dew and thick frost. They inevitably get used for comfortable seating (I don't let them get too close to the fire) and that doesn't phase them. They've enjoyed the perfect blue sky and crisp weather days, too. And never a problem with dust, dirt, mud, or moisture getting inside (though I respect the truth that these aren't water-proof & wax the seams in wet weather while making sure they are set down with the most water-repellent surface skyward). For carrying long distances, the cooler and cold temperatures are best to prevent a sweaty back, but I kept checking with the guys doing the carrying & they all spoke highly of the general comfort when things were packed right. The daisy chains are wonderful for lashing things to the bags -- thumbs up from all the porters on that. As for durability, these bags take a beating every step of the journey -- some have made three round trips as described above and, wiped down, they look like new. Barely abraded from rock and thorn and nowhere a concern that they can't make it as many future trips and more. A great investment! I recommend these bags. And so do a bunch of guys from a high mountain village in Nepal.

Fantastic bag that keeps getting better with newer models. I have three of these bags now and have no reason to buy anything else. My family and I decided to give up our home and travel the US for 6 months and these bags are mobile dressers for our purposes. I can stuff these bags full, jump on the stuff inside, and then put more in them and have no doubt that the bag will hold up to the abuse. The newest model has interior compression straps that work well to help take stress off the zippers and allow easier closing. The external pocket is large enough for toiletries and provides easy access even when the bag is full. The two internal pockets on the lid are a great size and work well for socks and underwear, if you choose to wear them. I find the exterior handles on the ends of the bags to be very useful in shoving the bag into and pulling it out of a vehicle. The fabric on all three of our bags shows zero wear after 4 months of continuous travel. The bag has a great bottom that resists wear even more than the top. I do have some concern that the bottom material may be difficult to clean if you ever want to clean the bag. The material used on the upper is fantastic at shedding water and dirt and is very easy to clean. The bags have also been used as foot rests for my kids during our trip because their legs are too high to touch the floor. These bags handled that task perfectly too. This bag is great and I'm not sure what else you would need from a bag like this.

Purchased bag for a 7 day hike to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Worked great, durable, and go the job done!