REI Co-op  Big Haul 60 Duffel

Great durable duffle. The zippered access panel makes it easy to load and fill with all types of gear and travel irems. The mesh inside top pocket and the outside front zippered pocket are great to keep everything organized. I especially like the lanyard in the front to stow keys and that the pocket is large enough for a phone, wallet and other items that need quick access. The duffel shape makes it swallow large items and a breeze to pock with travel cubes. The backpack harness and shoulder strap are surprisingly comfortable, one thing I’m adding is a REI Packmod sternum strap to help keep the backpack harness in place and secure on my shoulders. Great design plus to have all the handles everywhere which makes the duffle easy to load into the car or overhead bin. Great quality useful piece of gear.

The bag is large enough for most uses and travel. It appears to be made out of durable and weather proof material. Not sure about submerging it. 😂 It does have zippers. There are straps for using it like a backpack and they have a pocket to hide when not in use. There are side straps to tighten the bag down to keep contacts from shifting. It's not heavy but it's definitely not light or ultralight. Its best home is for traveling. Be that in a car or airline. The material appears to be easy to clean and stain resistant. It didn't attract dust on my recent trip. Good bag and I expect it to last for some time.

Can you really ever have too many duffel bags? I was actually surprised to find that the 40 L version of the Big Haul is much more popular than the 60 L. If anything, I would think people would want the 90 L! I had intended to write this review after my trip to Lassen Peak, but it would be outside of the review window restraints. It's a great travel, car trip, and camping bag, but as you can see in my photos, it's also versatile! I first tested it out on the pickleball courts, and it held all my practice balls, four of my paddles, my extra overgrips, and my snacks! There is a mesh pocket under the lid, as well as a small but long front pocket. Both can fit a number of items, including my phone and keys while I'm playing. You can easily fit in your own pickleball net in this bag if you have one, or just carry all of your friend's gear, too! I used the shoulder strap to hook it onto the fence, but you could also use the backpack straps or a carabiner. Not only is this a great court bag, but it also serves as a GYM bag! I brought it to my climbing gym, carrying both my and my wife's harnesses, climbing shoes, climbing gear, and lead rope. Although you can easily fit a 60- or 70-m rope within, I wanted to test out the backpack straps and carry it as if I were outdoors and approaching a crag. The rope can easily sit on top of the pack and be secured with the lateral tightening straps (see photos). We did not use it as so, but it can certainly function as a rope bag/tarp if you flake your lead rope within and carry it from climb to climb. However, it is unlikely that I would carry this bag to a crag, as it is heavier and bulkier than a traditional rope bag/tarp. Will I use the backpack straps often? Who knows? They're not as comfortable as my hiking, backpacking, or haul bag straps, but the backpack straps are more comfortable than the shoulder strap. I'd likely just carry it with the normal duffel velcroed handles. Overall, this is a great travel, road trip, and camping bag, and I hope it's durable for all of our adventures!

I’ve had an opportunity to use the REI Big Haul 60 Duffel for two weekend trips over the past month, and I can say that it has retired my existing bag that I've used for more than 20 years. Though I have a few minor gripes, there is a lot to like. The 60L capacity is perfect for a five- to seven-day trip. This provides plenty of room for extra changes of “activity clothing” (cycling, hiking, climbing, etc) on shorter 3-4 day weekend trips. On shorter trips where the full 60L capacity is not needed, there are compression straps on the outside which help to reduce the volume of the bag. The configurable strap system is my favorite feature on the bag. It only takes a few seconds to switch between over-the-shoulder carry and backpack. Both are comfortable, and can be removed (or hidden) so that they don’t snag on something if they’re not needed. There are “grabs” on all six sides of the bag, making it easy to get in and out of an overhead bin on an aircraft. The mesh lining at the top of the bag keeps small, loose items contained and within easy reach. This works great for my chargers and cables. Though I’ve not needed them, the zipper pulls can take a small travel lock. I mentioned a few gripes – there are a few improvements this bag needs. First, there is nowhere to carry shoes outside of the main compartment. I frequently travel with hiking shoes, sandals, and/or dress shoes. As the bag is built today, there is nowhere to put additional shoes other than inside with my clothing. I would also like to see an external compartment added for the types of things which tend to leak when travelling by air. Air pressure changes affect soaps, shampoos, and lotion bottles so I would very much like to keep these away from my clothing. While there is a single externally accessible pocket on the bag, it is not deep enough for these items. I’ve always put my “leakables” in a zip-lock bag, so this isn’t a major issue.

The Big Haul Duffle impressed me in a number of ways. First, it comes in a zipper pouch and packs down surprisingly small for storage. The duffle’s construction and material make-up cause it to not only be bombproof, water resistant, and durable, but lends enough structure to allow you to easily pack and load without it collapsing on you. I took this on a multi-day river rafting trip and had all my overnight gear packed in stuff sacks and packing cubes, which slotted into the rectangular shape perfectly. It fit a tent, sleeping bag and pad, camp chair, toiletries, clothes, and other miscellaneous items with ease. I also really like the cinch straps on either side for compression if you don’t fill it up. The integrated backpack straps are a huge plus, especially if you planned to use this for airline travel, but they stow away nicely and you don’t even notice they are there if not using. The Big Haul 60 duffle is ideal for road trips too, as it’s large enough to bring everything you need in one bag that is easy to rummage through in the car, or pick up and take to your campsite or into your Airbnb for the night. Highly recommend!

Very well made. Nice! Fits my application perfectly..