Don’t Let Airlines Destroy Your Gear. These Are Our Favorite Duffel Bags for Climbers.
The dreaded “duffel shuffle” is much maligned, but ultimately a necessary part of any big climbing trip. Whether you’re taking a road trip to Indian Creek, a flight to Patagonia, or a camel to Wadi Rum, a good duffel bag helps protect the climbing gear inside from moisture and rough handling.
After years of shuffling duffels across the globe, I’ve formed some clear favorites. Here, I outline our top duffels climbers should consider for airport travel, for the penny-pinching dirtbag, for when every gram counts, for back-breaking long hauls, and for truly gnarly handling. (No, not a grumpy TSA agent—more like an angry yak with a point to prove.) Below, here are the best duffel bags for climbers.
Also read: Can I Bring Chalk in My Carry-on? What TSA Actually Allows (and What They Don’t).
Best duffels for flying with climbing gear
Osprey Transporter Wheeled Duffel
Weight: 5.9 lbs
Volume: 60L
Testers who carted the Osprey Transporter Wheeled Duffel over cobbled streets in Slovenia, between campsites in Indian Creek, and across the Denver International Airport were pleasantly surprised by the all-terrain performance of this bag’s wheels. This maneuverability was no doubt thanks to the bag’s high-clearance “HighRoad Chassis” and oversized wheels—two features most airports wheelers woefully lack.
Contributor James Lucas had no issues quickly tossing the bag into a truck, taxi, or tent with one of the five padded, tubular web grab handles. “In wet weather and with all the abuse of travel, the duffel holds up well,” he says. The 630D high-tenacity ripstop nylon provided durability as well as weather resistance during transportation. But this bag boasts more than durability—large zippers with overlapping flaps make it easy to get into the pack, while keeping the contents dry in light rain.
On the duffel’s exterior, a large pocket makes extra food or other necessities easily accessible. Inside, two compression straps keep clothes, cams, and quickdraws securely packed down. Two additional pockets provide a place to store toiletries, climbing tape, a skin kit, and additional small items.
Best value duffel for climbers (and for when every gram counts)
MEC Recycled Duffel Bag
Weight: 2.5 lbs
Volume: 60L
Duffel bags are the most misused pack category in all of climbing. If an airline demands that your bag be under 50 pounds, and only a few flights and a bus ride stand between you and your final destination, why on earth would it need to be waterproof, made from impenetrable fabric, weigh five whole pounds, and yet lack a feature like wheels? That duffel is hogging 10 percent of your available weight!
(Steps down from soapbox.)
If weight is indeed of concern to you as a traveling climber, the MEC Recycled Duffel Bag is the logical choice. It weighs just 2.5 lbs, it does not pretend to be waterproof (though it does have a water-resistant PU coating), and its polyester outer is plenty durable. I’ve owned mine for seven years, brought it to Patagonia twice, carted it around North America, and lived out of it for several summers, and it has zero holes. The zipper works as smoothly as the day I bought it, too. The duffel comes with a single removable shoulder strap, has an interior and exterior pocket, and four grab handles.
Best duffel for schlepping
Blue Ice Doko Duffel Bag
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Volume: 70L
Buy on backcountry.com for $180
Blue Ice’s Doko duffel takes the lightness we love from MEC’s model and kicks it up a notch with a full feature set more typical of a much heavier bag. Its outer fabric is made from a rubbery TPU-laminated 840D nylon. While not waterproof, this nylon proves extremely water-resistant in heavy rains or amid spray from boat approaches. A removable frame sheet adds protection while traveling with sharp objects like ice tools and cams, but can be stripped to shave another five ounces. (More snacks from home!) Two large internal pockets keep small items organized, while an external pocket ensures the need-to-have items are always within reach.
But the reason the Doko is so great for “schlepping”—that is, carrying your bag around for extended periods—is because of its haul bag-inspired design. Padded shoulder straps attach at the bottom via a removable T-slot anchor, allowing you to carry the Doko without busting your biceps. Then you can tuck the straps away when it’s time to fly.
We have tested several duffels with a similar shoulder strap design (primarily Rab and The North Face), but Blue Ice’s version outcompetes them. Other models take longer to assemble (two attachment points vs. one), and to tediously disassemble (you have to open your perfectly packed duffel to stuff the straps inside). We’ve also found other shoulder strap-equipped duffels much less comfortable. Blue Ice added load lifter straps, and is the only duffel that’s made an effort to actually provide an ergonomic carry. Although Blue Ice’s duffel is significantly more expensive than MEC’s, you get what you pay for.
Most durable duffel for rugged adventures
The North Face Base Camp Duffel L
Weight: 4.1 lbs
Volume: 95L
Buy on thenorthface.com for $159
I have spent much of this review punching down at heavy, burly duffel bags. But I will concede that sometimes such a robust bag is absolutely called for. Scenarios might include: strapping your duffel to a donkey; strapping it to the dubiously welded roof rack of a bus or truck; exposure to heavy rainfall, etc.. Of course, you might simply want the peace of mind of carting your belongings around in a vessel that’s very unlikely to burst at the seams.
If any of those scenarios resonate, The North Face’s Base Camp Duffel is the bag I would feel most comfortable weathering a natural disaster in. Its main body fabric is 1000D recycled polyester with a tough PVC coating, while the base is made from 840D recycled ballistic nylon with a PFC-free DWR finish. The handles feel overengineered and are surely built to last; most seams are double-stitched and riddled with bar tacks.
Even with all this burl, the Base Camp Duffel is surprisingly nimble. Earlier this autumn, when my Swiss taxi never arrived to take me to the Zermatt train station, I frantically added a set of shoulder straps to the bag and ran a mile to make it on time. The straps weren’t nearly as comfortable as Blue Ice’s, but they got the job done.
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