

With this duffle bag, I don't have to worry about items on the bottom. With my unpadded duffel bags, I used to strategically pack the delicate items on the top with my clothing on the bottom for padding. Padded Bottom: The duffel has a padded bottom which protects your gear.The shoulder straps in particular function like side handles. So after a few uses, I cut off the side handles and have been happy with using just the end handles and shoulder straps. In my experience with duffel bags in general, the side handles tend to get in the way always getting in the way of the main opening or accidentally getting zipped into the main compartment. You'll notice I did something unorthodox and cut off my side handles. There are also side webbing handles with a snap closure. Handles: There are two thick haul handles on each end of the duffle for easy handling.One thing to note, be careful what you pack in that region because pointy items will be digging into your back when you wear the duffel as a backpack On the interior, there are two mesh pockets on the lid flap. Pockets: There is one exterior pocket that is sized well for a small tablet or travel documents.The latest version has a D ring buckle on the top making it even easier to remove. I'd do this if I was checking the bag to eliminate the chance of something getting snagged on the baggage carousel.

Also, the top of the shoulder strap can be unthreaded to completely remove the shoulder straps.

The ability to quickly remove one end of the shoulder strap is handy to get the straps out of the way when accessing the main compartment. This is still a duffel bag, just with the convenience of backpack carry.Īll Black Hole Duffels except the 45L have Patagonia's standard padded shoulder straps with a quick release buckle on the bottom end. With that said, don't expect carrying a fully packed duffel to be as comfortable as a pack made for backpacking. Shoulder straps make it much easier to carry a duffel compared an over-the-shoulder strap.
