Living a nomadic lifestyle requires traveling often. That usually means following the changing seasons or jumping from one extreme to the other and back. Summer to winter in the opposite hemisphere or, in my case, extending winter as long as possible. Chasing the seasons demands gear that travels just as well as you do.
Image courtesy of Eastern Mountain Sports
After a season spent in the norther eastern United States I not only had to get myself back to Alaska but my gear as well. The plastic totes I used to mail myself my gear was unearthly expensive. Buying a junker of a car was probably cheaper than the option I chose. My search for a new method took me to Eastern Mountain Sports over the course of the winter. There I found a gear hauler that was both affordable ($129.00, currently $74.25) and packed a punch in terms of space. At 70+ liters of roomy goodness I decided to purchase both the normal backpack style Gear Hauler Duffel and the Wheeled Gear Hauler Duffe at 95+ liters ($199.00 retail) since I would be traveling a distance through multiple airports. I easily slung one over the shoulder and pulled the other. Both variations are made of a ballistic nylon with a TPU coating meaning that the duffels are water resistant and will last trip after trip. The non-wheeled version has two heavy duty air-mesh shoulder straps that make it easy to carry in backpack mode or as a normal duffel. You’ve got options with this big guy! Zippers are abound with these haulers. The top of both open with a large reinforced zipper across the top exposing its roomy insides. Built into the lid are two zippered mesh pockets for storing items you may want quick access too. Each short side features a larger than life pock with you guessed it…more mesh pockets. These ginormous pockets were great for storing items that could take more of a beating as any traveler knows that their bags go through hell and back. Last but not least the sides of both feature a sewn daisy chain to connect other bags to it. I had multiple checked bags, a carry on, and a “personal item”. When leaving the airport all I had to do was carabineer these extra bags to the duffel and ready to roll!
These two feature rich duffel bags punch above their weight in terms of price and function. Both come with a rating of “recommended” as they made traveling much easier. Once back to the van they stored well.
Pros: multiple carry options, water resistant, built in organization, durable coated nylon
Cons: not waterproof, less than stiff bottom, outside webbing handles don’t run through length of bag
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