These premium features and protection come at a hefty price point and a high weight for a dry bag. The Panga tips the scales at 5.2 pounds. It is also one of the more expensive duffel dry bags that we tested, but for peace of mind, sometimes that price is worth it. These downsides are probably tolerable if you're looking to protect valuable electronics and equipment in a wet environment, or if you need the versatility of one bag to meet any potential needs. The Watershed Colorado Duffel is another 100% waterproof dry bag we love to use, with a slightly more flexible design and a lower price tag, though it is a little more involved to seal against the elements. It coped with carrying a substantial load on a wild camping expedition, with good weight bearing and just enough capacity for such an outing. Comfort was good, even though there isn’t a huge amount of foam padding on the harness and hipbelt. The fabric of the Craghoppers Duffel is robust feeling polyester with a polyurethane coating. It contains recycled materials – the brand says about 14 plastic bottles were reused in its manufacture. As with all travel bags, the materials used in the construction of a travel duffel bag have an impact. Most travellers are looking for a trade-off between durability and weight. Materials like ripstop nylon are an excellent choice because they don’t weigh too much and are very tough. Plus they’re relatively cheap to produce.

The lid is a floating design, enabling it to be raised a little to allow extra space to be used in the main compartment. There’s also a strap for retaining rope under the lid. The best size duffel bag for travel depends on a number of factors. If you’re on a weekend city break, a 20-30-litre duffel is a great choice. But if you’re travelling for longer, say four weeks to multiple months, you’re likely to want a bag around the 40-50-litre range. The hipbelt is broad and has padded foam. Adjustment is from the outside inwards. The padded section can be slid out, leaving just the webbing, if required, to save more weight.There is no hipbelt or sternum strap, so all the weight is borne on the shoulders and the straps can slide if you’re moving over anything like technical terrain. There are two movable foam pads on the straps to provide some comfort, but carrying a full load over any long distance without the support of a hipbelt caused some discomfort. Single zip duffels are the classic choice. They have one long zipper running across the top of the bag. This gives pretty good access to all your stuff but can make it a pain to get things really well organised. It also makes it hard to dig through your gear when the bag is full. Sometimes adventure takes us into truly adverse weather conditions, and for those times, water resistance isn't enough. If you're looking for a fully waterproof dry bag and duffel bag hybrid, the Yeti Panga 50 fits the bill. Its durable laminated high-density nylon is completely waterproof, and the opening seals shut with a HydroLok zipper. With RF welded seams, this duffel keeps the water out and the air in, even when fully submerged. For this reason, it is our go-to bag for protecting sensitive electronic equipment in wet conditions. This Yeti has a healthy amount of webbing and attachment points, plus shoulder straps, so you can just as easily carry it through the airport as lash it to an inflatable raft. However, the last few years have seen a resurgence in duffel bags for international travel. Well-known bag manufacturers and new cottage companies have jumped in with their own reimagining of the classic travel duffel and some of them are truly excellent!

Capacity was good too, and quality was good. The ripstop nylon, felt robust and resisted scuffing well. The weight of your duffel bag is more important in smaller models. A 30-50-litre duffel should be relatively lightweight so it doesn’t weigh you down as you move from A to B. However, when it comes to larger duffels made for carrying bulkier items, weight isn’t as important. You’re unlikely to be carrying a 100-litre duffel bag for long anyway! We make our Kitbags in our own factory in the UK. Ray cuts the fabric, Rob, Julie, Debbie and Gemma stitch them together, all under the watchful eye of Lily and Andrew our factory manager.Our favourite duffel bag for travel is the Boundary Supply Errant Duffel. It’s rugged, versatile and comfortable to carry. For photographers, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better duffel than the Peak Design Travel Duffel. The main compartment is uncluttered and contains just the pouch for a hydration reservoir with a hook-and-loop strip hanger. The drink tube exit is central, allowing the tube to be routed down either the left or right harness strap. If you’re taking specialised kit, or need a huge amount of stuff, consider a gear hauler. These large duffel bags can be up to 200 litres in size – plenty of room for all your important kit! The base of the duffel has another zip opening giving access to a separated compartment that is useful for a pair of shoes or similar. This keeps them apart from the contents of the main area, though it does share the space.

A durable duffle bag with a C-shaped zip opening so that you can easily get to your wares (less time rummaging for stuff, more time doing stuff). With a 25 year Alpine Bond these are true duffle bags for life. The metal frame can be removed to save a little weight by unfastening a hook-and-loop strip in the main compartment and sliding the frame out. A sleek-looking, versatile, and durable duffel that performs highly across the board and is ready for any adventure We divided our duffel bag testing across five metrics, weighted according to their overall importance:

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The hipbelt has short, ventilated fins and a centre section of webbing. Length adjustment is from the outside inwards.