Selected for the Green Gear Guide 2021/22 – Read our full The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel review. BUY NOW: THENORTHFACE.CO.UK With its 80-litre capacity the Rab Kitbag will swallow a lot of stuff. I’m pretty sure I could carry double the contents of my wardrobe in this. The 600 denier fabric walls and reinforced base also make it capable of taking a bashing. I’ve been using the older version of this duffel bag about twice a month for almost ten years now and it’s served me excellently. It’s come with many on countless flights and road trips and actually doesn’t even have that many scars from the mileage.

Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Rab Kit Bag II 80L in more detail in a moment. The best duffel bags will offer full waterproof protection but the majority tend to only be rated as water resistant – this isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re unlikely to need the bag for any water-based adventures.

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This is another duffel bag that impressed us for its eco credential, so much so that we decided to include it in our prestigious Green Gear Guide this year. The Bach Dr. Duffel is a modern take on an old-school doctor’s bag design – one of those things that’s able to swallow more than you’d believe is possible. It’s made from a very hard-wearing and water-resistant fabric, making sure your belongings stay safe and dry no matter how they’re squeezed into luggage compartments or thrown around by luggage handlers! The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first.

A traditional canvas holdall, available in two colour ways and holding an impressive 72 litres of stuff. It’s comfortable to carry (as long as you’ve kept within the weight limits!) using the short grab handles, as well as the longer over-the-shoulder strap. The 40L interior won’t be big enough for long trips but is ideal if you’re committed to travelling with hand luggage only. Plus, many safari lodges offer laundry facilities so you can afford to take less with you. It’s genuinely difficult to find a con for this one; there are plenty of reasons to choose it as your next safari holdall, which may make it difficult to spot yours on the luggage carousel amongst many lookalike bags. It’s a very popular choice! One aspect we really liked during our tests was the amount of adjustment. You can really cinch this in if you’re carrying a light loads, or loosen things up if you’ve got a lot to lug around with you.Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Rab are of course extremely well known, especially for duffel bags. Selected for the 2021/22 Outdoor 100 – Read our full Bach Dr Duffel 70 review. BUY NOW: BACH-EQUIPMENT.COM Many safari-goers swear by keeping their luggage small and going with hand luggage only. This makes travel incredibly efficient, so consider these bags for your next trip: Craghoppers 40L Holdall The main opening is huge, so you can access kit easily without having to rummage around or fling items out and there’s loads of well paced padding that makes this comfortable even when you’re carrying around heavy loads. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I don’t find this bag to be particularly stylish. It’s a bog-standard style only available in a couple of muted colourways, so it doesn’t spark joy as much for me as other brightly coloured choices!

Each end also has compression straps to make the bag a bit neater when it’s not completely full, and on the side are tie-in loops to help in securing the bag to a vehicle. This bag is the most expensive bag reviewed so, naturally, the price will count against it. But if you’re after a well-made bag from a well-known brand, the Osprey Sojourn 60 is a great option. Yes, I’ve already listed the fact this bag has wheels as a pro. However, not all safari companies or airlines recommend bags with wheels as they can be more difficult to fit into the hold on small aeroplanes. That said I have seen wheelie cases being used widely across Africa – just make sure you do your research first. We’re really pleased to have scored Rab Kit Bag II 80L so highly, givimg it 8.2 out of 10, making it well above the average for all duffel bags. One final point: we’ve gone for duffel rather than duffle, for the sake of consistency and also because it seems to be the form that most brands go for. Apparently there’s no set way!

The Traveltopia 45 is made from 100% recycled polyester and is bluesign approved, meaning that harmful substances have been eliminated right from the beginning of the manufacturing process, and all resources involved in its manufacture have been used responsibly. What’s more, it also has Green Button certification. That’s a label awarded by the German federal government designed to help consumers identify socially and environmentally sustainable textiles.

The material the product is made from is often a sign of the quality for duffel bags. Take a look at the product details over at Cotswold Outdoor to get a feel for this. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Rab Kit Bag II 80L below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget. This is a really stylish holdall in traditional safari colours, and there’ll be no mistaking your bag for another once it appears on the luggage carousel.Secondly, 40l was just a little bit tight for a full week’s worth of clothes and phys kit, plus wash kit, books, chargers and so on. Especially so if I need a towel, which I frequently do either for the gym or because of the type of places I’m staying.