The North Face Base Camp Duffel, Purchased from REI
On a trip to Beaver Creek Valley State Park, I swung through the Twin Cities REI; I needed to return a daypack that I had purchased online. The straps were sewn too close together, and it was not comfortable. Within a couple of minutes, I had a gift card in hand for the entire purchase amount. FYI, REI has a great return policy.
I spent a few hours in the store and tried on a variety of packs, but I could not find exactly what I wanted. Walking towards the exit and wishing I’d spent my gift card; I spotted the bright yellow North Face Base Camp bags. I had always wanted one, but I could not justify the price. At this moment, it had finally made sense to drop the extra cash; the return gave me a few extra bucks to get the 95-Liter Duffel. As soon as I got to my car, I unloaded the back hatch of the station wagon and started filling up my new bag. Kid in a candy store with new gear.
The duffle is fantastic, and I have picked up another matching bag since that trip. The bags are extremely durable and made with a PVC product according to North Faces website. They are maybe a little heavy, but that is because of the build quality. I beat the heck out of these and have even hauled wood in them, and they barely show a scuff. Every feature on this bag is overkill; the seams are strong, the zipper is a tank, and the bag has two side pockets and one inner pocket to keep items separate.
The bag is water resistant not waterproof. I have left it out in the rain, and everything was nice and dry in the morning. A canoeing dump is a different story. My gear got wet, and water seeped through the zippers, but the bag did stay afloat long enough for me to retrieve it. If you are canoeing with these bags, I would suggest getting some Sea to Summit dry bags to put inside the duffle; this will fix the problem if you bail.
This bag is the perfect car camping, and base camp duffle; it holds a lot of gear, keeps your items dry, and you can beat the heck out of these things. When deciding what size to get, calculate what you plan to haul. I am thinking about upgrading to the extra-large bags.
Link To Product: North Face Base Camp Duffel
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