Don’t like Duffel Bags? The Duffalo might change your mind.

Looking for a duffel tough enough to be handed down? Big enough for a six-day road trip? With enough organization to work, but not so much you can’t remember where you put something? Well, Scott can help you out. He found the Duffalo from The Brown Buffalo meets all those needs and did it so well it changed his mind about duffel bags.

The review I never thought I’d write

I really don’t like duffel bags. I used them plenty during my time in the Air Force for deployments or to manage the really bulky protective clothing I didn’t need very often. But for personnel travel, nope. Much happier with a backpack or a rolling trunk, if I need to take a bunch of stuff on a trip.

How’d I come to test a Duffalo then, if I’m not a duffel bag fan?

Well, a firm we were working with for another brand thought I would be impressed by The Brown Buffalo products. I already knew their reputation for really well thought out and constructed backpacks and bags. But I’d never pulled the trigger to actually buy one. So, when they offered it a second time with no obligation for a review, I said “sure, why not?”

Meet the Duffalo

Here are the specs:

• Exterior Dimensions: 22”L x 14”W x 14”H – For comparison, most US airlines allow 22×14×9 inches for carry-ons. It looks bigger than the actual dimensions too. This is not a “stash in your checked bag just in case” kind of duffel.
• Weight: 3.9 lbs – For comparison, my GORUCK 1000D Cordura 40L GR2 weighs 4.5lbs. So, not bad.
• Volume: 50L – A nice amount of space for those of us who are not light packers.
• Materials: I tested the Ranger Green version of the Duffalo. It’s exterior is 1050D Cordura, a really dense, high abrasion resistance fabric with a DWR coating. The interior is a bright orange Challenge Sailcloth EPX400 also with great wear resistance and a DWR coating. Lastly, it has YKK reverse coil zippers, metal hardware, and extra reinforcement at the stress points. This bag was put together to endure years of hard service.
• Organization: One of the things I don’t like about duffels is the lack of any dividers or other organizational aids. Well, the Duffalo has more than a few.

The outside pocket was a nice size and very convenient for quick access items like cards, snacks, and lip balm. The pockets inside the bag were really useful. The flap has a zippered pocket that extends across the full width. Books, magazines, t-shirts, pants, rain jackets and hoodies are just some of the things that would fit here. The slip pocket on the end of the bag was nice for plugs, adapters, and other things that tend to get lost when just tossed in a bag.

I was, however, not a fan of the shoe compartment that extends into the bag. To be fair, I’ve never been a fan of any of these types of wet shoe/clothing separations. I think they just take up a bunch of room for little return. As you can see from the photo, this is a big (size 14 shoe) envelope. 

So, if you are a fan of these types of things, the Duffalo is definitely for you. Or you can just roll it up and get it out of the way.

How’d it do in the real world?

We used the Duffalo for a couple of road trips here in Oregon. The trips were all between 3 and 6 days. I found the bag super easy to pack and to use during the trips. That little bit of organization I mentioned above was just right to keep all the different pieces of gear separate and easy to find.

The trip that changed my mind about duffels was a great hike/raft trip we did on the Rouge River in Southern Oregon. This was a multi-day, hike 5-10 miles in the morning and float during the afternoon type of trip. We’ve never done a float trip before, so this was entirely new ground for us. We packed accordingly to cover all the bases we could think of. But when I went to put all that in my 40L GR2, it was really tight. Like I couldn’t add a deck of cards tight.

So I pivoted to the Duffalo and never looked back. That extra 10L of space really made all the difference between fiddling with all the gear to make it fit and just enjoying the trip. I even used the wet shoe envelope for wet clothes! All in all, the trip convinced me that a right sized duffel really does have a place in my travel routine.

The Duffalo proved itself well able to endure less than careful handling on land and water. It came thru without a scratch or wear mark and showed the shift to overseas manufacturing has not hurt quality.

Bottomline for The Brown Buffalo Duffalo – Recommended

You really can’t go wrong with this bag in any hard use situation.