Simply the best of the breed! - Sea to Summit Duffle Bag

I was in the market for a duffel bag for a planned trip to MOAB; a duffel that could carry my Creek 35 gear bag, a 60m rope bag and a week’s worth of clothes. I had it down to the North Face Base Camp XL at 132L and the Patagonia Black Hole 100L that really measures out closer to 130L than 100L. Then I stumbled across the Sea to Summit 130L. The more I compared features, the more obvious it was that the Sea to Summit is the best of the three, and it isn’t even close. Here’s why: The S2S uses the same 1000D “rhino hide” fabric as the NFBCD, which I think is far more robust than that of the PBHD which feels quite thin by comparison. You just get the feeling both the S2S and NFBCD can take more abuse than the PBHD. Next, the S2S has an extraordinary double zipper for the main opening, versus single zippers on the other two. This means if something happens to one set of teeth on the S2S, the other set will maintain functionality 'til you get home from halfway around the world and take advantage of the lifetime warranty. The zipper will accommodate a TSA type lock, BTW. Next, the S2S has three different strap configurations. You can have the usual backpack carry configuration. But what's really cool are the magnets in the straps, enabling them to be paired for a suitcase style carry. Or you can line the straps up with each other, clip them together and create a shoulder strap. Plus the S2S has metal carabiner style clips, meaning the straps come off in mere seconds versus lengthly the airport counter struggle for both the NFBCD and PBHD. The lid is padded, so it does not deform when open, enabling packing; and the body is so stiff it sits upright when empty, also enabling packing. Finally, I like the fact this bag is 33 inches long, versus 29 inches for both the NFBCD and PBHD. The diameter is 17 inches, same as the NFBCD, whereas the PBHD is 19 inches by 14 inches = 16.5 average. In summation, this duffel can swallow anything you want to take with you and laugh at anything airline baggage handlers try to do to abuse it. It's tough as nails and the "Sea to Summit"' graphics sum up where you've been in eye-catching fashion on the Arrivals baggage carousel. Well worth the $$, IMO.