The North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag - 2560-9070cu in

I bought one of these 8 years ago and I have been traveling everywhere with it changing countries about every 2-3 months. It carried all my possessions for a very long time and the bag is still in fantastic condition. This things lasts forever, now I have a family so I'm getting another one so all our stuff will go into 2 bags, but only for vacations.... I recommend this over anything.

Definitely a lot bigger than I had imagined. I can't imagine how any one could ever need the extra large. Looking forward to using this bag on my frequent trips back and forth to Africa. Its nice cause I can just strap it on my back. A roller doesn't work all so well when it comes to climbing up and down stairs and ladders on an offshore platform.

I have dragged this bag across more terrain than I can describe. It is my expedition bag and has come climbing with me to Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Chile. I own the medium size and can stuff my peak bag, all my climbing gear, cold weather clothes, snacks, and sleeping bag into this bag. It is tough, water resistant, and practical. I love the interchangeable and adjustable shoulder straps/handles. I usually line it, like my my backpacks, with large plastic bags to protect the contents from water.

The bag is made from waterproof PVC, but unfortunately the seams are not waterproof. If used as a base camp duffel, one would however expect that the bag is more or less water proof, no? Unfortunately, due to the poor water resistance of the seams - also the seams on the bottom of the bag!- the bag does not seem suited as flight luggage (luggage often does get a little wet), and do not even think of using it in a bike trailer when it is wet....

The small is the perfect size to fit in any overhead bin or under a seat when flying. I've lost multiple checked bags and I'm way too impatient to wait for baggage claim so this bag is perfect for me. Love the backpack straps and overall durability. Highly recommended.

I hauled this thing across South America for 3 months and it stood the test. It held enough clothing for me for the entire trip, plus room to spare for items picked up along the way. The material is super resistant and withstood a couple falls off of a moving vehicle (Ecuadorian bus system!) and all it did was scuff. It's also very water repellent (NOT WATERPROOF) and the couple times that I had it out in the rain my clothes and goods stayed mega dry. Overall it's the perfect duffel for the rough and tough adventurer/average trans South American visitor.

So far, love this bag. I am flying with it for the first time at the end of this week. I am considering puling the backpack straps off and throwing them inside when checking the bag. Is this overkill? I am used to traveling with a technical backpack with straps hanging everywhere. I always put my packs inside a cheap duffel to protect them since straps always get torn otherwise. Have you ever had any problems with the straps on this bag (medium) getting ripped during baggage loading/unloading?

This bag was a great addition to my luggage. Its waterproof and has ample room (I went with a Medium to pack 4 days of winter storm and wildland fire gear) for everything you need to pack. I've had mine for about six months and its held up fairly well. The ID window has a tear at the stitching but its not a big deal. Otherwise, its a good bag.

Good tough durable bag. Hard to fault, does exactly what you would expect and more. Recommended.

this is a great durable bag , but the xl size has no viable purchase unless you taking a LOT of stuff and your 350 pound body builder. i returned it. i might get a small or medium. however the fact that there are only one and half compartments, is making me think not too.

I am a bag-aholic, having owned many duffels over the years. I have the S, M, L and XL and I find these bags to be both very functional and super durable, and worth every cent. I even own the big TNF Rolling Thunder duffel(which is nearly as large as the XL duffel, but has wheels). In terms of ultimate quality, these bags are, perhaps, just ahead of the duffels from Bad Bags, but not nearly up to the standard set by the Redoxx bags (which are without a doubt the best bags I have ever seen, but are WAY more expensive).

I just thought, well, here is another duffel, but I've used it way more than I expected. I actually have a medium and a large and the medium is perfect for those weekend trips or a quick bag for an activity. The large is great for longer trips. It is really stout and takes a pretty good beating whenever I use it. It seems pretty waterproof too. I love that there are backpack straps too. Good purchase, I think almost anyone can use this bag.

I have the XL and probably should have gone with a L. I fit two sleeping bags & sleeping pads, a tent and most of my camping & bike gear into this with space to spare. I would have packed more, but that would have put me over the 50lb per bag airline restriction. If there were wheels on the bag, I definitely would have used them, but the shoulder straps worked out fine. I haven’t mastered the art of getting the packed XL bag onto my back gracefully yet, but once it was on, I was able to easily get around with it using the shoulder straps. Overall, the bag is big enough to let you bring piles of clothes and gear, but the fact that it doesn’t have wheels and has to be carried around on your back, makes you reevaluate how much you really need to bring with you. I haven’t used the bag much yet, but so far it’s held up some airline flights and being strapped to the roof of my car.

Got the Medium for weekend camping trips to bike/hike/canyoneer etc. So far it's been the perfect size. I can fit my sleeping bag, pad, and camp pillow inside along with the clothes i need so I don't have so many random things strewn about the car on the way down, and I'm also not taking up more than my fair share of cargo space from friends I travel with. I've only been using it half a summer so I can't say exactly how well it stands up over time, but it seems pretty bomber and I'm not afraid to drop it in the dirt/sand/whatever around camp. Like one other review I read, the plastic tab holding the small bit of cord to the zipper pulls came off which makes the one zipper harder to open/close. Not the biggest deal, but I think something like that should have lasted a LOT longer. I wasn't sold on the backpack straps at first and the lack of a regular shoulder strap, but i live in an upstairs apartment, and the backpack straps have proven quite useful and comfortable for getting my crap down to the car and loaded.

I own three of these, the medium, large, and extra large. I bring one of them on most every car or plane trip I take. The medium works well for a weekend winter trip, and holds plenty of clothing, jackets, etc. I've used the large for several trips abroad where I need a durable bag that I can abuse. For the extra large, I've used it on trips to Denali and Aconcagua, and it has held up great while riding on mules or strapped to a sled. Even with plenty of sharp things inside (ice axe, crampons, poles) it shows minimal damage. Some times for airport travel I wish it had an easier way to carry it, but I girth hitch the side strap with a sling and pull it across the slippery airport floors. It has backpack straps, but I'm usually wearing a backpack too. I also like the construction. The top and sides are made of a durable water resistant material. This helps for leaving it outside in the snow or rain, when it can't fit in the tent. The bottom is a heavy duty cordura, which holds up well.

I've had a yellow/black XL for 2 years now, used mainly for flying. Standing up well so far (it's been on 20+ flights and a couple of road trips). No tears, punctures or anything, just dirt on the outside). The compression straps mean it'll keep your stuff nice and organized when it's only half full (or less). The only issue: it's sheer size! :-) It's way too easy to load this thing to over 50lb (where airlines start charging you money), or even over 70lb/32kg where they'll refuse it as luggage altogether. (I did manage to get it checked in loaded with 88lbs/40kg once - very full, but no signs of stress on the seems or the zipper). Overall very happy so far.

Great bag for weekend trips. It hold a ton and is extremely durable.

This thing has been taking a beating and has stayed in pretty decent condition. the backpack straps are a godsend when this thing is loaded to capacity.

I bought the XLG, as I will be living in Africa for the next two years. I wanted something that would hold a lot but not be too cumbersome, and still be durable. This is exactly what I hoped it would be!!

I have the large size. Even when not packed full it compresses well. Found it to be very durable and water-resistent. Its gone through the airport a number of times and cam out just fine. Drag it, drop it, 4 years and still no signs of wear. Backpack straps are very nice, but take a bit of fidgeting to remove. Only real complaint is that it does not come with a shoulder stap - even though there are clips/rings for one.

Over the years have purchased 8 duffles in all different sizes. Traveled to Europe, S America, Carribean and most of N America. Never had a failure or puncture...although many airlines have tried. Each family member has their own. Top notch! How many travel bags do you have that have lasted 10 years?

Used one on two trips: It got holes and the coating is getting off at many places. Used another one on one trip: The coating is starting to get off too. Absolutely not up to its reputation. The real North Face is no better than the North Fake and I will never buy anything again from this trademark.

I got the L and had room leftover for a week long trip that required a bunch of excess stuff. The shoulder straps are awesome, even if your bag is heavy you can handle it. If you use it like a backpack I would just be sure to pack heavy stuff accordingly. Super durable too.

My wife and I both purchased medium duffels. Initially we found the bags to be good size and with what appeared to be quality construction. We just returned from our first major trip and experienced two problems. One minor one a little more serious. Minor: the bags zipper closed with a generous large YKK zipper (thank you TNF). The zipper has a cord that runs through it with a plastic tab holding the cord ends together. This makes the zipper easier to grab and provides a longer grip point when pulling the zipper. On the second day of travel the plastic tab broke and the cord fell out of the zipper. I'd suggest TNF use a longer piece of corded material or a flat stitched piece of cloth (like narrow gauge climbing webbing) and do away with the plastic tab that failed. Major: during a layover my wife and I shouldered our bags as backpacks and headed for the next terminal to continue our trip. Within minutes we both started to notice neck fatigue. Within 30 minutes we both had to stop and put our bags down every few minutes thereafter despite making multiple strap adjustments. Our packs were not too heavy by our standards (23lbs and 28lbs).We both examined our packs and came to the same conclusion - the upper attachment points for the shoulder straps are placed very close together on the bag and pinched our necks severely. This is a shame as there is plenty of room along the top of the bag and this problem could have been solved by moving the shoulder strap attachment point out a couple of inches. Otherwise, we agree with all the positive posts for this bag. We really want to love this bag. However our experience was painful enough that, unless my wife can remove and resow the shoulder straps, we'll return them.

I got the bag with the intention of using it outside in crummy weather and to hall a lot around and it's met all my expectations! The price is a little much, but it seems like it's going to last long into the future and take a lot of ware.

We're cave divers, so we have to lug our gear to other countries, and this means packing so we avoid the extra $$ that we normally pay the airline for our checked bags over 50 pounds. Our new NF bags rock, they can protect our expensive gear, yet don't weigh much so we can take all our gear and not worry about having to pay the extra $$ to the airlines!!

Very tough bag. Water-resistant, can handle airports, camping or being strapped to the roof of a car. I use the small for overnight trips, the medium for multi-day, and I have a large but rarely use it because once it's filled it's often too bulky to carry comfortably. I'd recommend an Eagle Creek roller bag if you need something bigger than a medium. My one problem with these bags is that if you use the shoulder/backpack straps as shoulder straps one strap will always slip off. An easy fix, use a double sided Velcro strap to tie the two straps together. With that fix this bag's worth every penny.

I purchased the duffel for a hut ski trip, it works great being hauled in any sort of cargo trailer or rack, keeps things dry and protected, if you need to haul the duffel on your back for any sort of portage or short hike it'll comfortably carry a lot of weight in a stable concise bag, the zippers are really beefy, my only complaint is that the flashy logo could attract undesirable attn.

I first purchased my large NF Duffel in Bright Red in the hope that my luggage would stand out on the airport carousel, no problem there the Yellow or the Red certainly stand out. I was a bit unsure if the bag would stand up to whatever goes on behind those check in desks and down below in the baggage dept, but I was happily surprised when I reached my destination to see not one rip, not one torn zipper only some dirty boot marks, which I wipped off with a rag. I was so please that I bought a Medium for small weekend trips, a small for overnight trips and an XL for those longer trips. My only complaint is that the XL is so huge by the time you fill it you need a Sherpa to carry it.

The large size fits a weeks worth of clothes and a helmet perfectly. Backpack straps free up your hands to carry skis and a boot bag. Should handle years of abuse as checked baggage.

i wish it had wheels. durable and water proof. gets dirty fast.

I have had this bag since 1996, I traveled from UNH to my home in the Bahamas and wanted a bag that stood out on the baggage carousel (RED). I love this bag because i can throw it in the bow of my boat and it has stood up to the salt air and keeps my gear dry or load it up with ski gear. I just ordered a XL in green, i should have gotten another L instead (huge). You cant beat this service.

I bought this bag for lugging my ski boots, quick trips to LA, grocery-getting, dirty laundry toting, you-name-it. It has the most durable skin, and it's the perfect size for me (I got the small, which is the best size for those boots, and some light gear).

Great bags! I have the small and medium and they've gone through many airports and second-world trips without a scratch. Note that even empty, they're heavier than the typical (non-waterproof) duffel, but these bags really keep your stuff dry while sitting on the tarmac or the baggage cart in the rain. Can wear them as a backpack or use the sholder strap or handles. Very sturdy.

This is the 3rd The North Face Duffel bag I have purchased. They are awesome! You can easily spot them in baggage claim. The contents are protected from thieves when you wear it like a backpack on your way to the hostel abroad. They can take plenty of abuse.

This bag saved me! I teach snowboarding (and other outdoor sports) and I now travel back and forth between Vail CO and Burlington VT. I had a normal backpack material EMS duffel bag that got a huge hole in it after my first trip. I could have lost some very expensive gear. This bag however is perfect. I downsized and got a Lg and its a great size, it really expands to hold everything. The quality is ideal for airline travel as well as carting it around campsites. The backpack straps give me more hands to pull my snowboard bag and other gear through the airport. My boyfriend convinced me to get this bag after he traveled the world competing in Nordic events (his is like 10 years old and looks almost like my new one, maybe a little dirtier). Now i plan to live out of this bag and surf next summer! Don't even think about not having at least one of these bags!