Duffel bag airline rated

[big10hunter]

I need a tough duffel bag big enough to hold my 6000 ci pack and some other gear. I don't want to break the bank. I want it to be tough enough for airline travel.

 

[Rocky]

Have you thought about a hockey gear bag. They are large and tough. I have seen them on airlines before.

 

[BlackBear]

Go buy a large 600 denier Cordura duffle bag. No ups, no extras shouldn’t cost much at all.

 

[tstowater]

Might want to study the airline baggage fees for weight and "oversize" charges. Some of the bigger bags might get you to extra fees. Just don't want to get surprises when you get to the airport. Second, if you get on a different airline during your trip, the second airline may have different rules. Just something to complicate the deal. Some of the bags get rather heavy. I have a couple Cabela "brown duck" bags. They work great, but they are heavy and you can haul too much crap if you aren't careful. Went to a smaller bag so I don't take as much. If I have the room, I have a tendency to want to fill it.

 

[ohhiitznik]

Go to an army navy store and grab up a cordura gear bag. I have a couple and they don't weigh much and are tough as nails

 

[TEmbry]

I bought an over bag made by Kelty. Pack the backpack full of stuff securely then slip entire pack into this cordura loose bag and Zip it up. Just protects the buckles and such from smashing

 

[idig4au]

I travel lots and feel your pain. I ended up going with a Filson extra large wheeled duffel. It's bombproof, highly water resistant and can carry more than I can pack. It's on the expensive side and I justified it by not having to replace bags as often and for piece of mind. It fits all my backpacking gear with no worries. My only complaint is that I wish it was a just few inches wider.

I had a great Cabelas bag I bought in 2001 but they discontinued it. I guess their business model is to go cheap now because the replacement duffel was complete garbage.

 

[Gman]

Ah the giant duffle dilemma Problems usually are price, durability, and weight being the big one. With a large bag you don't want the weight of the empty bag to encroach on your 50lb limit. I've always looked at the filson bags like idig4au recommends. I'm sure they're bomber but out of my price range. I fly all over with tons of gear using these http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63917?feat=904-GN1&page=adventure-rolling-duffle-extra-large they're super durable, you can roll them which is a huge help, and I get them in the bright colors with my last name on them so they're easy to identify - a big plus when traveling internationaly and you have to pick up your bag in that circus right before going through customs.

I'm also a big fan of Patagonia luggage. And you can sometimes find this for as much as 50% off. Plus if it ever rips or tears they'll repair or replace free of charge. Hard to beat that for a piece of luggage.

 

[Nick Muche]

The military has blessed me with several very nice and large duffles! I'd look at one of the military stores you see that sell second hand items, could get one super cheap I am sure!

 

[TooFarEast]

I haven't tried it yet, but for air travel for hunts I am thinking about stuffing my pack into a 100 quart cooler. That way I can fly it out as one package and then have a cooler to fly meat home when I return from the hunt. Anyone else tried anything like this?

 

[big10hunter]

All great info. Thanks.