17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Magic Bag", March 16, 2009
This review is from: Outdoor Products Packable Duffle (Black) (Sports)
My Girlfriend calls this a "Magic Bag" as it is the perfect stow-away bag. It folds into nothing and opens to a huge duffel when needed.
She keeps one in her luggage for those occasions when you want to bring something home from a vacation (gifts, clothing -whatever) and need to pack more bags than you brought with you. It takes up almost NO room when stowed into its own side pocket (see pictures) and weighs very little. When it is opened up it is HUGE. It's a normal sized duffel bag. I started doing the same thing too. I have a bunch of these, as I love them so much. You can't have too many high-tech bags like this for emergencies like buying two dozen T-shirts in the Bahamas and not having room for them in your suitcase.
It's also a good dirty-laundry bag. Buy an extra and keep it in your luggage for that too. You can stuff your dirty laundry into this thing when you are on vacation and haul it home separately in its own bag, or stuff it back into your suitcase -laundry and all. It's a very pliable bag since the fabric is thin -but still very strong (it won't rip or ruin the zipper. It's well made). The shoulder strap is handy and up to the task of hauling the bag fully loaded with whatever you want to stuff in it.
Some reviewers gave this bag a bad review because the material is "flimsy." It's very strong but of course it is going to be thin -it HAS to be for it to fold up so small and fit into its own side-pocket. The material is like a light jacket or what my mom used to call a "windbreaker" back in the 70's. It's very tough though as it is rip-stop nylon. It is quite a bit thicker than what you would typically see in the fabric of a camping tent -but made of a similar fabric. It is still thin enough to pack tightly but it won't tear or rip. It's also fairly waterproof.
Don't expect this bag have much padding though. That is not the kind of duffel bag that this is.
I also use these for my motorcycle. I can put my entire motorcycle riding suit AND my helmet inside when I'm off the bike, and when I don't need it, the bag folds up and fits neatly inside my magnetic tank bag without hardly wasting any space. I have 2 more that I use as "liners" for my hard saddlebags. The material is very tough and strong but because it is thin and pliable it doesn't waste any room, and conforms to the size and shape of the hard plastic motorcycle saddlebag it sits inside. (my bags are Givi E36's if anyone is interested).
If you want a normal everyday gym bag or overnight bag, this probably isn't for you. If you want a "Magic Bag" that is so small you can pull it out of jeans pocket and then use it like a large-sized duffel bag when opened, then this is bag is what you are looking for.
This bag is tough as nails for what it is (although I wouldn't try to HAUL nails in it), the zipper has never failed me -even when over-stuffed with dirty laundry many times. The shoulder strap is strong, and has a rubber pad. The side handles are strong and well sewn-on as well. The velcro on the handles to hold them together at the top is a nice touch too -you don't have to gather them both up when you go to pick this bag off of the floor.
The guys who designed this bag knew what they were doing. It is too bad that some of the buyers here on Amazon didn't know what it is for and gave it bad ratings for not being what they wanted. It's an ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT stow-away bag -not a heavyweight Canvas trunk.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love these duffels., January 4, 2010
This review is from: Outdoor Products Packable Duffle (Black) (Sports)
My family uses duffel bags for everything. We do a lot of camping and with 3 teenagers, overnight bags are a must. These bags did not seem like much when I first received them, but they have really taken a beating. It folds up into its own pocket which makes it about the size of a paperback book which makes it the perfect bag to pack for an extra bag when traveling. They fold out quite big and hold a lot of gear. You can pack these bags to the limit and they do not rip, stretch or break the zipper. As long as these bags are available, they will be the only duffel bags I purchase.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top notch!, September 13, 2009
This review is from: Outdoor Products Packable Duffle (Black) (Sports)
I bought some of these bags because I had recently purchased an Eddie Bauer packable duffel and I loved it. When EB pulled them from their inventory for the season (or ran out, I'm not sure) I was looking for some more and found this item. It's almost as good and about one-fifth the price!!
Best uses inlude (as some reviewers have noted):
-Laundry bag for travelling or other
-Spare carry-on for travelling
-I keep one in my truck with an emergency blanket and spare clothes
-Stuff sack for sleeping bag
-Closet blanket storage
-Weekender travel bag
These are so lightweight and portable I'm sure you can imagine hundreds of other uses! Of course, no one should try to carry bricks or heavy equipment in these. The ripstop nylon is great and pretty tough, but if you need a heavy duty bag, make sure you buy one for THAT purpose.
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