American bag brand Wandrd was initially motivated by the desire to create a camera bag that was both functional and looked 'sexy'. The words sexy and duffel rarely go together, if at all, so we were keen to see if the brand had managed to achieve this marriage with its Carryall Duffel.
Founded by four brothers with a penchant for travel and photography, it’s fair to say the stylings of Wandrd's range lean more towards globetrotting, Interrailing and camera carrying than they do towards hauling climbing gear to a remote base camp, especially when compared to the likes of Patagonia or Cotopaxi's offerings. This is despite the Wandrd logo featuring the silhouette of a mountain. Nevertheless, a bag is a bag. If there’s capacity for a rope, harness and helmet, and it’s durable enough to withstand a bit of abuse, it’ll do nicely, regardless of its appearance.
To discover whether this duffle meets these criteria, I put the Carryall through its paces, testing it in all kinds of scenarios, from everyday use and travel, to camping and other outdoor adventures.
First impressions
RRP: $159 (US) / £138 (UK)
Weight (empty): 3lb / 1.34kg
Materials: Shell: 900-denier polyester with PVC-coating; Base: 840-denier nylon
Capacity: 40L
Size: 22 x 12.75 x 10in (55.9 x 32.9 x 25.4cm)
Versions available: 30L, 40L and 60L
Colors: Black / Wasatch Green / Aegean Blue / Sedona Orange / Uyuni Purple / Dallol Yellow
The Carryall definitely has a smart, clean aesthetic that looks the part just as much at JFK Airport as it does in the mountains. Nods towards its suitability for long-distance travel include the ID window at the top of the bag and its locking zip pullers, designed to foil potential pickpockets. It manages to feel both stylish and hard-as-nails at the same time – not an easy balance to strike. I like it.
There are other subtleties that I began to notice early in the test, such as the removable chest strap, a nice addition considering the main carry method is via the bag's shoulder straps. What isn’t so subtle is the obvious durability and rugged qualities of the main fabrics and the components that have gone into the bag. I appreciated how smooth the zippers ran as I began to explore its half-dozen storage options. It seemed I had a product of some quality on my hands.
Tough materials
Wandrd stands by its 900-denier polyester shell with PVC-coating. It’s a tried-and-true material the brand has used in many of its products down the years and it provides the Carryall duffel with its heft and robust qualities. The base of the back is an 840-denier nylon, which gives the bottom of the pack additional durability while saving weight at the same time.
In total, the 40L version of the Carryall weighs 3lb (1.34kg), which is heavier than some comparable bags. For context, the 70L Patagonia Black Hole Duffel is the same as this, while the 70L Cotopaxi Allpa weighs 9oz less. Its weight seems to be down to the rugged materials Wandrd has opted for. So, if you’re looking for a bomb-proof duffel, this is a good shout; whereas if keeping the gram count down is your bag, it isn’t.
Carry options
All four sides of the Carryall have grab handles, making it easy to… well… grab. The side handles also double up as carry handles, especially useful considering this duffel doesn’t have a carry handle across the top, like some others do.
What is does boast are a couple of removable shoulder straps, complete with a handy chest strap. The combination of the shoulder straps’ padding and the chest strap make it a more comfortable backpack style carry than most. Where the chest strap sits can be adjusted on the fly, as it clips into runners towards the bottom of the shoulder strap. Little fabric pulls allowed me to unclip the strap with ease, while it made a satisfying click when slotted back into place.
When I was at school, it wasn’t cool to carry your daypack using both shoulder straps. I’ve absolutely no idea if this is still the case but, regardless, Wandrd have seen fit to provide the option of a single shoulder carry with an additional padded shoulder strap that’s available separately and only comes in black. It clips nicely into two of the four larger loops that sit on the outside of the pack.
These loops can also be used to lash other items, such as dry bags or even some of Wandrd's smaller travel bags, such as their toiletry bags. There’s not the sort of obvious daisy chain array you get on something like Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel, though there are still 16 little loops around the pack’s exterior, which is more than enough for the vast majority of uses.
Thoughtful features and storage
In total, there are six separate spaces to store items. Firstly, there’s a large, unfussy main compartment – exactly what’s required in a duffel bag. No hidden pockets or sleeves here, just a big space for all your stuff. The main compartment’s U-shaped top lid has the usual zippered mesh pocket on its underside – ideal for storing items you want to keep separate from your pants, tops, down jacket et al.
There are separate, smaller zippered compartments at either end of the main one. One is modestly sized – for stashing books and the like – and is joined by a zippered mesh pocket in its lid.
The other is extendable, with a large bucket of fabric that can be pushed into the main compartment space, or outwards, thus increasing the interior capacity. This innovative touch opens up the possibility of storing larger items separately, such as muddy shoes or wet gear and towels. Wandrd call it the 'laundry pocket' An ‘even better if’ would have been if the bucket fabric had been made of the kind of fully waterproof material you get in dry bags. Nonetheless, I was impressed with the intelligence of the design. It’s also sized to fit Wandrd’s 3L Rogue Sling, while the 60L duffel will also take the 6L Rogue Sling here.
This just leaves the final little zippered side pocket, which sits above one of the grab handles. This small pocket is nicely sized for items like passports or headlamps.
It’d be remiss of me not to mention the YKK zippers, which are chunky, water-resistant and smoother than most. The main shell of the U-shaped main compartment lid overlaps the main zipper, providing an additional waterproof shield.
The most intriguing thing about the zip pulls (isn't there always something intriguing about zip pulls?) on both the main and side compartments is Wandrd's patent-pending Worryless Locking Zipper Pullers. These are custom designed to lock together with a twist, making it nigh on impossible for pickpockets to sneakily unzip and access the bag’s compartments – not without you noticing and alerting airport security anyway.
In the field
I’ve been using the Carryall for all kinds of purposes, including a handy little bag for camping trips, a personal pack for travel and a place to transport and stash gear during longer outdoor adventures. Its size makes it a versatile option for long weekends and it’s a goer for cabin baggage allowances when flying too. For longer trips, or if you’re looking for a duffel for all your climbing gear, the 60L version would be preferable.
It's a pleasant duffel to carry thanks to its well-designed shoulder straps and sternum strap. With some duffels, these straps feel like a bit of an afterthought, whereas here they provide enough comfort that I wouldn’t have too many qualms about hauling the Carryall for short hikes – though a decent dedicated daypack is still a better option for this. It’s not what a duffel is really for anyway.
Storage wise, it does all it needs to. Everything has a place. I liked being able to stash dirty or wet gear in the extendable side pocket. There’s no fast-access exterior storage, such a mesh pocket or semi-open option, but this is hardly a major issue.
The Carryall is water-resistant rather than fully waterproof. I found that it batted showers away with consummate ease, though I wouldn’t want to leave it out for too long during a prolonged downpour.
All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with the design, functionality and versatility of the Carryall. Its innovations put it up there with some of the best duffel bags around, though I’d have liked to have seen more mention of both recycled materials and recyclability given the age we live in. Nevertheless, it's an impressive duffel.
Also consider
This is a beautifully designed duffel bag that oozes class and has a number of useful features. It's relatively light, while still being durable and gives you plenty of storage options. We particularly like the semi-open, Velcro closure side pockets that can be used to stash straps out the way. It's also from a brand doing their utmost in the sustainability stakes.
Pros
- Beautifully designed
- Super durable
- Clever Velcro side pockets
- Plenty of lash points
- Sustainable brand
Cons
- More expensive than some
- Beware of water getting into semi-open side pockets
Made from tough recycled polyester and TPU, the Black Hole haulage solution lives up to its name by swallowing a huge amount of kit, perfect for trips to the mountains or holidays to the beach. It's not cheap, but this is a robust and versatile bag, which can be carried like a standard duffle or shouldered like a backpack (either way, the handles not in use can be stashed away).
Pros
- Impressively hardwearing
- Crafted from recycled polyester and TPU
- Packs down into stuff sack for easy storage
- Stuff sack doubles up as interior storage
- Removable shoulder straps for backpack carry
- Burly webbing for lashing extra gear
Cons
- Lack of padding on carry handles
- Poppers on the main handle could be better
- Relatively expensive compared to some
Comparison table
Duffel bag |
List price |
Weight |
Other sizes available |
|---|---|---|---|
Wandrd Carryall Duffel 40L |
$159 / £138 |
3lb / 1.34kg |
30L / 60L |
Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway 70L |
$200 / £180 |
2lb 7oz / 1.11kg |
55L / 100L |
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 70L |
$199 / £180 |
3lb / 1.36kg |
40L / 55L / 100L |
