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Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 45L Review

Cost: $129.00
Capacity: 45 liters (2019 version is now 40 liters)
Dimensions: 21″ x 13.7″ x 10.6″ (53 x 35 x 27 cm)
Style: Duffel bag, convertible backpack straps
Weight: 1.69 lbs. (0.77 kg)
Laptop: No
Materials: 900 denier polyester ripstop, TPU laminate, DWR finish
Origin: Manufactured in Vietnam

Check Price at Patagonia

Every time I pick up a Patagonia bag I’m impressed. Their packs are so solid, and the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 45L is no exception. It’s an awesome little travel duffel made from super sturdy fabric and hardware. It’s lightweight, well made, durable, and minimalist. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is an awesome choice.

Materials, Colors, and Size

Material

I tend to advocate for bags that are made from nylon over polyester on this site. Pound for pound, nylon is stronger than polyester for the same denier (weight), however it absorbs moisture better and degrades faster in UV light. This where a good laminate or coating makes a huge difference.

The Black Hole Duffel uses a TPU laminate, as opposed to a bag like the Eagle Creek Load Hauler which uses a PU coating. Laminates bind to fabric better than coatings, and tend to hold up better over time. This pack also uses a DWR (durable water repellent) finish, which increases its water-proofness even more.

This duffel bag combines a thick 900 denier ripstop polyester, with a TPU laminate, and DWR finish. This gives you a very thick, sturdy, rubberized material with great abrasion resistance, tear strength, and water resistance. Much stronger than a non-treated nylon pack with similar weight fabric.

Hardware

Large #10 non-locking YKK zipper on main U-opening and a smaller #8 on the front pocket. The main compartment doesn’t have a locking mechanism, however can easily use a mini locking carabiner to secure the zippers together. You can technically get into the main compartment front pocket, however it would be difficult to access.

Size and Color

For some reason manufacturers can’t keep duffel bags within standard carry on dimensions. Like some other duffel bags I’ve looked at (eg. Cargo Hauler, REI Big Haul) also just outside the standard 22”x14”x9” minimums, which makes it hard to know if they will fit in the overhead. This duffel is soft sided with a small profile, so you shouldn’t have any problem. Just don’t over-pack it.

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag comes in a rainbow of colors. They may be considered either charming and vibrant, or loud obnoxious depending on your view. I have the Dolomite Blue, a lovely bright steel hue, adorned with a bright PATAGONIA front label. Love em or not, your gear will not be mistaken for another brand. If you prefer to fly under the radar, pick up the bag in Black, it’s not quite as loud.

External Components

External Organization

You have limited external organization on the Black Hole Duffel. But this is a duffel right? We don’t ask for much. The bag does have one where it counts though. One large front access slash pocket. Actually it’s the packable pocket in reverse. It’s a LARGE capacity pouch for easy access items, like passport electronics etc.

Compression Straps / Buckles

Nope. But the fabric is STURDY. This thing can stand up empty on its own like a cored-out watermelon (I don’t understand this reference either). Trick all your friends into thinking you’re carrying a big pile of expensive travel goodies, when in fact you’re just toting around the paper stuffing that came with the bag.

Water Bottle Pocket

Again, no. Remember that time we did a review on a minimalist duffel bag? Yeah, that’s still happening. This one doesn’t have a water bottle pocket either. BUT, this thing is big enough so you can put one inside. Or if you’re a rebel with with a penchant for outside attachments, attach a foldable Vapur bottle to the exterior daisy chains.

Waterproofness

The TPU laminated ripstop is a waterproof fabric, but the bag as a whole is not. At least not completely. The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel lacks waterproof zippers, as well as sealed seams. Which makes it water resistant. But for most people in normal situations, this bag will keep your gear dry. Just avoid torrential downpours and don’t use your bag as a floatation device and you’ll be fine.

Carry Options

Backpack straps

These are sturdy and comfortable, a great way to carry the duffel. They are detachable from the bottom with side-release buckles, and from the top with a D-ring buckle attachment. They stay in place pretty well, and don’t come loose on their own like I had happen with the Eagle Creek Load Hauler. One downside to the straps, no dedicated stash pocket.

Like the similar REI Big Haul 40, the backpack back is unadorned. A rubberized ripstop fabric greets your sweaty back making this pack uncomfortable to carry for long distances. There is also a complete lack of padding and ventilation channels. Be careful what you put in the interior mesh pockets, as they might soon be poking into your back as you walk.

Shoulder Strap

By far the biggest complaint I see from other users about the bag is the lack of shoulder strap. The previous version of the Black Hole Duffel came with one, but this newer version does not. Frankly it’s an inexcusable oversight. You really need a shoulder strap for this duffel bag.

Top and Side Handles

The top handles are simple, comfortable, and fantastic. Two sturdy nylon webbing straps come together on top of the bag, and connect with a lightly padded button fabric handle. The side handles are sturdy, but unadorned with padding. It’s comprised of one folded over nylon webbing strap, with a thinner strap sewn to it. So basically the thickness of 3 nylon webbing straps.

Interior Components and Design

Packing Style

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel opens with a large U-zip opening. It has one large capacity pocket that can be easily packed with packing cubes, or just throw in your loose gear. That’s the fun of duffel bags, right? If you want packing cubes, these medium Cubes from Eagle Creek work great with this pack.

Interior Organization

No internal compartments, slidey zipper things, or organizational separators here. But they are nice enough to attach 2 small mesh pockets to the underside of the lid. They’re pretty small and will press up against your back in backpack mode, so don’t expect to use these for anything bulky (or sharp).

Laptop Compartment

You won’t find a dedicated laptop compartment in the Black Hole Duffel. But it’s big enough to fit most any laptop, the bottom dimensions are 19”x10.3” and my 15” laptop fit 15”x10.5” and it fits with plenty of room to spare. There is a small amount of padding on the bottom of the bag, but still I would use a laptop sleeve if you have one

Packing The Duffel Bag

I packed the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag with my usual gear list. Click the drop-down below to bring it up. Everything fit in fine, this bag is spacious and easy to pack. Again, one of the reasons why I like duffel bags. It’s just so straightforward. I tend to lose things in the bottom when I don’t use packing cubes, they really help stay organized with open compartment duffels like this.

Click here for a drop down packing list for the REI Ruckpack 40

Summary

All and all, this is a fantastic little minimalist duffel. Its durable water resistant fabric makes it great for adventure travel. Top carry handles, carry on friendly dimensions, and removable backpack straps make it a good option for one bag travel. The design is decent as-is, but could be improved with backpack stash pockets, backpack padding, and lockable zippers. And it could really use a shoulder strap.

Best Features

• Removable backpack straps
• Low profile minimalist aesthetic
• Sturdy TPU coated fabric
• Spacious interior

Worst Features

• No shoulder strap
• No stash pockets for backpack straps
• No padding on backpack back
• No lockable zippers

Check Price at Patagonia

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