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Thule Chasm 40 Travel Duffel Review
Cost: $129.95
Capacity: 40 liters
Dimensions: 22.1″ x 12.6″ x 10″ (56 x 32 x 25 cm)
Style: Duffel
Weight: 2.9 lbs (1.32 kg)
Laptop: None
Materials: 840D Nylon; TPE laminate; YKK zips
Origin: Made in Vietnam
Thule Chasm 40 Travel Duffel
I tested this pack on a long weekend in Utah and I was not disappointed. With a huge main compartment and thick water resistant fabric, the Thule Chasm is a great, very durable travel duffel.
Dimensions
I have the smallest 40 liter version here. It also comes in larger 70, 90 and 130 liter sizes. But this is the only one that’s going to fit as a carry on in the overhead.
The Chasm is listed at 22” x 12” x 10” (56 x 30 x 25 cm), however I found it to be slightly wider, but less deep than they say it is. Fully packed my bag measured 23” x 14” x 9” (58 x 35 x 23). This bag will easily fits in the overhead, but is a little too large to use as a personal item.
Materials
I’m very impressed with the fabric on the Chasm. It’s extremely thick, double laminated TPU, basically a thick rubberized fabric. The bottom has an extra layer of 840D nylon to help with abrasion resistance.
This does make the bag a little heavier at about 2.9 lbs, or 1.3 kg. But that’s a good tradeoff if you want a very durable duffel.
Zippers and Buckles
The rest of the hardware is also solid. Huge #10 locking YKK main compartment, Duraflex nylon buckles, thick webbing straps and handles. The Thule Chasm is a very well-made, durable pack.
External Components
The Chasm has two carry options: Removable backpack straps, top carry handles, as well as side handles.
Top Slash pocket
The only exterior organization is one small slash pocket on top of the bag. Opened with a water resistant YKK zipper, the pocket is thin but wide, taking up the full volume of the top of the pack.
Carry System
The shoulder straps on the Chasm are extremely wide and well padded. But they don’t have features you find on many travel backpacks, like a sternum strap, hip belt, or top load adjusters.
However, these straps are quite a bit wider than standard shoulder straps which help distribute the weight. I found them to work well for what I was carrying,
Stowability
The straps are removable, with a hidden buckle on the bottom. The top attaches with an aluminum toggle. There’s no dedicated pocket for the straps, but you can completely remove them and store them in the main compartment.
Carry Handles
The carry handles have a great design. If you watched my Review of the Jack Wolfskin Expedition you remember those handles dangle on the side when you’re wearing it as a backpack.
Thule incorporated a snap buckle that keeps the handles out of the way, while also hiding the side compression straps. This is a great feature, and it works really well.
Back Padding
The lack of back padding is common on almost all of these minimalist travel duffels. Like the Patagonia Black Hole, Osprey Daylite and North Face Base Camp. The backing on all these packs is just the exterior fabric with little or no padding. This is a trade-off between weight, volume, and carry comfort.
Interior Design and Organization
The interior on the Thule Chasm is a side access duffel. The lid is slightly offset, with the zipper going down further on and around the back of the lid on the bottom part of the pack. Which gives you better access to the bottom of the pack. The inside is a cavernous compartment with two small mesh zippered pockets on the lid.
Packing the Thule Chasm 40 Travel Duffel
This bag is really easy to pack and holds a ton of gear. You can easily fit two medium packing cubes in here and a ton of gear on top. The small zippered mesh pockets are great for smaller gear.
Carry Comfort
The Thule chasm worked great for what I was using the bag for. The straps are wide and well padded, but they don’t have a sternum strap, top load adjusters, or back padding.
However these straps are much wider than other bags in this category. For example compared to the Osprey Daylite, Patagonia Big Haul and the North Face Base Camp.
Thule Chasm 40L Travel Duffel Summary
In summary, the Thule Chasm is a great pack if you’re looking for a simple, sturdy duffel. The bag is very well made, it will stand up to abuse and last a long time. I love the huge main compartment, it’s easy to pack as well as having decent organization for small gear.
