Last summer, as photography bag and accessory maker Peak Design neared the end of a Kickstarter campaign for its then-new Travel Backpack (it amassed $5.2 million from nearly 14,000 backers), it played a last-minute wild card: two new duffel bags. As part of the late stage announcement, Peak Design admitted that the duffels were “half-baked” and called on its backers to help finish the designs by collecting feedback from them through surveys and direct comment. Now, roughly a year later, Peak Design amassed all that intel, and the bags are available for purchase.
The main element that separates the two duffels is size: there are the 35-liter Travel Duffel and the 65-Liter Travel Duffelpack (at 45 liters, the Travel Backpack fills the size gap). The former is a classic small-volume bag that serves as an ideal carry-on or weekender for short trips; it has padded hand straps and a shoulder strap and includes internal mesh pockets and an exterior zippered pocket too. The 65-liter version also has these elements but adds full backpack-style shoulder straps and a waist belt that tuck away when you don’t need them.
Both bags serve as Peak Design’s entry into the crowded field of travel duffels, and beyond the brand’s always-present sense of smart design, include one element that sets them apart from the crowd: they open up wide. While some bags, stiff due to the rugged, weatherproof material they’re made of, require a degree of digging around to locate an item, Peak Design’s models use a super-long zipper, and internal aluminum stays to avoid that. It’s a small touch, but one that makes packing and unpacking a much easier process.
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