Osprey Airporter LZ pack duffel, medium
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For flying with a fully loaded backpack, I’ve typically only used a contractor trash bag and ziptie to cover the pack and all its straps and things attached, or I’ve just used the plastic bag and ziptie offered by my airline (Alaska has these). This most recent trip to Grand Canyon however, I had extra days prior to backpacking, and knew I could leave gear behind while hiking, so I wanted to bring some luxury items. So I purchased an Osprey backpack duffel from REI to put my pack in while flying. Then I was able to use this duffel to leave behind extra gear while on the actual backpack trip. It worked really well, serving the dual need.
The duffel comes in a variety of sizes, so you’d want to size it for your need. The medium fit my fully loaded Granite Gear Blaze 60 very well, with quite a bit of room to spare. It was super easy to put the pack in and take it out. I might have been able to use the small size Osprey duffel. The duffel is sturdy and comes with a pocket, which I used for extra ID and address in case the bag went astray in transit. It then can fold itself into that pocket for easy storage. It has one backpack strap which is detachable and can be configured different ways, a top grab strap like a pack has, and a suitcase style handle on the side. Of course, two backpack straps would be easier, not sure why they opted for only one, but it still handled well. Even the bus drivers, who loaded my duffel, commented on how easy it was to hoist. My pack and other gear inside was under 30 pounds total. I was only transferring it from airport luggage carousel to bus stop, then to a bus transfer, then to the campground, about 1/2 mile carry.
I’m not sure how often I’ll use it, since most of the time I don’t bring anything extra. Since I could leave stuff behind on this trip, I was able to bring clean clothes for post-trip, some stuff I didn’t need and shouldn’t have brought anyway, some books, and a hammock – that was totally worth the weight!
Overall, i think it’s a good buy if it suits your need. Most of the time the contractor bag worked just fine and is disposable. I could see using this duffel if I ever go to Europe for a backpacking trip. But I’m starting to think, why go so far away when I have so much beauty here at home?! I’ll post a GC trip report soon.
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