The REI Co-op Big Haul 60 stands out as a highly versatile duffel bag, well-suited for a wide array of uses, from international flights to overland excursions. Our comprehensive testing across diverse environments, including road trips through Colorado, numerous airport transits, and even a rigorous hose-soak evaluation, revealed its adaptability and user-friendly design. It consistently performed as a dependable companion, seamlessly transitioning between roles as a travel bag and a gear hauler.
This duffel excels in practical features such as its robust compression straps, which proved unexpectedly beneficial. These straps allow a fully packed bag to be significantly reduced in size, often enabling it to meet carry-on dimensions for various airlines—a considerable advantage for travelers. Furthermore, its integrated carrying system is a highlight, featuring easily accessible and stowable backpack straps, detachable tote handles, and a wide main opening that facilitates effortless packing and retrieval of items without the need for complete un-packing. While its weather resistance is adequate for most travel and camping scenarios, it's important to note it isn't completely waterproof, showing minor leakage during extreme water exposure tests. Despite this, its thoughtful design, combining lightweight construction, clever functionalities, and everyday durability, makes the Big Haul 60 a highly recommended option.
Adaptable Carrying and Smart Features
The REI Co-op Big Haul 60 offers an exceptionally flexible carrying system, making it suitable for a variety of travel situations. Its backpack straps can be easily deployed from a dedicated compartment, and the padded back panel effectively distributes weight for comfortable, albeit shorter, carries through airports or parking areas. This design minimizes shoulder strain, though the absence of a hip belt or sternum strap means it’s best for moderate distances. Additionally, the bag features four grab handles, one on each side, which greatly simplify handling—whether retrieving it from a luggage carousel or stowing it in an overhead bin. A minor consideration is the padded back panel's breathability; it can become warm during extended use in hot conditions, a small trade-off for its overall comfort and versatility.
Beyond its carrying comfort, the Big Haul 60 incorporates several smart features that enhance its usability. The external compression straps are a standout, allowing users to significantly cinch down the bag's volume. This capability is invaluable for air travel, as it can transform an otherwise oversized duffel into a carry-on compliant piece of luggage. These straps also serve to stabilize the load when the bag is not entirely full, preventing contents from shifting. The removable tote handles neatly tuck into a sleeve that doubles as a quick-access pocket for flat essentials like boarding passes, although this pocket lacks a secure closure. The inclusion of a stuff sack, which can also function as an internal packing cube, further adds to the bag's organizational prowess, enabling efficient storage of smaller items.
Durability and Weather Resistance: Performance Under Scrutiny
The REI Co-op Big Haul 60 is constructed from a robust combination of 400D recycled ripstop nylon for the main body and 1680D ballistic nylon for the base. This pairing ensures both lightweight flexibility and exceptional resilience against the wear and tear typically experienced by duffel bags, particularly on rough surfaces like pavement or truck beds. Our extensive testing, spanning several weeks of regular use, demonstrated the bag's impressive ability to withstand handling and transport, showing only minimal surface scuffs. The durability of its materials is a key advantage, promising a long lifespan even with frequent use. Users should, however, be mindful of the plastic clips, which, while sturdy, are susceptible to damage if caught in pinch points like car doors. Proper care during loading and unloading will help maintain the bag's integrity over time.
Regarding weather resistance, the Big Haul 60 features a PFAS-free DWR coating, performing admirably in light to moderate rain. During a four-hour road trip through Colorado, it successfully protected contents from consistent light rain. However, a more rigorous garden hose test revealed its limitations, with noticeable leakage through the bottom seams and zippers under sustained high-volume water exposure. This indicates that while the duffel is perfectly suited for typical travel and casual outdoor use where it might encounter occasional precipitation, it is not designed for environments where submersion or heavy, prolonged soaking is a risk, such as river trips or boat travel. For such extreme conditions, a fully waterproof alternative would be more appropriate. Despite this, for the vast majority of scenarios, its weather protection is more than adequate, balancing performance with practical design.