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Douchebag
A ski bag has to do two things: One, it should hold a crap-load of gear (not just skis or a board), and two, it should protect your gear from the damage and abuse of travel. The Douchebag (ski bag) easily fits two pairs of skis and apparel, or two snowboards, boots and apparel. As a solo ski traveler, I can fit my skis, poles, boots, helmet and all my clothing for a week-long trip inside the Douchebag—no problem. The polyester 900 and 600D materials do a good job of keeping dirt and abrasions to a minimum, but there is no internal vertical structure to the Douchebag, and this is intentional. The brilliance of the Douchebag design is that it rolls down to a compact 38 x 18.5cm size when you don’t need it, something the Patagonia Black Hole Snow Roller can’t claim to do. The Black Hole Snow Roller provides more protection against things getting squashed, but once I arrived at my destination the Patagonia bag didn’t compress, and I had this massive, hard-sided ski bag to deal with. The Douchebag is much more compact, lighter and cheaper. At just 3.8kg the 150L Douchebag is relatively light for what it can carry, and at $299 CAN it’s $70 cheaper than the ‘Patagucci’ bag. Perhaps this is the reason the Black Hole Snow Roller is no longer available? Let’s take a closer look at the Douchebag and its partner in crime the Douchebag Base 15L.
The Douchebag can carry more than you think, everything you'll need for a weekend ski trip,... and more.
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Douchebag
The secret to the Douchebag is that you can adjust the length of the bag depending upon the skis or board(s) you want to carry. A removable handle and sync system is used to fix the bag’s length and secure the bag to the skis or board(s). The Douchebag uses the rigidity of your gear to give the bag support. Lateral ABS protection ribs provide some protection for the contents of the bag while not impeding the bags ability to compress when not in use.
There are two interior mesh pockets for smaller items and an optional shoulder strap is included should you not want to carry the bag by one of its many built-in handles. The ideal way to transport the Douchebag is with the built-in rollers at the bottom end; Simply grab the removable handle located at the top or the bag and drag it along on its wheels.
Features:
- ABS protection ribs
- PP Protection Spine
- Compression - Fully foldable construction
- Length Adjustment System
- Hook-up system - hooks onto the Douchebag and allows you to travel with multiple bags.
Materials:
Shell: Polyester 900D / TEP 500D
Lining: Polyester 600D / 1680DSpecs:
Price: $299 CAN / $249 US
Capacity: Skis, poles, boots, helmet and apparel, or two pairs of skis and apparel, or one snowboard, boots, helmet and apparel, or two snowboards, boots and apparel.
Weight: 3.8 kg / 8.4 lbs.
Dimensions - Folded: 38 x 18.5cm / 15 x 7.3”, Maximum: 205cm / 82.7”
Volume - Folded: 15 litres, Maximum: 150 litres
Colours: Crimson Red, Midnight Blue, Pitch Black, Steel Grey, Limited Leather Edition, White.
Douchebag Base 15L:
Douchebag makes a variety of accessory bags and packs that work in conjunction with the Douchebag (ski bag). The Douchebag Base 15L is the smallest of their offerings but it’s large enough to accommodate apparel, backcountry gear and other items you might need on the plane ride. Douchebag also makes a 30L and 60L bag if you find the Douchebag 15L doesn’t quite fit all your gear. The Douchebag Base 15L has a huge side zip which provides full access to all your gear inside. The overall design is clean and basic but it does come with an outer zip pocket, a few internal compartments with magnetic closures, and a mesh interior zip pocket. There is also a computer sleeve against the back panel of the Base 15L which will easily fit a 15” laptop or any sized tablet. The real beauty of the Douchebag Base 15L is that it easily clips onto the Douchebag at one of its many connection points along the webbed ladder. This allows you to carry the Douchebag and Douchebag Base 15L together, and free up your other hand for opening doors or waving to small children along the way.
Features:
- Hook-up system - hooks onto the Douchebag and allows you to travel with multiple bags.
- ABS protection ribs
- Two internal pockets with magnetic closures
- Easy Access double side zip
- Internal zippered mesh pocket
- Laptop pocket (dimensions: 43 x 28.5cm)
Materials:
Outer Shell: Polyester 600D / TEP 500D
Inner Lining: Polyester 300D
Polyethylene back-protection plateSpecs:
Price: $159 CAN / $139 US
Volume: 15 liters
Weight: 1.1kg / 2.4 lbs.
Dimensions: 28.5 x 10.5 x 48cm / 11.2 x 4.1 x 18.9in
Colours: Crimson Red, Midnight Blue, Pitch Black, Steel Grey, DB X PNCINTL, Limited Leather Edition, WhiteVerdict:
While I am a big fan of the Douchebag’s ability to roll down into a compact storage size, and the piggy back option with the Douchebag Base 15L, I do have concerns over the ability of the Douchebag to protect my gear while in transport. I have only used the Douchebag for a few short haul trips to date and so far, no damage. But I would be cautious placing fragile items inside it next to the fabric walls of the Douchebag. Most ski gear is pretty robust by nature, but my goggles and any electronics wouldn’t go in the Douchebag. This minor issue aside, the Douchebag is light, relatively inexpensive, and seemed to carry a heap of ski gear, which are my main requirements for any ski bag.
Unlike the Patagonia Black Hole Snow Roller which takes up a massive amount of room while in storage, the Douchebag is super compact, and this is its top feature. The ability to attach the Douchebag Base 15L is also really handy when running through airports.
On the improvement side, I would like to see more internal pockets and optional compartments inside the Douchebag to help organize my gear. I also found the Douchebag Base 15L to be pretty basic in its overall design. If the Douchebag Base 15L could be used as a full featured backcountry ski touring bag, then you’d have a true winner on your hands.
Overall, if you are looking for a ski bag that you won’t be tripping over eight months of the year, then the Douchebag is well worth considering.
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PROS:
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CONS:
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SPECS:
See above for individual product specification.
RATING: 8/10
Innovation: 2/2
Ease of use: 1.5/2
Durability: 1.5/2
Quality/Price: 1.5/2
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