Dual of the Duffels—Does the Gregory Alpaca come out on top?
Gregory launched their line of new storage products in 2014, which included all sorts of products to improve the transportation and organization of all your ‘stuff’, these included gear baskets, bins, pods and of course duffels. Their Alpaca Duffel is available in 40L, 60L and 100L versions, along with a wheeled version in the 40L and 100L sizes. These new Alpaca Duffels directly challenge Patagonia’s long-standing Black Hole Duffels as the gold standard in duffel bag design and usability, and some could say the Sea To Summit Duffel Bag as well. So which ones are better, you ask? Read on to find out.
Made from water-resistant recycled polyester, the Alpaca Duffels are as tough as they are good looking. The heavy-duty, blended recycled polyester fabric has a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) coating which provides impressive weather and abrasion resistance thanks to its rubber-like elasticity and durability.
Each duffel is shipped in a package which doubles as a packing cube to help not only reduce packaging but also organize your possessions for more optimal packing. This packaging/packing cube has a see-through mesh top so you can better view what you have put inside to optimize, organize and retrieval of what you are looking for.
At the end of each Alpaca Duffel Bag, you’ll find an expandable Dirty Gear Compartment that is designed to accommodate any dirty gear that you accumulate along your adventures—think laundry or even climbing shoes, sandals or hikers. Keeping this compartment sealed off from the main interior of the Alpaca Duffel keeps the rest of your gear clean while isolating soiled gear.
Over my testing of the Alpaca Duffels, I found them to be far more durable and rugged than the Black Hole Duffels from Patagonia, which means they should last longer and take more abuse over their lifespan. This goes a long way to keeping them out of the landfill and their 40% Recycled 900D Polyester Ripstop fabric means that they were a little less harsh on the planet when they were produced, just as the Patagonia Black Hole Duffels are, now with their 100% recycled body fabric. Feature for feature, however, Gregory wins hands down since the Alpaca Duffels just have far more well thought out features like the included packing cube, oversized T-Grip zipper pulls, interior zippered mesh pocket, and of course, the game-changing dirty gear compartment. While both Gregory and Patagonia arguably make some of the best duffel bags on the market, which are priced exactly the same, I feel that you get more bang for your buck from the Alpaca Duffels and would choose them hands down every time.
Features:
- Water-resistant, TPU-coated, recycled polyester ripstop fabric with heavy-duty 900 denier construction for durability.
- Included packing cube with see-through mesh top for travel friendly organization.
- Expandable end zippered pocket keeps dirty gear and clothes separate from the contents in the main compartment.
- Large U-Zip opening with smooth-action #10 YKK zipper.
- Oversized T-Grip zipper pullers for maximum leverage on the main zippered opening.
- Removable, padded shoulder straps let you carry the duffel like a backpack and can be easily removed when not in use.
- Three layer padded bottom, with internal coating provides weather and abrasion resistance.
- Reinforced carry straps with internal fibreglass rod to evenly distribute weight and prevent pinching on your hands.
- Exterior webbing daisy chains provide a quick spot to attach gear, and to securely lash down the bag.
- Interior zippered mesh pocketing to separate and organize smaller items.
External - 100% Blended Recycled Polyester
Body - 40% Recycled 900D Polyester Ripstop with TPU Weather resistant coating
Lining - 40% Post-Consumer Recycled 135D Polyester with C0 DWR: Designed without PFAS with
Gregory Alpaca Duffel 100
Price: $279.95CAN / $219.95US
Colours: Obsidian Black
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Dimensions: / 14.5 x 31 x 17.5in
Weight: 1.77kg / 3.92lbs
Volume: 100L
Gregory Alpaca Duffel 60
Price: $219.95CAN / $169.95US
Colours: Obsidian Black, Pool Party, Mesa Brown, Slate Blue
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Dimensions: / 27.5 x 15 x 12.8in
Weight: 1.6kg / 3.54lbs
Volume: 60L
Gregory Alpaca Duffel 40
Price: $199.95CAN / $149.95US
Colours: Obsidian Black, Pool Party, Mesa Brown, Slate Blue
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Dimensions: 58 x 33.8 x 28.7cm / 22.8 x 13.3 x 11.3in
Weight: 1.23kg / 2.72lbs
Volume: 40L