Backpacks

Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel Bag | Review

Every single component of this Eagle Creek duffel is traceable, down to the last stitch

Why We Chose The Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel 60: Tough, traceable, eco-friendly

Price: £79
Weight: 960g
More info: webtogs.com

The trusty duffel makes the perfect adventure bag, whether you’re heading off on a weekend camping trip or a Himalayan climbing expedition.

The 60-litre Eagle Creek Migrate duffel has plenty of qualities to recommend it as a good travel companion. It’s the perfect size to take as carry-on, and slings easily over your shoulder or on your back thanks to the dual haul and pack straps. It’s also tough and durable, utilising a water-repellent 900-denier heavy-duty TPU fabric. This is a better alternative to PVC, which can leak toxins into the environment. The TPU is made from Bluesign-approved material, while the duffel’s water repellent coating was developed by harvesting windscreen plastics from landfill sites in Asia. Talk about junk in your trunk…

The sustainability credentials don’t end there, however. A visit to the product page on the brand’s website means you can see exactly where every component part of your duffel was made, via an interactive supply chain map. This means Eagle Creek can ensure that their products are made with responsibly sourced and sustainable materials, right back to source, and produced in factories that support workers’ rights. It’s an impressive commitment to transparency and traceability that we appreciate.

In terms of features, the duffel has plenty of nice little touches too. We particularly liked the fact that the side clasps can be unbuckled to offer an additional 5 litres of packing space, for when that zip just won’t quite do up. The bag also folds flat for compact storage when empty. Seamless bottom bathtub construction means that water shouldn’t soak through, even if it gets left on wet ground.

There’s a front zipped pocket for smaller items and a wide zipped main opening. This has large looped zip pulls to help you easily access the interior, even if wearing gloves or mitts, and you can thread a padlock through the zippers for added security in transit. Chunky grab handles at the sides and ends of the bag make it easy to get hold of, and could also be used as lashing points.

A conveniently wide, funnel-like opening. Photo: Chris Johnson

The shoulder straps tuck away neatly/ Photo: Chris Johnson

The webbing straps can be linked to form a carry handle. Photo: Chris Johnson

Normally, single main zip designs on duffels makes it a little harder to rummage around inside the bag compared to a J- or U-shaped zip, however, the funnel design here solves this problem, allowing you to open the bag right up.

The zip isn’t covered to guard against water ingress which is a bit of a downside, though there is an internal storm flap to help with this. The main compartment is also lacking in a divider or internal pocket to help keep things organised – but then Eagle Creek offer a bunch of extra packing solutions that can help with that (see their Pack-It Spectre Set for a good example)

Other than those small quibbles, it ticks all the boxes as a trusty, adventure-ready duffel that is ready to be used and abused.

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, Outdoors Magic Editor

“The 60L version of the Migrate I’ve been using nobly served as the crew bag for our week-long Outdoor100 video shoot out in Norway and it was excellent. Watch the video at the top of this page to see us using it out there.

“The first test it passed was getting onto the plane. We had it packed full of kit but still managed to get it through as cabin luggage – and Norwegian Air are notoriously strict on that kind of thing.

“The lengthways volume adjustment helped here. We had it packed full but clipped right down at each end for the flight, but when we were out and about in Norway we were using its full capacity with each end unclipped to gain an extra 5 litres or so of space.

“One thing I’ve particularly liked is the big bucket style opening. When the ends aren’t clipped down you can open it right up and have easy access to all of the stuff your carrying.

“I spent a day carrying this up a mountain for our video shoot and, despite a fairly heavy load, it was actually quite comfortable to use as a backpack. The shoulder straps have a good amount of padding and the right shape to them, while there’s just about enough thickness to the fabric to prevent the contents you’re carrying from sticking painfully into your back.

“But what’s impressed me most about this is its durability. We really chucked it about in Norway and I can tell you there isn’t a single scratch to show evidence of that.”