Backpacks

Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel 60L | Review

A duffel bag from Eagle Creek that could last you a lifetime

Why We Chose The Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel: Tough, versatile, and sustainable

We loved Eagle Creek’s previous Cargo Hauler range of duffel bags, and have been even more impressed by this new collection, mainly due to the sustainable efforts on show. We don’t want to give too much away, but it’s already made the cut in a big new series we’ll be running later this year that will explore the greenest of the green kit out there.

To cut to the chase, Eagle Creek have been removing car windshields from landfills to use as an ingredient in the Migrate’s water resistant bathtub base. It’s a material called Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) – the stuff that stops windshields from shattering.

“Eagle Creek have been removing car windshields from landfills to help make these”

On top of that, the Migrate range has bluesign approval. This means it conforms to a set of very strict standards in relation to low impact and sustainable production. To gain this industry mark, a company needs to be fully transparent with their manufacture process and supply chain, and it’s refreshing to see that Eagle Creek have gone one extra step by openly displaying these details to customers alongside the product listing on their website. You can actually follow an interactive map to see from where and whom all the materials that have been used have originated, and the whole journey they’ve taken.

Alongside the PBV base, the other main material is a PVC-free polyester twill that’s coated with a TPU. This is water resistant, easy to clean, and it’s incredibly tough – in fact it has a 900D strength rating, so you can expect this to be able to shrug off virtually anything.

Like many duffel bags out there, it’s not designed to be 100% waterproof. It would need a waterproof zip and taped seams for that. However, you could plonk this down in a puddle or strap it to your car roof and drive a few hundred miles in the rain and still be pretty certain your kit will be protected. That’s all thanks to that TPU fabric and nice design features like the internal storm flap on the zip and ‘bathtub’ shaped base.

The base is made from Polyvinyl Butyral, which has a number of useful traits. Photo: Chris Johnson

There are plenty of practical grab points on the Migrate. Photo: Chris Johnson

Eagle Creek have served up one incredibly durable duffel bag. Photo: Chris Johnson

The Migrate also ticks the carrying convenience box for us as it has handles and straps galore. You can wear it as a basic backpack using the long padded shoulder straps, or you can tuck them away in the little pockets and carry it like a doctor’s bag with the two shorter straps attached together via the Velcro handle. Then, finally, there’s an ultra tough grab handle at either end – perfect for hauling the bag out from a fully loaded car boot.

Volume-wise, the Migrate comes in sizes from 40L up to 130L and also in wheeled versions. We’ve been using the 60L and it’s swallowed a hell of a lot of kit…

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, editor of Outdoors Magic

“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. 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 potential for volume variation helped here. We had it all cinched right down for the flight – compressed as tight as we could – but when we were out and about in Norway we were using its full capacity with each end unclipped to gain an extra 6 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.”

The shoulder straps on the Migrate have a good amount of padding and tuck away neatly out of the way. Photo: Chris Johnson

Trade Secrets

Eagle Creek Marketing Staff

“With the Migrate Duffel, we set out to build upon Eagle Creek’s rich history with this classic adventure travel silhouette. We distilled down to the core attributes of a great duffel, extreme durability, ease of access to contents, versatile carry, and focused on using sustainable materials to create an all-around workhorse of a duffel.”