Patagonia Black Hole 32L Daypack – Long Term Review and Test

The bag that slotted so well into Tim’s life that he kept forgetting he had to review it, and compare it to the one that came before (hint: they’ve improved almost everything).

As a gear reviewer it’s very satisfying to be able to review multiple versions of the same piece of gear. You get to compare how well (or badly) feedback was implemented, and help people decide if all the niche little features of something like a backpack are worth their hard-earned dollarydoos. That’s what I got to do with the Patagonia Black Hole 32L.

Most outdoor gear is pretty good. There’s a base level of functionality, toughness, and even sustainability, that I expect of the gear that I have to rely on. Unless you’re really offering a cut-price product, you’re not gonna last long as a company if you don’t clear that bar.

Why should I do this review?

I originally bought a Patagonia Black Hole 32L back in 2015, used it through perhaps the most regularly adventurous period of my life, and came away with a list of things I wanted when it finally died.

It succumbed, alas, to mould, but before it did this tough nugget came bikepacking, canyoning, backcountry skiing, and to the climbing gym about 100 times, all while doubling as the bag that carried my laptop to cafes to work on baby We Are Explorers, and my carry on travel bag.

I distinctly remember throwing it off an 8 metre waterfall into the pool below, before rappelling down after it. It was abused and abusable. But some aspects of the design always irked me.

The requirements for my new pack were as follows:

• External bottle pockets – ideally two – to reduce leak risk and make it more accessible. The original bag had a single bottle pocket inside, on the far side from the zip. Ugh.
• A separate laptop pocket – for easy access and cleanliness as it would only be used for the laptop.
• No roll top! – they’re a pain in the arse to open, look really dumb when the bag is over full, and only necessary if the bag is actually waterproof. The Black Hole bag is not.

The updated Black Hole 32L bag appears to have solved all of these issues. So, is it still the do-it-all bag I ran into the ground? Well yes – and no – here we go!

Ticking all the boxes on paper, so how did it hold up?

Quick Specifications:

Weight: 1045g
Dimensions: 58cm x 34cm x 24cm
Capacity: 32L
Fabric: 100% recycled and weather resistant
Colourways: Black, Talon Gold, Current Blue
RRP: $249.95

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Design

The Patagonia Black Hole 32L backpack is like a big nugget. It’s pretty consistent in width throughout its length and hangs a decent distance off your back when full. The smaller 25L is definitely more aesthetically pleasing, and potentially a better shout if commuting is your focus, but for me the lack of a dedicated laptop pocket was a dealbreaker.

Pockets and Access

The lid has been redesigned and I really like it. The angled zipper means it opens like a mouth and gives you proper access and visibility to what’s inside. There’s a big pocket built into this lid that’s super useful for things like headphones and museli bars, and it also features a key clip. I reckon this clip is essential for outdoor bags to minimise the risk of leaving your car keys on top of a mountain.

That being said, if the main compartment isn’t very full, I avoid using this pocket as it kind of makes the bag collapse. There’s another smaller pocket built into the front of the bag (which I didn’t notice for months) as well as an internal organiser pocket against your back.

When the main compartment isn’t full the top pocket looks a little sad

Finally, there’s a padded laptop pocket which swallows my 16” MacBook Pro with ease. It’s impressively large and the padding both protects my laptop and feels good against my back, it’s pretty neat.

I only wish they’d kept a few more internal organisers within the mesh pocket. I rarely use them, but for things like pens and cards they can be super useful. It’d also be a better place for the key clip.

Looks and Attachments

They grey/orange/teal colourway on my Black Hole 32L is pretty nice. It goes with everything and looks just outdoorsy enough that people don’t forget that I sleep in the dirt on weekends. I’d say the currently available colours are similarly attractive, but I’d still choose this one if it was available.

I could take or leave the daisy chains but at least having two in parallel could be useful with some bungee cord, plus, they reinforce one of the handles. The previous model had a single daisy chain down the centre which was useless.

Big ol’ daisy chains and handles

There are three burly handles. One near the top and a second near the daisy chain, both built into the lid that opens up.

I’m not sure I love the handles. The daisy chain one is useful but doesn’t feel like it hooks into a strong part of the bag, and it makes it look busy. The handle closer to the shoulders also feels like it could have been closer to the frame, it’s behind two zips, which makes it hard to hang up. I haven’t had any issues with durability, they just feel a bit awkward and I don’t get why there’s two.

It’s also super unstable if you need to move the bag when it’s open, which is surprisingly often. I reckon there’s a reason most bags have a handle right between your shoulder straps.

The handle should be behind the laptop sleeve, closest to the shoulder straps

There’s a third strap in the centre of the back panel which I didn’t understand for ages, until I realised it was to slide over the handle of a roller luggage – something I have never owned. However, as I write this the bag is sitting above me in overhead luggage and it’s the perfect shape and size for flying. Patagonia even has an MLC range that stands for Maximum Legal Carry and is specifically designed for travel.

Read more: Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L Duffel Bag – Reviewed & Tested

Bottle Pockets

These are excellent. They expand to take very large bottles when needed and can be accessed while wearing the bag. Huge improvement!

Comfort

The Patagonia Black Hole 32L is super comfortable up to a certain weight. For day hikes or a day in the office, where I’ll have a bottle or two of water, snacks, a jacket and maybe a camera or a laptop, it’s perfect.

If you really load it up with heavier items and you get up to around 9kg the straps might feel not quite wide or padded enough. I’ve found tightening them up and employing the chest strap helps a bit, but if you’re planning heavier carries on the regular, maybe look for something with a waist strap.

Fully loaded for a day on Maria Island, on the limit of comfort here

The previous Black Hole had a waist strap with absolutely no padding and I’m glad they’ve ditched that thing, it was useless. On the whole I think the trade off to keep the bag simple and light is worth the discomfort when you’re really shlepping gear.

The back panel fabric is lighter, comfier and more breathable than the firm foam that it replaces. It definitely doesn’t look as bombproof, but I haven’t had a problem and I think it’s a worthy tradeoff. However it is pretty sweaty in warm environments while hiking as it sits snuggly on your back without airflow.

Performance

The material change is significant and the Black Hole range now uses 300D polyester ripstop fabric with a TPU-film laminate for the outer – both are recycled. The material doesn’t have the same over-engineered feel of the previous Black Hole fabric and it looks way nicer without that glossy finish.

I don’t have any reason to think it’s not as tough, but it is a little easier to get dirty. I would say the update is in line with the whole pack feeling slightly more angled toward everyday life than the trails, which has seen me use it way more.

Commuting nugget has held up well on big days in the big smoke

I got caught in an absolute downpour the other day while riding my bike and wearing this bag. The fabric resisted water and didn’t soak it up, but a little had begun to enter through the zip, which all face upward. I appreciated that the laptop was bone dry. I think some flaps or waterproof zippers would make the bag even more weatherproof, but they would make it slightly more fiddly to use.

Sustainability

The Black Hole 32L has a 100% recycled body fabric, lining, and webbing, which offers a greatly-reduced impact compared to the previous model. To protect the fabric, a new postindustrial recycled TPU-film laminate covers the outer material, and it’s nice and matte compared to its shiny predecessor. The lining fabric is bluesign approved and its construction is Fair Trade Certified. Tick tick tick.

The material is far easier on the eyes than its predecessor above

As for Patagonia, it regularly scores the highest in our sustainability section as it ticks all the bigger boxes. Sustainable production, transparent supply chain, third party audits and commitments like 1% for the planet that really shift the needle to counter the threats facing our planet.

The recent move to create the Holdfast Collective, effectively making earth the company’s only shareholder isn’t fluff. Just the other week I saw them listed as a key donor in the creation of a new national park, Cuttaburra in Outback NSW.

You can spend your money with a lot of brands, but with Patagonia I’m convinced you can be confident that your dose of consumerism has a minimal negative impact, and potentially a net benefit.

Price

How much should a good backpack cost? In the hiking world $250 would be play-on for a technical backpack with loads of features and a solid harness system.

The Black Hole 32L is simpler than this and perhaps not as tough as it once was, but more useable day to day. It feels like it’s evolved into its lane. There are other, techier backpacks (looking at you Osprey) but the Black Hole excels as a lifestyle bag that can travel, come to work each day, and tackle light adventures too.

The build quality is super high, it’s very good looking, and the company is ticking all the ethical boxes to construct it. So yeah, I’d say $250 is pretty fair, and if you can get it on sale you’re absolutely laughing.

This big opening is ace for big days and adaptable use

Final Thoughts

The Black Hole 32L is a great everyday bag that’ll still keep up on light adventures. I like the simplicity and the way Patagonia have clearly listened to feedback on this newer model. It’s great for travel and big evolving days where you need your gear, tech, snacks, and water close at hand.

On trains, planes, and ships, the Black Hole 32L has been there for me