Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 40L – Reviewed & Tested

What if the perfect travel companion is actually a bag? No stranger to travelling light, Jess put the carry-on size Patagonia Black Hole duffel bag through multiple adventures to find out.

You know how people wearing vests just look healthier? Well, the same goes for duffel bags. When you see someone at an airport with a duffel, you just know they’re headed out on some epic adventure. I’ve always envied the duffel-carriers of the world, and now, thanks to the Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel, I’m one of them.

Why am I the right person to do this review?

It’s fair to say that I travel more often than the average person. I’ve backpacked for months at a time, prioritise multi-week trips a few times a year, and am away for the weekend so often that my wardrobe is in a perpetual state of disarray. 

No two getaways are the same – I backflip from hotels with suitcases to ultralight hiking trips where every item is an MVP. When it comes to choosing the right bag for the occasion, I’ve got it down to an art. Finding a duffel that can keep up with the adventures I throw at it has been a difficult task.

My Patagonia Ultralight 1L Black Hole Mini Hip Pack is my ride or die companion on just about every trip for convenient storage I know I can trust, so my enthusiasm for putting the iconic Black Hole Duffel from the same brand to the test was pretty high. Taking it on a three-week unforgiving carry-on only backpacking trip around Europe seemed like the ideal test.

Quick Specifications

Weight: 1045g
Dimensions: 58cm x 34cm x 24cm
Fabric: 100% recycled and weather resistant
Colourway: Black, Dulse Mauve, Endless Blue, Nouveau Green, Smolder Blue, Pimento Red
RRP: $229.95

I like my duffels on the quieter, black side, but for travel the brighter ones can be easier to spot

Design

First impression – this bag is hard to unpack. I’m not embarrassed to say that it took me twenty minutes to get it out of its storage pocket because if the number of YouTube tutorials are anything to go by, I’m not the only one! Patagonia lists the option to fold the duffel up into its one pocket for compact storage as a key feature, but it’d be quicker to stuff toothpaste back into a tube.

Given Patagonia has been producing these bags for over a decade, I’m surprised this particular difficulty hasn’t been addressed by now. But as someone with space to store the bag without folding it up into a compact pocket, (and zero inclination to spend the time required to carefully pack it up) this isn’t a big deal for me. If you’re relying on being able to roll it up for storage, I’d recommend giving it a go in store before you commit.

The Shoulder Straps

My next point of confusion with the Black Hole Duffel was how the heck to attach the shoulder straps that allow you to carry it as a backpack. After a few minutes of questioning my own intelligence, I reluctantly turned to YouTube again.

Of course, it was very simple and just a matter of turning the strap on its side and sliding it through the supplied D-ring, allowing the strap to lock into place. The other end clips in easily with a standard-issue plastic buckle for adjustments.

I was initially quite skeptical about the strength of this arrangement, but try as I might to put stress on the straps, they didn’t skip a beat. I’m not about to hang off a cliff by this duffel but I’ll happily stand by the strength of the straps.

The Space

The 40L Black Hole Duffel is the epitome of, well, a black hole. Despite being the smallest duffel in the range (there’s 55L, 70L, and 100L models as well), it’s cavernous, and without packing logically you’ll spend plenty of time up to your elbow in your own crap wondering why you packed so much. 

To avoid this problem, Patagonia provides the Black Hole Cubes, which are smaller packing bags to help you organise your gear. I took one 6L Packing Cube inside the Black Hole 40L Duffel on a three-week overseas trip and my only regret was not bringing a couple of the 3L ones as well. 

The 6L Cube was great for storing all my T-shirts and with mesh zip dividers ended up being the perfect seclusion zone for dirty clothes as the trip went on. It also has mysterious black hole qualities because no matter how much I shoved into it, the zipper managed to do up and keep it all contained. Magic. The ideal combination for the 40L Black Hole Duffel would be two 6L and two 3L Cubes so that everything you bring stays exactly where you put it, with enough space to shove a puffer or larger items in the spaces in between. I’d love to see these cubes come out in more colours for optimal organisation potential. 

I fit enough in here for a three-week trip and room for souvenirs

Performance

Versatility

This bag was made for the quick weekend trip and (if you’re anything like me) the tight asses who don’t want to pay extra to take luggage on their exxy overseas flight. It sneaks within most airline and train carry-on dimensions and is malleable so it’s super easy to shove into packed overhead storage compartments. Thanks to the removable straps it can be carried by your side or on your back.

It’s equipped with some intense daisy chains on the outside so you can bust out your carabiner collection and hang as much gear as you want off the side. Regarding pockets, there’s one small one on the front, which doubles as the (impossible!) duffel storage compartment, and one mesh-lined pocket on the underside of the lid. It’s just over A4 size and a convenient spot for items you’d like to keep flat and easily accessible – the photocopy of my passport liked it there.

I particularly like the secure fabric tunnel that the zipper tucks into

Durability

I’ve only been road-testing this bag for a couple of months but you wouldn’t know it’d traveled overseas, been rained on, bounced around luggage compartments, or been used as a pillow in more than a few airports. It still looks brand new. There’s not a scuff mark on it that doesn’t dust off, and stains – nothing. Given I put absolutely zero effort into keeping it clean or being selective about where I dumped my duffel while grabbing food or waiting for transport, well, colour me impressed.

The weather-resistant, abrasion-resistant polyester ripstop fabric with TPU-film laminate does not disappoint. There’s a review for this bag on the Patagonia website where a girl claims that the duffel survived unscathed from a fire that destroyed everything else. I’m not sure I quite believe it’s that indestructible but I’m not going to hesitate to pack important gear in this bag in the future. Rain rolls right off, and every component feels strong and built to last. Same story with the cubes – they feel indestructible.

The 6L Cube has the same fabric as the duffel and they’re both reinforced in all the places that count

Comfort

The Shoulder Straps

When it comes to carrying a backpack, comfort is my number one consideration. It could be the backpack of all backpacks but if it itches or I get sore shoulders, I’m giving it away. Just about the only backpacks I use these days are tailored to multi-day hiking so I’m used to robust harnesses, excellent ventilation, and strategically placed padding. Looking at the flat, comparatively featureless duffel, my comfort expectations were low. 

No padding, no harness, this is going to be bad – right?

But, for a bag with no harness – the zipper side of the duffel is against your back instead – it’s surprisingly ok. I wouldn’t want to carry it with any more than 8-10kg on my back, and I certainly won’t be taking it for a hike, but for travelling and walking up to a few kilometres at a time, I can’t fault it.

With a padlock on the main zipper, and the blank back, I felt very safe from pickpockets in public too

One caveat. You need to adjust the shoulder straps so the bag sits high up your back. This is the only aspect of the bag that you can adjust and it’s there for a reason. Wear it like most teens carry their schoolbags, such that it’s drooping towards the ground, and you’ll have back problems in ten minutes. 

Adjustments are easy on the go and the bag has a low profile so you’re not going to resemble a turtle

Sustainability

When it comes to sustainability, it’s common knowledge that Patagonia is a B-Corp Certified industry leader, and once again they’ve produced an ultra-sustainable product. They recognise that every product produced will impact upon the Earth, so when you buy Patagonia, you know it’s designed to last.

The outer fabric, lining, and webbing are made from 100% recycled material on both the Black Hole Duffel and the Cubes. Both products are produced in Fair Trade Certified™ factories so you know that the people who made them were paid fairly.

Walk easy knowing your bag was made ethically with quality materials and fair trade practices

Price

For a bag that’s so versatile, and durable, $229.95 seems like a mighty good deal. I’ll be very surprised to see wear and tear, let alone a reason to replace it. It’s a bag for life.

The Black Hole Cubes are another story though. With a RRP of $59.95 for the 3L Cube, and $79.95 for the 6L Cube, the price feels a bit high for the average consumer. The bags are super tough and well-made, and even though it’s doubtful I’ll ever replace them, I’ll be peeping the sales section for those.

Final Thoughts

If you’re going to buy one duffel in your lifetime, the Black Hole 40L would be a solid choice. It’ll carry exactly what you need for a weekend away, is light enough to be an ideal carry-on companion for longer trips, and has been produced sustainably. Plus if 40L is too small it’s also available in a 55L, 70L, and 100L model.  

The duffel doesn’t have twenty pockets or a tonne of bells and whistles but every part of it is built to last, and frankly, aside from the packing Cubes, anything else would compromise the reliability of it. The Black Hole Cubes, while not essential, enhance the experience of using the bag and are just as durable as the duffel.

The 40L Duffel is a great value buy that’s going to give you a lifetime of convenience, highly recommend

FAQs Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel

How much can you fit in the Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel?

A lot! There’s a lot of ways I could answer this question but I managed to fit enough gear for a three-week trip into it easily. I’ve also managed to stuff 9 standard-size bath towels in there, and it can hold a King-size doona too. It’s bigger than I thought it would be.

How many Black Hole Cubes can you fit into the Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel?

I only had one 6L Cube to play with but I’d guess you could fit three of the 6L Cubes, plus at least two of the 3L Cubes into this duffel. If you’re at home playing Jenga with your multiple Black Hole Cubes and have a duffel, maybe you could help us with a precise answer in the comments!

Is the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel waterproof?

This duffel is weather-resistant, not waterproof. This means it’s not guaranteed to keep your items dry if you leave it out in a downpour. I’ve had it on my back during multiple light showers and one almost heavy downpour. Nothing on the inside was even remotely damp afterwards.

How heavy are the Patagonia Black Hole Cubes?

The 6L Black Hole Cube is 190g. The 3L Black Hole Cube is 110g.