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

The promise of a do-it-all travel bag sounds too good to be true — but what if it isn’t? Ever the optimist our Content Editor Jess packed her life into the 30L Patagonia Mini Black Hole Duffel for three weeks overseas to test it out.

At this point, Patagonia is a brand that really needs no introduction. It values sustainability, makes gear that lasts, and is a B-Corp, just like We Are Explorers. So when the opportunity arose to road test Patagonia’s 30L Black Hole Duffel, I wanted to see if I could live out of it for three weeks.

I mostly travel carry-on only, making the bag I carry the MVP of everything I bring. I need it to be versatile, durable, and innovatively arranged to limit chaos when I’m hunting for my passport or a pen. The Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L Duffel Bag has been designed to satisfy these requirements along with a few more perks.

So, did it stack up?

Sitting pretty at the airport

Why am I the right person to do this review?

As a regular gear reviewer for We Are Explorers, I’ve been fortunate to test several travel bags, most recently Patagonia’s 40L Black Hole Duffel and Bellroy’s Transit Backpack Plus. But I’ve also schlepped everything from tote bags to 65L hiking packs to suitcases with dinky wheels across planes, ferries, and cobblestones.

All this is to say that I’ve seen how different bags measure up and what features actually matter. I’m also more than happy to pipe up when I see something I don’t like – without user feedback we’d never improve anything!

Read more: Break Up With Baggage Handlers – Top Tips For Travelling Faster (and Comfier!) With Carry-On Only

Forget fidget spinners – these straps are the perfect length for flipping around absentmindedly

Quick Specifications

Capacity: 30L
Weight: 1290g
Fabric: 100% recycled polyester ripstop with a recycled TPU-film laminate
Colourway: Black or buckhorn green
Carry options: Backpack, shoulder bag, duffel (holds 15″ laptops in dedicated pocket)
RRP: $329.95

The laptop pocket holds my 15″ laptop while it’s inside its bulky Bellroy padded laptop sleeve (so it’s pretty spacious)

Performance

The main reason anyone buys a bag is to transport stuff – and this is the little bag that could. It manages to hold so much stuff, it may actually hold a portal to another dimension, despite being only 30L in capacity.

I managed three weeks in Thailand living solely out of this bag very comfortably, and I had room to spare both when I left and returned home. Key reasons for this are the bag’s malleability and cleverly considered compartments.

Unlike the larger 40L Patagonia Black Hole Duffel that I reviewed last year, this 30L one isn’t just one giant cavern once you undo the zip. It has mesh covers to partition your gear, giving you a few perfect spots to shove an extra jacket or notebook. It’s similar to the 35L Cotopaxi Allpa Del Dia Travel Pack in that way.

It also makes it great for camping trips to separate dirty items from clean ones, and for work trips to keep your notebooks, pens, and laptop in a completely different part of the bag to your clothes and toiletries that could spill.

The main compartment is really generous in size

Durability

Patagonia’s Black Hole line is known for its resilience, and this Mini Duffel is no exception. After three weeks of international flights, bus rides, and being squished under seats, kicked around on hostel floors, and stuffed in overhead lockers, it’s barely got a scuff on it.

It’s also been on a few camping trips and weekenders, toting everything from sleeping bags to wet bathers to dirty shoes. It functions just as well completely full as it does half empty. And it’s surprisingly difficult to fill up – there are heaps of nooks and crannies for just one more item to squeeze in!

The recycled TPU-film laminate resists abrasions and water, keeping your gear protected from surprise downpours or airport baggage mishaps. Dirt wipes off easily too, so even when it’s been covered in dust, it’s easy to return it to its former glory.

I’m as surprised as you are that this picture was taken AFTER three weeks overseas – not before!

Comfort

When carried as a backpack, the padded shoulder straps and hip belt (which doubles as a shoulder strap) distribute weight well, even when the bag is packed full. I carried it without really feeling like I had a bag on my back at a weight of 7kg, but once I increased to around 10kg I started to feel it a lot more and was grateful to be taking it off.

Read more: How To Pack A Backpack Like A Boss

I didn’t love the chest strap, it felt small and flimsy. While it worked, it felt like it was really pushing the envelope. When I hike I often carabiner bits and bobs onto my chest strap to keep them handy, but I didn’t trust the strength of this one to do that.

Overall though, it’s a comfortable bag for both quick sprints through the terminal and longer hauls through cities and short treks.

You can slide the chest strap up and down slightly so it’s adjustable to suit you

Design

The Black Hole Mini 30L’s design is both functional and nondescript – which is my kind of bag.

The interior organisation pockets help keep items tidy, and I especially liked the bonus pocket right against my back, accessed via a side zip. It’s behind the padded back pocket where I put my laptop, and you wouldn’t know it’s there the zip is so discreet.

The Black Hole Mini is also really easy to convert into a duffel, it has a sleeve in the back so you can tuck it over a suitcase handle, and the top grab strap is incredibly handy. The sleeve that secures the bag to the suitcase handles is a little tight, so if the handle on your suitcase is thick it can take a bit more time to shuffle the bag into place. It also requires the duffel to be sideways so if you’re trucking it through an airport, I advise against having items in the drink bottle holder or they’ll fall out.

The only thing that really annoyed me was the drink bottle holder being tight. My Nalgene didn’t fit in there and it’s only suitable for slimline bottles. I appreciated that it had one though, it’s definitely handy and I’ve used it for hats and raincoats too.

Size & Portability

The size and shape of the bag make it ideal for carry-on (it easily meets all airline size restrictions), and the tuck-away straps are a thoughtful addition for streamlining should you decide to check the bag for the ultimate relaxed passage through the airport.

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If you’re not using the hip straps you can tuck them away to avoid extra straps flapping around

Compared to the 40L Patagonia Duffel, this 30L Duffel is a lot less cumbersome and easier to manage. I didn’t feel nervous about taking someone out with my giant backpack when turning around on crowded public transport or taking it off inside planes.

Weight

The weight of travel bags is a key consideration when travelling carry-on only. And unfortunately, if you want one that’s comfy to carry and comes with a heap of organisational features that make travelling easier, you’re going to have to accept that you’ll be carrying more grams.

At 1290g this Patagonia bag isn’t the lightest travel bag out there (heavier than the 1045g 40L Patagonia Black Hole Duffel) but it’s also not the heaviest (the Cotopaxi 35L Allpa is 2100g!).

Because of this weight, I upgraded my carry-on-only ticket to allow me to take 10kg, rather than the standard 7kg for my overseas trip. If I didn’t have my hefty Macbook to carry I wouldn’t have needed to, but the extra allowance meant I had room for souvenirs heavier than a postcard (always nice!).

Passing the weight check is easy enough but be mindful of the super long straps catching on things – especially chairs!

Sustainability

Patagonia’s commitment to sustainability is a huge win. I always feel good about supporting this brand because I know it’s doing the utmost to eliminate nasty PFAS, combat excessive consumption, and ensure its supply chains are as eco-friendly as possible. 

This 30L Mini Black Hole Duffel is made using recycled materials and is produced in a Fair Trade Certified™ factory so you can feel good about your purchase. 

Price

I honestly can’t imagine what hell I’d need to put this bag through in order for it to break. And on that logic alone, the $329RRP feels justified. The awesome organisation options, the additional features like the slot to put a suitcase handle, and the external lash points are just bonuses.

But if you’ve already got a duffel that’s working just fine, this is a bit much for a secondary bag. And it kind of defeats what Patagonia is all about. Patagonia gear is made to last, and is meant to fill a need rather than be a fashion statement.

For the average person, $329 is a lot to shell out for a bag, even if it’s worth it. I’d keep an eye out for sales – Wild Earth has them pretty regularly so you might be able to snag a bargain.

Overall, I bloody rate it. If you’re chasing a go-to bag to handle just about everything, this is the one

Final Thoughts

The Patagonia Black Hole Mini 30L Duffel Bag is a versatile, durable, and eco-conscious choice for almost every kind of traveller – but especially those living that carry-on-only lifestyle. It was super easy to live out of for three weeks, and I’ll definitely be using it as my carry-on-only bag of choice from now on. 

But it’s also perfect for weekend trips and shuttling my laptop to the library for a work day.

While the drink bottle holder could be slightly more generous, it delivers on all its promises and makes packing really easy. If you’re looking for a bag that can handle anything from city breaks to more rugged adventures, you could do a hell of a lot worse than the Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L Duffel Bag. 

Still looks brand new and it’s been MONTHS

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