Cover photo with a huge pile of North Face Base Camp Duffels by Austin Schmitz for North Face
Updated April 9, 2023
It’s time for a “Gear We Use and Love” update. Today we’re covering the North Face Base Camp duffel we picked up in 2011.
Spoiler alert: It’s in GREAT shape and we still use it.
The North Face Base Camp duffel collection is an absolute beast of a bag that has some serious durability. Racking up five star reviews all over the internet, this bag sits firmly in the “buy once, cry once” category. But even then, $159.00 for the Large bag is completely reasonable in the grand scheme of bag pricing.
Here’s the feature rundown:
- Detachable, adjustable, alpine-cut shoulder straps for an ergonomic fit with minimal twisting
- Two padded side handles serve as both duffel carry handles and haul handles
- D-zip opening with a weather-resistant, zippered flap
- Main compartment has a secure-zip mesh pocket and an end-cap mesh sleeve pocket for more organization
- Legendary rugged construction offers water-resistant Base Camp material, extra bartacks and double stitching
- Four compression straps
- Water-resistant ID window on top
- Mesh-bag packaging helps keep the duffel clean
And true to their commitment to leaving the earth better than they found it, the latest Base Camp duffel is made from recycled body and boot materials while maintaining its legendary durability. North Face is legendary for their commitment to creating sustainable products. You can read about their approach here.
And we aren’t the only ones who rave about this bag. The Base Camp duffel has an outdoor expedtion following of folks who beat it up regularly during their travels. We’ve read that there are still some from 40 years ago in the wild (but we could not confirm this with pictures).
The durability and toughness of the bag make it perfect for winter gear that needs to stay dry, or for heavy duty items like towels, blankets, jackets, etc. This is also a duffel you can pack up for a flight and feel confident it can be checked into baggage and make it intact to the other side of the claim.
A note about moisture: The bag is water resistent, not water proof. When you feel the body material and pull on the zips, you immediately get the sense that items will stay dry so long as you do not completely submerge the bag for more than a few seconds. We feel confident saying the Base Camp will hold on just fine if left in the rain for a chunk of time.
Overland Bound Founder Michael Murguia picked up this bag in spring 2011 as an impulse purchase. This bag STILL sits in his gear locker always at the ready. Every piece of the bag is as solid as the day it was purchased with no signs of fatigure or wear and tear.
Have we raved enough about it yet?
Here’s Michael’s original post from 2011: “Ok, so I am not sure exactly what came over me when I saw this duffle bag from The North Face. Maybe it was my survivalist gene, imagining all my 4-person 3-day survival needs packed in one bag that yells EMERGENCY!
Maybe I imagined throwing this down and establishing base camp at the foot of Everest. I don’t know, but I had to have it. It is not water proof but the hardware and the material make it more than water resistant.
It has enough hooks and loops to hang a small hardware store off the side, and has shoulder straps to wear it as a backpack. Wherever I go, this bag will follow. -Michael”
And follow along the Base Camp duffel has, from the entire Western US to the sunny beaches of Baja and beyond. We recommmend highly!
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