Life is lived most fully when on the move, at least in my experience. It seems as if hunting expeditions, hiking adventures, fishing trips, and family vacations are where a healthy portion of truly good memories are made. I can still picture many details of some of my favorite trips over the years at the drop of a hat.
I travel more these days, which has led me to an endeavor to upgrade my current duffel bag. If you knew me, it would come as no surprise that I would visit my favorite bag company, Vertx. Now, obviously, Vertx makes more than just bags, but I’ve always been drawn to the designs and color schemes of their products.
What really sells it for me is that Vertx bags don’t cause me to stand out as “the guy carrying a gun.” Vertx has a way of making mission-driven bags while still leaning heavily toward the “gray man” category. Only those of us acquainted with the industry see the Vertx logo placed discreetly on a bag and recognize it, compelling us to give a simple head nod to our fellow brethren as we pass by.
Duffel or Duffle?
A point of spelling should be addressed before anyone runs to the comment section about this. The correct spelling of the term is “duffel”. The term derives from the town of Duffel, Belgium where a coarse woolen cloth used to make the original bags was produced. Over time, “duffel bag” came to describe the cylindrical, cloth travel bag commonly used by military personnel and travelers.
Although “duffle” is a commonly seen variant of the word, both Merriam-Webster and Vertx use the spelling of “duffel”. We use it as well.
Size of the RLT 50L Duffel Bag
The duffel bag I ended up setting my sights on is the newest addition to the Vertx duffel bag line-up of products, the RLT 50L. RLT stands for “Road Less Traveled,” and the name implies quite a bit — the most obvious of which is the capacity of the bag. It is a 50-liter duffel.
It has a very generous footprint while still maintaining outer dimensions that, when packed, will still fit in the overhead bin space of an airplane. This is truly beneficial for the frequent flyers out there. That size is also a perfect fit to be plopped down on a passenger seat for road warriors, too.
To be specific, the outer dimensions are 21″(H)x13″(W)x11″(D) while the main cavity space is 21″(L)x13″(W)x11″(D) and 23” in diagonal length. The bag weighs in at a total of 2.9 lbs., making the bag itself quite lightweight.
Vertx Materials
The bag itself possesses many innovative features, something Vertx does so well, which has earned them the top spot among bag manufacturers in my mind. The fabric itself of the duffel is a PU-coated 1000D ripstop floor, and the 500D ripstop main fabric is wipe clean and water-resistant. The PU coating is polyurethane, providing several benefits including notable durability. With the PU coating, the durability of the RLT duffel is improved over normal duffels, with an increased resistance to tears, abrasions, wear and chemicals. It is also easier to clean.
Most notably, it is water-resistant. In fact, the RLT duffel will keep contents dry in most normal wet conditions. The RLT is not “waterproof,” but if you get caught walking in a downpour or it starts raining while you are at the gun range, you will be good.
Enough Storage for Hunting, Shooting and Travel
The main cavity of this 50L duffel is generous in its size. Combine that with the duffel’s heavy-duty material, and you have a bag that can fit many different purposes in life. Clearly, you can travel with travel gear in it, but the durability and craftsmanship makes it capable of so much more. It served extremely well for me as a large range bag to dump gear into for range trips. You can also easily fit in a plate carrier or chest rig, and a duty belt. Aside from that, there is ample room to store some magazines or even specific shoes to change into for the range.
You can really rinse and repeat this idea to fit any outdoor activity. Dump some of your hunting gear in this bag so it can serve as a companion in your stand, or swap it for some rock-climbing gear or survival equipment for your next campout. Either way, I can tell you there is lots of internal storage, and the quality of the bag is going to endure in harsh environments off the beaten path or, as Vertx says, the “road less traveled.”
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These bags are built for adventure, whether that’s your next commercial flight or traversing off the beaten path.
Varied Carry Methods
The bag comes with two backpack straps so it can be worn on your back. One of my personal favorite set-ups is to remove one strap and to cross the remaining strap over diagonally, creating an effective single-shoulder strap.
You can also unzip the side compartments to reveal the hidden classic dual duffel handle carry method that is so common. Not to worry, Vertx worked in some trickery with the side zip pouches. As a result, they can still zip closed with the revealed handles in use.
All the way around the bag are durable tubular nylon webbing handles found on all four sides of the duffel, allowing you to pull the bag from any angle and carry it like a briefcase from any side. Basically, this bag can be comfortably carried in a variety of convenient ways.
Interior of the Vertx RLT Bag
The interior of the RLT duffel is lined with a predominantly light grey interior. Two of the sides are loop-backed and designed to have hook-and-loop accessories attached, like Vertx’s very own abrasion-resistant translucent mesh pockets. The interior being made light grey is an intentional decision. The lighter color reflects light in dark environments, allowing you to effectively sift through the contents of your bag by the soft light of the moon or in other low-light settings.
At another end is a sewn-in Vertx abrasion-resistant translucent mesh pocket with YKK zippers. This large translucent pocket can hold medium-sized carry items, with them remaining visible through the packet while it’s zipped. Again, this aids in the retrieval of items from the bag.
Outside of the Road Less Traveled
The RLT 50L duffel also has two outside pockets that are mostly flat in style and non-expandable, but run nearly the entire length of the bag. These pockets have a unique double-zipper design that allows you to hide the duffel carry handles or leave them exposed. Either way, you can still zip the side pockets closed and use them to store items.
Final Thoughts on My Vertx Duffel Bag Review
The RLT Duffel lineup seems to be built with the idea of making a duffel that is far more capable than just being a companion for weekend trips and crowded airport terminals. As the name implies, Vertx set out to make a duffel in various sizes that can be used on the road less traveled and off the beaten path, where the conditions may be unpredictable and less than favorable.
This duffel, in my opinion, has proven to be a worthy companion for business trips, vacations, and outdoor adventures. Maybe it should be yours as well?
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