UKC

All the reviews I have read seem to say these are the best rugged expedition bags about, but I am a bit dubious about the shoulder straps. I appreciate they are probably ok for a few minutes walk, but the lack of waist straps and the flimsyness of the shoulder ones makes me think that carrying a fully loaded 90ltr bag is going to be pretty tricky...

Also, has anyone seen/used the mountain hardware equivalent duffel bags (wet and dry ones)? any major differences apart from the name? they are £50 for 100ltr ones in cotswolds at the moment.

cheers

In reply to owen1988:

They are bombproof, and I am lead to believe the ME are the same.

Who cares about the comfort, thats why you are paying your Nepalese friend 5US a day to carry it!

In reply to NorthernRock: $5 ...its Flash buggers like you overpaying that leads to hyper inflation, 50 cents a day is more like it.


ps. My ten year old North Face bag has seen more action than a bangkok hooker when the fleets in port and is probably in better shape.

In reply to owen1988: The lack of a waist belt means trying to carry your own bodyweight on your back for 20km is never going to happen. But then if you wanted to do that you'd buy a rucksack. If you want a bombproof duffel though, this is a good one.

In reply to owen1988:

both are good (MHW dont do waterproof ones do they?) but they are different.
TNF duffles are much heavier with all the straps etc but are better if youre lugging them yourself.
MHW duffles are simpler with less to get mangled, caught and trashed, ie better for porters.

me, with porters i use MHW and millet duffles. if im lugging myself then a BD haulbag is better and tougher, tho a bit harder to get into.

In reply to NorthernRock:

The ME one is great too. It looks like it's pretty much the same. I got mine at a good price from Cotswold.

In reply to owen1988:
I have a Mountain Equipment duffle from cotswold (for a bargin price)
For a short walk in it is fine. But over 15 mins it starts to dig in a bit. I bought some pads (the ones you see on seat belts of boy racer cars) and they help a little. but I still ended up with bruised shoulders from the walk to Hedbury quarry from the car park near Tom's Field.

In reply to owen1988: I have the ME wet/dry 100 litre bag and its awesome, the shoulder straps arent designed for long distance carrying. i carried my bag with about 30kilos of gear in it for a couple of miles in spain, and it wasnt uncomfortable, it was bearable.

the ME bags are 1/2 price at cotswolds too.

In reply to owen1988:


If you meant the ME ones (on sale at Cotswold), a mate bought a 100l one at the weekend, and I had a close look. Seem to be from thesame source as the Gelert equivalent, although with some improved details (reinforced floor, better strap attachment design).

My Gelert is showing signs of abuse after a few years use (including quite a few air trips), mainly around the zip seams and strap attachments (needs double-sewn seam on zip, and reinforcement on strap points). The ME version seemed to address the latter point, but the zip seam was identical.

In reply to owen1988:

Thanks for the replies. think I will keep an eye out for a TNF one. does anyone know of anywhere selling a large (90l) one, below average price? second hand or new.

cheers

In reply to muppetfilter:

I paid $5 for all the extras, 50cents gets you very little.....

Is that what you keep your transgender Bolivian Dwarves in when trafficking them offshore?

In reply to captain paranoia:

I've had a ME one for 5yrs now. Jez has a Gelert one.
The ME bag has been all over the place, hauled on mules, thrown on the top of local buses, dragged round airports etc, and is still going strong and waterproof. The inner extra waterproof section is also great for wet/dirty clothes.

The Gelert one is ripped. Seams have come apart and it's not serviceable anymore. At £25 for 3yrs use, it's not bad, but not as good as ME for £40 for a seemingly indestructible kitbag!

In reply to Caralynr:
seconded - I've used TNF for 5 years and its in great nick. I've got a gelert which is a little worse for wear but 3 years worth is awesome. I've also got a Vango 90ltr which is lighter weight and I don't use for heavy duty stuff (only 20 notes though). If i was doing full on expedition TNF would be my brand of choice as i've not used the ME ones...

In reply to Caralynr:


The question is; is your 5-yr old ME bag the same as the one being sold in Cotswold today (considering the price)?

As I said, the ME bag looked to have useful improvements over the Gelert design that will probably make it more robust, but the materials and construction looked very similar.

In reply to Petarghh:

Just wanted to say thanks, I had been keeping an eye out for cheap duffels but hadn't checked cotswold's site since it's such a hassle. Nice price.

In reply to captain paranoia:


Don't know anything about the Gelert bags but my ME duffel I bought in January from Cotswalds has burst at the seam after very little use. No mules or Nepalese buses, just a couple of short train journeys and a few weekends in the boot of a car. Wee bit disappointed

Iain