 Not Perfect, but about as close as you get |
| Review Date: May 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Jonathan Austin, Oakland, CA |
I purchased this rolling duffel yesterday, and traveled with it today, in a car trip on business. I am disabled (I use a cane)and so am pretty fussy about my luggage. I wanted an all around piece of equipment that would work for business and pleasure. This duffel seems to fit the bill perfectly. I usually wait longer before reviewing an item, but I am excited enough about this duffel that I wanted to tell all now.
Some nits to pick-- it is filled with pockets and zippers, and none will satisfy all, but there are some missed opportunities. The shell zips out so that you can store things between the rolling frame and the duffel, but they could have put a hanger here in case you want to hang a jacket or pants. Or they could have put it inside the main compartment. You might argue that that's what a suitbag is for, but the duffel is a more convenient size, and rolls much more easily (especially this one).
They could have a couple of smaller pockets with zippers. They have one small one exposed to the outside, but it seals only with velcro. So it's not great if your item needs a zipper. They have provided two larger ones with zippers.
I love the way the top opens up to a large compartment, and below it is an even bigger compartment, and both have enough zipper that they open completely. You don't have to wrestle with the zippers.
Both end pockets are easily accessible from a car trunk or (I expect to find) in the middle of an airport. These are zippered with some mesh to provide a view to what you put in there. But the mesh appears sturdy enough that it will not fall victim to the baggage handlers (I can confirm this after my next plane trips).
The balance and the ease of rolling of this thing are unique. I haven't ever used a piece of luggage this graceful, and I have some high quality luggage. It is not easy for me to handle most luggage. But this is as easy as they come.
Lastly, it is obvious this is built for a lifetime, and in fact comes with a lifetime warranty. Impressive in and of itself. Just using the zippers is like slamming the door on a fine car. You can feel and hear the difference.
I will travel with this duffel at least three more times this summer. If something fails or disappoints me, I will update this review. But my initial impression, don't hesitate to buy this if you want something balanced, durable, versatile, and very convenient to use.
Happy travels! |
Great bag, but huge
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| Review Date: November 27, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Michigan BADMO, Royal Oak, MI USA |
I'm on my third one of these bags. There's really nothing else I've seen that's this good, and I look. Having said that, the size, shape and design means that you are putting a lot of strain of the bag, which means that it wears out.
I fly about 100,000 miles a year, and also take my luggage on 20-30 car trips. Basically I travel 40-45 weeks. These bags last me about 2 years. That's 2 years on heavy travel with a fully-packed bag. I've never had a problem with a zipper, handle, or wheel with any of the three I've owned. I have had them rip and tear, and also just kind of wear through at the edges. But considering the usage I give them, that's not unexpected. The straps and buckles on the sides always get broken by the airlines - they are in a place that snags easily.
The design is great. The bottom zips open and you have a large flat area when you can lay your pants and folded shirts flat. There are 2 straps here to keep them from sliding around. Then once you zip the top back on, you have a large center area and 2 end pockets with flexible dividers (you can just use all the space for the center compartment if you like.
The bag is huge. You could easily put 7-10 pairs of jeans, 7-10 shirts, some toiletries, sweatshirts, jackets, socks, etc in here with room to spare. The problem is that when packed, it is over the size limit of almost every airline. As an elite on NWA I get away with it, but a regular flyer would be paying both an oversize and overweight charge if he filled this case.
So I'm guessing that bags this size will be phased out eventually. But if you have a need for a bag this big, this is a good one, and very inexpensive for something this size and quality. |
R. Park
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| Review Date: March 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: A. R. Park, Davis, CA |
| This is the best wheeled duffel on the market. I travel on ski trips year round, and I am able to store all of my gear (except for my skis) in this duffel. The duffel is quite large, so you have to be carful about exceeding the 50 lb. airline weight limit for normal-sized bags. However, this is the most durable duffel I have found. All of the other duffels I have purchased (including another High Sierra duffel that had cheaper zippers) have suffered from ripped seams or failed zippers after about a year of use. |
Superb!
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| Review Date: August 20, 2009 |
| Reviewer: A. Swanson, NorCal |
I've done a lot of traveling in my day. Been to every continent but Antarctica and used to be gone several months out of the year. So I've had my share of bags. This one pretty much beats em all. I've used hard-side, soft-side and combination bags. I really like this one.
When I first opened it, I was totally impressed by the quality of the materials - the bag material, the solid (not cheesy plastic) wheels, the substantial zippers. Dang, this is well made! When I opened the compartments, I was even more impressed. You can fit a WHOLE LOTTA stuff in this bag.
I used it for all my clothes and my portable studio for a wedding. Yep, lights, lightstands, cords, flashes, cameras, tripods - the whole shebang. And that was in the bottom zippered compartment. The top held my clothes, my camera bags and all my other traveling stuff. Now, it was heavy as heck. And I'm not sure I'd trust airport gorillas with my camera gear in here, but for me to haul EVERYTHING, it was perfect.
Gonna take this on a plane? Better be a premier member of a travel group or expect to pay extra for the weight and possibly the size. Huge sucker. Going camping? Need a carry all for a remote shoot? This is the bag for you!
Really - I can't find any faults and I can't say enough good. Just get it! |
best duffle
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| Review Date: March 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J. N. Geddes, Chirk, Clwyd, U.K. |
| High Sierra 36-Inch Wheeled Duffel Brilliant duffle, well constructed and loads of space. Well balanced, easily wheeled or carried. Highly reccommended. |
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