Best Duffel Bag – 16 luggage options for sailors

We sailors know a thing or two about soft luggage. The best duffel bag though is really a matter of functional practicality fused with personal taste. I’ve picked out a range of the best duffel bags for sailors from 30L to 130L in this sailing luggage buyers guide.

Packing our bags to go sailing requires a bit of creative space saving and definitely calls into action our best duffel bag for the occasion.

Are we going for a long time off shore or around the cans? Are we carrying a full set of foul weather gear a lifejacket, sailing boots and safety gear? Or are we packing light and carrying some smart clothes for drinks and prize giving at the club after bashing around a regatta course all day? All of these require a different duffel choice.

There’s luggage for every eventuality. Researching it can take hours to trawl through to find the right size and features you want. This buyers guide has a range of duffels starting at 30l and increasing in size to a whopping 130l.

I’ve collated this lineup of top duffels to help you find the best duffel bag for you. Some are classed as waterproof, most are classed as water resistant. There’s always a tradeoff. If you want waterproof, it will have fewer pockets and a simpler style to facilitate welded seams. If you go for water resistant, you get plenty more features and facilities because the additional sewn seams allow for more pockets. Most likely a combination of the two will work best.

At a glance:

Our top 4 at a glance:		Price		Best for…		Rating /5
Lomo 30L Buy it now		£36		Best small waterproof duffel		5
Typhoon 60L Buy it now		£73		Best mid-sized waterproof duffel		4.8
Zhik 65L Buy it now		£84.99		Best large water resistant duffel		4.6
Thule 130L Buy it now		£140		Best extra large versatile duffel		4.8

Best Duffel bag for sailors – 30L – 40L

 

 

Helly Hansen Duffel Bag 2 30L, Essential Yellow

The Helly Hansen 30L duffel is made from a sturdy plastic canvas. so it is water resistant to a degree. Though the seams aren’t waterproofed so it isn’t advisable to dunk this bag for any length of time.
The rucksack straps neatly stow away into the zip flap on top, though this makes it a bit stiff to handle, it does get those straps out of the way, especially when you’re onboard and you want them flailing around. Under the top flap there’s a mesh pocket too. I find this useful to stow my sailing gloves, buff and hat.

In the cold the material on this bag can get quite stiff. But, mine has stood the test of time so far, as can be seen in the pics at the top of this buyers guide. The purple bag is the earlier model to this one. They’ve improved the bag by adding webbing straps and handles on each end which is really handy for strapping it down to stop it flying off a bunk.

Capacity 30L

Dimensions: L 50  H 27  W 27 cm

Price £80

Buy Helly Hansen 30l Duffel from Amazon

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Lomo 30L White Holdall Duffel Waterproof Rolltop Dry Bag

This 30L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with with waterproof submersibility.

I personally love a white bag when I’m heading into dark spaces, such as yacht cabins. It means you can see the contents inside your bag more easily. Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non waterproof duffels, the trade off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet. Those of you sailing smaller J boats, I’m looking at you…

The other tradeoff with this type of waterproof bag is that by it’s very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. This can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather. This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps, but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place. Some folks are been able to use this as a pillow as you can trap air inside it when you roll over the top.

Capacity 30L

Dimensions: ‎L 52cm H 28cm W 31cm

Price £36

Buy Lomo 30L from Amazon

Gill 30L Team Bag

This small holdall from Gill is made from PVC with welded seams and roll top to give a waterproof duffel.
It has a removable shoulder strap, but as with the other waterproof bag in this size, it doesn’t have rucksack straps. The roll top keeps a water tight seal and can be used to trap air inside the bag making it buoyant or useful as a pillow.

It features some handy webbing loop handles on each end plus additional webbing loops to attach other bits of kit to. On one side it also had a label window so that you can put your name on it to identify its owner.

The welded PVC is a little stiffer in the cold and can be tougher to handle, but when warm it’s handles very nicely.

Capacity 30L

Dimensions H 31cm W 52cm D 27cm

Price £49.99

Buy Gill 30l race holdall from Amazon

Victorinox Touring 2.0 Travel 2in1 Duffel

Victornox don’t shout very loudly about their luggage. Indeed, if you go to their website, they don’t smother you with sales guff. They let their products talk for themselves.

This premium priced duffel from this Swiss knife maker is every bit as innovative and full of hidden handy bits. You can read what I think about their Skippers knife here

There’s a shoe pocket, lots of organised side pockets, pull out hidden rucksack straps, or a detachable shoulder strap. There’s a waterproof internal document pocket. And, if you’re into personalisation, there’s a little plastic thingyme jig that can be customised with your own name or message on it that is attached to the bag.

capacity 38L

Dimensions H 28 cm L 32 cm W 57 cm

Price £240

Buy Victorinox 38l Duffel from Victorinox

Overboard 100% Waterproof Classic Duffel Bag

A 100% waterproof welded seam duffel bag with roll top closure. Overboard have this rated to IP66 so you can be confident that if you’re luggage is sitting a pool of water in the wet locker of a boat, your kit will still be dry inside. Equally if it gets repeatedly dripped on by a leaking hatch, as long as that top is rolled over correctly and fastened, then your kit will remain dry.

It’s been designed for a bit of rough handling and should stand up well to the rigours of frequent use in wet conditions. Ideal for carrying wet gear back with you too, so if you go open water swimming, surfing or kayaking and find yourself needing to pack a wetsuit and wet gear, then shove them in this for the journey home and your car will remain dry.

The attachment points on this bag also enable you to strap it down, so it either wont fly out of a bunk or it will remain strapped to your touring kayak or paddleboard.

Capacity 40L

Dimensions ‎L 52.07cm  H 32cm  W 23.11cm

Price £55.99

Buy Overboard 40l drybag duffel from Amazon

Best Duffel Bag for Sailors 40L – 65L

Helly Hansen Offshore Waterproof Duffel bag, 50L

Helly Hansen do a fair range of waterproof kit bags. This middle of the size range duffel is a waterproof version with welded seams and a roll top.

It can sit in pools of water all day and your kit will stay dry.

They suggest it can be strapped to a car top and it remain waterproof too, though I haven’t tried this so can’t verify whether kit will stray dry with rain pelting it at 70mph on a motorway.

As per other welded waterproof bags, this one isn’t designed to be fully submersible but it is as waterproof as you can get without full dunking.

It has end handles which are useful for strapping the bag down, but very few other bells or whistles.

There’s no rucksack straps with this, but there is a removable shoulder strap.

Capacity 50L

Dimensions TBC

Price £120

Buy 50l Helly Hansen offshore Duffel from Helly Hansen

Red WATERPROOF KIT BAG 60L

If you watch the Red marketing hype you’d think this bag will make you a paddleboard, camping and hiking expert and all round wilderness guru.

In this bag we are given a waterproof zip closure rather than the roll top of other 100% waterproof bags. It has welded seams as the others do, but it is made from a slightly lighter weight material.

It has a waterproof padded mat inside it which can be removed and used as a changing mat to stand on.

The Red Equipment bag has a range of strap options, including rucksack straps and shoulder strap.

There’s some mild eco credentials on this as it is made form recycled TPU. Though I guess those credentials need thoroughly scrutinising as who knows where this bag was made and how many air miles it took to get to you.

The bag does pack some seriously good organisation and innovation though, with high quality components used and sturdy long lasting fasteners.

Capacity 60L

Dimensions  L76.5cm  W33cm  H29.5cm.

Price £149.95

Buy Red Equipment waterproof bag from Red Original

Typhoon Osea 60L Dry Duffel Bag – Graphite Black – Waterproof Sprayproof

The Typhoon Osea Dry Duffel  is made from 500D tarp which is 100% waterproof.

This roll top bag is 100% waterproof and comes with removable rucksack straps as well as waist straps, which is very handy in any rucksack with a larger capacity. 

This duffel also comes with an unusual buckle attached to a chest strap that has a built in whistle. This is a nod towards Typhoons origins as a commercial safety gear manufacturer.

A feature I really like on this duffel is a compression valve, which means you can sit on this bag and squash the air out of it, close off the valve and you’ve saved a ton of space in the cabin.

I like the understated functionality of this bag and whilst it doesn’t shout style appeal, it really is a great duffel for keeping your kit dry, or for keeping your wet kit from leaking all over the place.

Capacity 40L or 60L

Dimension TBC

Price £73

Buy Typhoon Osea 60l duffel from Amazon

 

Lomo Blaze 60L Expedition Holdall Duffel Rucksack Bag with Zip Orange

This Lomo orange duffel is made from waterproof material with welded seams on the sides. This means the bag can sit in a pool of water without letting any in. 

It isn’t submersible though as this has a zipped closure on a large top flap. There’s mesh pocket inside and some really useful webbing loops externally mounted for clipping on gear or for strapping the bag down.

The
Strong D shaped dual zip closure and bungee loops for strapping the bag down.

Dimensions ‎L 64 x H 34 x  W 34 cm;

Price £46

Buy Lomo 60l duffel from Amazon

 

 

Lomo Dry Bag Roll Top Holdall 60L – Yellow

This 60L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with with waterproof submersibility. It’s the larger version of the one I featured at the top of this buyers guide.

I love a brightly coloured bag, as they cheer up dark spaces, such as yacht cabins. they also allow you to see the contents within your bag more easily.
Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non waterproof duffels, the trade off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet.

The other tradeoff with this type of weaterproof bag is that by it’s very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. his can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather. This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps, but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place.

Dimensions  L 78cm  H 37cm  W 30xm

Price £38.90

Buy Lomo 60l drybag duffel from Amazon

Zhik 65L Holdall Carry on Bag or Luggage – Grey – Waterproof Sprayproof

You can trust Zhik to make something that looks sporty even when it’s designed to hold your sweaty salt encrusted clothes.

Made from 600 denier fabric, this bag has a softer handle or feel than the PVC welded waterproof bags I’ve featured elsewhere in this buyers guide.
If ever I have the choice, if I am sailing on a less sporty, less dunking wet boat, I will always choose the softer feeling bag as it’s nicer to deal with in my cabin.

This duffel from Zhik has those stowable rucksack straps as many others have in this best duffel bag buyers guide making it easy to schlepp  your gear from shore to ship and back again.

Due to its construction this bag can be described as water resistant but not waterproof. It can deal with a bit of spray and a bit of errant water, but you wont want to leave it in a pool of water festering away.

The base has anti slip, which is great if you have this resting on a bunk or other dry surface and want it to stay put.

There’s also organisational pockets and zipped areas to help keep smaller things where you can find them easily.

Capacity 65L

Dimensions L 59cm H 31cm W 31cm

Buy Zhik holdall 65l from Amazon

Buy it now

 

Best Duffel Bag for sailors 90L -130L

HH Duffel Bag 2, 90L

This Helly Hansen 90 Litre duffel offers versatility and conversion between bag and backpack as per the smaller model I introduced at the top of this buyers guide,
The material is hardwearing and waterproof, though as per the others in this range, it isn’t 100% waterproof as the seams aren’t welded. 

This allows for an internal and external pocket and a this model also comes with a packaway bag that can be used for other things when the bag is out.

Price £110

Buy 90l Helly Hansen duffel from Helly Hansen

Gill Rolling Cargo Bag 90L

I had to include on wheeled duffel in this buyers guide, but I have to confes to you, that if someone turns up to my boat with a duffel on wheels, I will make them sleep with it in their bunk. I have a personal apoplexy everytime I head wheeled bags being pulled along a pontoon and the noise they make is particularly unsociable when flying in or out during the small hours.
Having got that off my chest, I will contradict myself entirely by saying this is an excellent bag!

It has a padded shoulder strap, some sturdy handles and a huge zip opening to access kit through. There’s webbing loops on the sides and all manner of organisational pockets internally and at one end externally.

Whilst the material is waterproof, the construction is not, so it will withstand a bit of rain and spray, but it shouldn’t be left sitting in pools of water.

It has good handles on each end too, so passing this bag up and over a rail to a fellow crew mate or skipper is easy.

Price £135

Buy Gill rolling 90l cargo from Amazon

Musto ESSENTIAL 90L DUFFEL BAG

Made from water resistant and durable nylon diamond ripstop shell with 600D TPU base, this extra large bag will fit a fair amount of bulky kit and still squash down quite small when it’s empty. 

It has stowable back pack straps to help you haul this beast around too.

The end pocket is a zipped section where you can shove some wet shoes or kit. 

There’s an additional zipped exterior pocket to the side.
The structured ends help the bag to maintain its shape as with some of the larger bags they can go wildly misshapen when half filled, making them hard to zip and unzip.

Dimensions TBC

Price £120

Buy Musto 90l holdall from Musto

Crewsaver Crew Holdall

The Crewsaver  holdall or duffel is made from an abrasion resistant nylon type of material. Unlike so many of the others in this Best duffel bag buyers guide, this one doesn’t have the cold plastic outer feel.

It isn’t 100% waterproof but it is water resistant so you can get rained on or place it on a wet deck while you transfer it from shore to ship or ship to shore.

This holdall is a simple but functional design that packs down very small when empty.

The end pocket is semi translucent so you can see the outline of stuff in there. It comes a range of sizes too.

Capacity and dimensions

55 Ltr L61  H30  W30cm

75 Ltr  L61.5  H35  W35cm

100 Ltr L62  H40  W40cm

Price £42.99 – 53.99

Buy Crewsaver 55L holdall from Amazon

Buy Crewsaver 75L Holdall from Pacer Marine

Buy Crewsaver 100l holdall from Pacer Marina

Thule Chasm Sport Duffel Bag

Seriously huge, they named this bag Chasm. I can’t help but snigger at that name, but I’m a puerile eejit. So, Thule, they do luggage for the top of cars and roof racks right? Yes and they do some really great duffels too.

The top flap on this is huge. It not only opens the top, but down the side too. This makes fitting and finding bulky sailing gear a doddle.

As with most of the duffels I’ve chosen to show you, this one also converts to a rucksack. Though given the size of it, if you really do stuff this thing full to capacity, your spine might need a bit of a decompression after hauling this load around.

Internally it has mesh pockets to help with organisation and externally it has compression straps to help keep the bag snuggly fastened and not flopping around if you only half fill it.

The bag has a carry case pouch which it folds down to fit into for storage, but the pouch can be used too, such as for your dirty undies or other kit.

The bottom of the bag is padded and there’s a lockable zip which means this bag is a good candidate for flying with your gear and will withstand being handled and thrown into and out of plane holds.

The mag isn’t 100% waterproof but it is made from waterproof material. So you might not want to go laying this around in pools of water all day long, but it will slide into a bunk space easily and compress down once you’ve removed all of your bulky sailing gear to hang up.

Capacity 130L

Dimensions L 86cm W47cm

Price £140

Buy Thule Chasm 130l from Amazon

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