Eddie Bauer Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel: Drive By

Over the last few years ‘adventure’ and ‘travel’ duffels have been having a moment. They’re convenient, packable, and lightweight. Big fan of them myself. I’ve used them on everything from weekend trips to trips around the world. But there are those times when you just need to haul the kitchen sink, weight be damned. Throw your packability out the window, and kiss your sub 2 lb pack weight goodbye.

Enter the Eddie Bauer Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel. This thing clocks in at a massive 122 liters and weighs accordingly. It’s like showing up to your kid’s soccer match in a lifted Ford F350, windows rolled down with Metallica blaring. Yes, it’s over the top for most events, but for those few times when you’re the expedition donkey, the Eddie Bauer Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel is your bag.

Who It Suits

There are two diverse groups this bag suits. On one end of the spectrum this duffel fits the bill for families with lots of sports and camping equipment to haul around.

Throw your packability out the window, and kiss your sub 2 lb pack weight goodbye.

Jumping across the spectrum, this bag suits someone embarking on a serious expedition where there is lots of gear to haul around.

Who It Doesn’t

If you don’t fall on either end of that spectrum, there’s just a lot of other lighter and more reasonably sized bags that would work better for a weekend warrior or traveler.

The Good

At Carryology, we don’t often come across 100-plus liter bags. As such, there’s not really a standard design language for these voluminous bags. Perhaps recognizing this, Eddie Bauer has done some really cool things with the Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel to help you and your 122 liters of stuff travel with ease.

First off, let’s talk about the chassis on this bag. Yes, this bag has a chassis and a 2wd and 4wd mode. Using a switch on the handle you’ve got the standard luggage two-wheel mode. Solid, works great, and I’ve never had this bag tip over on me no matter how full it is.

But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to engage 4wd. Begin by putting this bag down on all four wheels. Thanks to some really heavy-duty material and a rigid bottom frame, there’s no sag in this bag. For reference, this bag is loaded and I’m 215-plus lbs (100 kg). With 4wd engaged the handle will then rotate 90 degrees out and swivel so you can pull this bag behind you. Or go-kart in it if that’s your thing. But seriously, carrying 122 liters has never been easier.

Jumping across the spectrum, this bag suits someone embarking on a serious expedition where there is lots of gear to haul around.

To pack 122 liters, there’s a couple of options with this bag. On the exterior there’s one small phone pocket and a few straps. Diving inside, the best way to describe the interior is cavernous. Two separate compartments provide plenty of space to stash, well, everything. To top things off, there’s some lashing and a pair of mesh zippered pockets for more moderate storage. Yeah, lots of space.

In the world of carry I find it interesting to do a simple calculation of price divided by volume to compare bags to really see how much ‘bag’ you’re getting for the price. Clocking in at $349.99, we’re looking at $2.9/liter. For a bag this large, that’s fair value.

The Not So Good

The glaring downside to this duffel is the weight. While Eddie Bauer has made a very durable, large volume bag for a relatively cheap price, that’s all come at the expense of weight. While I don’t have an exact weight in front of me (which should tell you something), I imagine it’s close to 15 lbs. If you’re flying, this bag probably isn’t for you as the weight is going to be a killer.

My other gripe with this bag is that while it handles and hauls wonderfully through airports and parking lots, I struggled pulling this duffel on any other surface. I’ll toss this one up to a first world problem, but having some larger, more off-road wheels on this bag would be a welcome addition.

Verdict

Simply put, the Eddie Bauer Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel is a carry beast. If you need an obscene amount of space, some heavy-duty material, and a bag with a 4-wheel drive mode, this is your bag. You can probably even sleep in it if that’s your thing.

That said, I would think twice about flying with this bag. I would also consider the flexibility of carrying two smaller duffels instead.

So the verdict? The Eddie Bauer Expedition Pro Rolling Duffel is a niche bag. If you’re in that niche, check it out.