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There are two ways to assemble the bearing handle. You can attach it to the narrow ends of the bag for easy access to the storage compartment, or in an X shape to the wide sides of the bag for more stability when carrying. There are no hinges, carabiners or D-rings for the handle. Instead, nylon fabric loops, with opaque fishhook-shaped pieces of plastic at the ends of the handle, go into the loops. It’s something I’ve never seen before. Bag straps use the same hook-and-loop system when they’re not located behind a padded panel.
They work better than I thought. I’ve never loosened a single slip, but the plastic hooks weren’t difficult to secure or remove. The only straps on the bag are four buckled straps, and once everything is zipped up, you can cinch the bag down into its tightest form. There are fixed carrying handles on all four sides of the duffel.
On the side, there is no shoulder strap like Red Oxx. Given the choice between the two, I’d rather have bag straps, but sometimes it helps to throw a bag over my shoulder for a moment to free my hands. But I understand. Too many straps will spoil the bag.
The hook-and-loop system works securely, but it’s not the fastest way to add and remove straps. At the baggage drop counter at the airport, I feel like I’m in a rush to get rid of everything to put the bag down without having to hold the entire line. In contrast, it takes about as long to remove them as it does to read this sentence from bags that use a carabiner or knot.
material world
The material also feels great. It’s soft yet hard. The mesh under the lid, where two zippered underpants are placed, is soft enough to make underwear. The pockets – one small, one large – are convenient and combine a single outer pocket for small items that you want to separate from the main interior storage compartment.
The bottom and sides of the duffel are made from 1,680-denier recycled nylon. That thick, solid material is hard to prevent from getting up, sitting down, and slipping. The rest of the exterior is waterproof but water resistant. (Remember, there are still zippers.) But I carried both bags through wet, dry Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and the sky sprayed both bags repeatedly without getting a single drop.
Most luggage is black or navy blue. It’s classic, but boring, boring, boring. The Big Haul is available in all black for traditionalists but comes in a few eye-catching colorways, combining the primary color with a well-chosen secondary color on the zip pulls and strap loops. There is a mountain moss more mustard-colored than any moss I have ever seen; Twilight Purple accented with electric pink; And my favorite, teal blue accented with faded orange. Only Patagonia’s Black Hole duffel bags offer such a Skittles-like color selection.
I’ve come to expect a lot from REI Co-Op gear over the past few years. Even so, I was surprised at how well Big Howl turned out. There are a few quibbles here and there with the lack of a shoulder strap and the time it takes to use the hook-and-loop attachments, but the Big Howl will serve you well on city trips and outdoor adventures.
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