Forgot to mention the weight in the video: Patagonia lists two different weights on the product page: 1,045 g (2 lbs 1 oz) and 2 lbs 4.9 oz (1045 g) The second is the correct one, and fairly accurate when I weighted it on my scale, my weight was 2.34 lbs (2 lbs 5.4 oz) / and 1060 g.
The measurement discrepancy is so frustrating as one is usually trying to find the right size bag for airline restrictions. Thanks for your comprehensive sizing.
Nice! I knew I could count on your channel for a review on the new Patagonia black hole duffel. This was very informative and it's nice to see your channel growing! I remember when I found your channel you had just over 1k subscribers
This is a great video. I've been traveling with the black hole 45 exclusively for 8 years now and was never charged a fee to take it on a plane. I just ordered a replacement 40l version but didnt know if a 40l bag would be large enough as I always think that even a small capacity decrease would keep the bag from being suitable for month long plus travel. Fingers crossed that the extra 7 liters doesn"t get the attention of the check in agent.
Did you get to try the new 40l version? Have you had any issues? Also, if you don't mind sharing, do you generally go with the duffel alone or do you also carry some personal item? I was thinking about ditching my 45l backpack and going with this duffel + a little backpack for my laptop.
I like your capacity measurement method very much. Dimensions matter to me as I travel on budget airlines in Europe and Asia. The newbag looks much better than the old one... which looked like a second-rate gym bag.
It is much larger. I actually seem these a lot in airports, it holds a ton but isn't a great carry. I use it more for car camping rather than air travel.
@@Yowzoe Hmmmm. Most duffel backpacks are either a good duffel, or a good backpack, not both. Patagonia Mini MLC is kind of like a duffel style, it has good backpack straps and a shoulder carry strap, but doensn't have duffle carry handles. Osprey Daylite duffel is a really good duffel, simple and light, but it's not a good backpack.
I have two Patagonia black holes. Both about 5-6 years old. The backpack I think is equivalent to the 35 l now and the duffel is equivalent to the 50 l they have. I could be off on those numbers but what I know is when they came out with versions the following years both had larger capacities but both of the ones I owned held more which let me know that Patagonia was full of crap on their numbers. They've always been like that.
do you think this one would fit better as a carry on than the 55l? I’m still kind of torn between the two. I’m afraid that the 40 liter one would be too small but and the 55 too big. But now that it’s more lik 45-47liters this smaller one is quite compelling
The fabric is waterproof but the seams aren't, and it has a flap over the zipper that will protect it from the top, but not if the bag is sideways when you carry it like a backpack. It will repel water for the most part, but out in the rain the water will get through.
@@kaylashea8654 Patogonia is better quality than the Big Haul, but their dimensions are usualy wildly wrong so I don't know how big the 70 liter actually is. Big Haul is a good bag for the price though.
Which do you prefer - the former or current generation? Up until you showed the long carry strap, I was in on the new gen, but those carry straps - deal breaker.
@@OneBagTravels The shiny fabric starts to peel off after years of use, hence they went back to the drawing board (but agree, it looked better when new) but the new rip-stop material should last longer, and look better with age. I like the extra room - felt the older one was just a little bit too small for more than a week or two away...this is my go to bag every trip - great review btw. You didn't add how crazy hard it is to get it packed into the pouch - or get it out the pouch new when its folded into it! what were they thinking :)
Can’t tell from the video but looks like your matte version has the same pinching as mine near the “a” on the small zip side. Guessing it’s from how the bag stows inside itself causing a stretching when they ship it. Does your old version have that too? How do you think the laminate will fair (assuming yours is pinched like mine).
Do you mean the crease? Yes I think that's just where the fold the bag to stow it. The older version seemed to have issues with peeling and delaminating for heavily worn bags, or would crack if exposed to a lot of UV light. I imagine this would be worse where the bag was folded. The new fabric doesn't have the same shiny exterior laminate so I suspect it will hold up better to that kind of wear but I haven't had it long enough to find out.
@@OneBagTravels exactly, the crease. Mine came creased right below the small pocket zipper to the right of the logo and left of the webbing. Almost to the point of looking pinched like the laminate could be weaker there now. Like if you folded wax paper really tightly. Looking at more photos it looks like it’s pretty typical of these bags. I’m sure I’m overthinking it, but just want to be sure my investment (let’s face it, these things are an investment in good travel gear 🙂) will be good for years to come. Awesome reviews, by the way. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of your gear reviews since discovering your channel. Thank you for your efforts!
@@joevargo22 Yeah I could see that being an issue, but I don't notice the crease in my older duffel, so I imagine the crease will go away over time if you don't fold it back. I'd be curious to hear if it develops a crack or delaminates there though. Thanks!
@@OneBagTravels Wanted to ask one more thing. Any chance you might have plans to do an old vs new model comparison of the 55L as well? I would love to see how volume actually shakes out. On paper, the outgoing 55L measures WAY bigger. But the actual physical measurements I'm coming up with on the new model are way bigger than what Patagonia has on their website for H x L x W. I understand that manufacturer measuring standards are not nearly as scientific as your packing peanut test. I love your method.
@@joevargo22 Probably not for the 55L, it's too big for anything I would use it for. But since Patagonia's measurements are all over the place I wouldn't be surprised if it was bigger than the listed specs as well.
Good question, max volume of many airlines carry on dimensions is 22x14x9, which is about 45 liters. This bag is so squishy it basically has no structure you you're able to fit a lot in here and go way over the listed capacity. I think you'd be fine for most carry-on limits, just make sure you dont' over-pack the duffel.
It almost seems like there are 2 different sizes available, and they sent you the larger one. Hard to believe a major manufacturer could be so incompetent 🤔
The next size up is the 55L. I guess they could have sent me that one by mistake, I don't really have any way of knowing since the specs on the one I have would be wrong for both of these. But either way Patagonia is notorious for their specs being wrong, they also listed the weight differently on the same product page, so I'm inclined to think they could have made either mistake 😆
Yes you're probably right. I think in general this bag is weird to measure because it tapers and is kind of a round sack, but I should have measured when full.
@@OneBagTravels I do think the deuter Avanti access 38 is a great one esp for comfort. Waiting for new model to come out. I thought about Patagonia Terrevia 36 but the internal frame screws it for carry on. Obs there is osprey and their new daylight. Fair point is too heavy and too many straps. Jeez, it's never ending To be honest. I have an old alpine lowe 55ltr from like 18 years ago. I took out the frame. With the straps, I can compress it really small. Nothing seems to beat this. But it's 2.3kilos. its 's seen better days too but it's great. Have you got a video on the new 32 black hole. Seems much bigger capacity than 32 so it's an option too
Forgot to mention the weight in the video: Patagonia lists two different weights on the product page: 1,045 g (2 lbs 1 oz) and 2 lbs 4.9 oz (1045 g)
The second is the correct one, and fairly accurate when I weighted it on my scale, my weight was 2.34 lbs (2 lbs 5.4 oz) / and 1060 g.
The measurement discrepancy is so frustrating as one is usually trying to find the right size bag for airline restrictions. Thanks for your comprehensive sizing.
I agree, which is why I think it's helpful to compare them against the specs on the website.
Your reviews are so unbelievably detailed and thorough! Thank you!
Thanks, glad you like them =)
Nice! I knew I could count on your channel for a review on the new Patagonia black hole duffel. This was very informative and it's nice to see your channel growing! I remember when I found your channel you had just over 1k subscribers
Thanks for watching, I'm over 20k now! =)
Thank goodness I saw your review, I was about to buy the new 55l cos I thought the 40 would be too small. 45-47l how everything is more than enough!
I appreciate you including dimensions, I was shocked that it was so much smaller than the old one and didn’t buy it because of this.
The listed dimensions aren't quite accurate, the new bag here is actually larger than the old one, see the peanut capacity test at 3:01
Thanks for your diligence with this!
Patagonia also updated the zippers with lockable loops (holes), curiously missing from the previous version.
They did! Hah, thanks for that catch, I didn't even notice they did that. Good upgrade.
Maybe because they offer no security. You can open any zipper with a ballpoint pen and even zip it back up.
@@mrjakobt Can do this pretty much on any bag with nylon zips
This is a great video. I've been traveling with the black hole 45 exclusively for 8 years now and was never charged a fee to take it on a plane. I just ordered a replacement 40l version but didnt know if a 40l bag would be large enough as I always think that even a small capacity decrease would keep the bag from being suitable for month long plus travel. Fingers crossed that the extra 7 liters doesn"t get the attention of the check in agent.
Did you get to try the new 40l version? Have you had any issues? Also, if you don't mind sharing, do you generally go with the duffel alone or do you also carry some personal item? I was thinking about ditching my 45l backpack and going with this duffel + a little backpack for my laptop.
I like your capacity measurement method very much. Dimensions matter to me as I travel on budget airlines in Europe and Asia. The newbag looks much better than the old one... which looked like a second-rate gym bag.
It is much larger. I actually seem these a lot in airports, it holds a ton but isn't a great carry. I use it more for car camping rather than air travel.
@@OneBagTravels Do you have a current favorite travel backpack which also doubles as a duffel (with handles)?
@@Yowzoe Hmmmm. Most duffel backpacks are either a good duffel, or a good backpack, not both. Patagonia Mini MLC is kind of like a duffel style, it has good backpack straps and a shoulder carry strap, but doensn't have duffle carry handles. Osprey Daylite duffel is a really good duffel, simple and light, but it's not a good backpack.
Amazing review thank you
Glad you liked it!
I have two Patagonia black holes. Both about 5-6 years old. The backpack I think is equivalent to the 35 l now and the duffel is equivalent to the 50 l they have. I could be off on those numbers but what I know is when they came out with versions the following years both had larger capacities but both of the ones I owned held more which let me know that Patagonia was full of crap on their numbers. They've always been like that.
Yeah, I had several versions of the duffel and their specs are always wildly off
do you think this one would fit better as a carry on than the 55l? I’m still kind of torn between the two. I’m afraid that the 40 liter one would be too small but and the 55 too big. But now that it’s more lik 45-47liters this smaller one is quite compelling
This one would be better for that, the bigger one would be way too big for a carryon
Excuse me, could you please tell me if the new one is waterproof?? Thanks
The fabric is waterproof but the seams aren't, and it has a flap over the zipper that will protect it from the top, but not if the bag is sideways when you carry it like a backpack. It will repel water for the most part, but out in the rain the water will get through.
What do you guys think about the REI Co-op bags?
We love REI bags, the Big Haul and Ruckpack are good bags for the price.
@@OneBagTravels I'm torn between the REI big haul 60L or the Patagonia 70L. Do you have a recommendation between the two?
@@kaylashea8654 Patogonia is better quality than the Big Haul, but their dimensions are usualy wildly wrong so I don't know how big the 70 liter actually is. Big Haul is a good bag for the price though.
@@OneBagTravelsthank you for the input! It’s very helpful!
Which do you prefer - the former or current generation? Up until you showed the long carry strap, I was in on the new gen, but those carry straps - deal breaker.
I like the shiny fabric more and the size is smaller than the update. They made the new bag bigger for some reason
@@OneBagTravels The shiny fabric starts to peel off after years of use, hence they went back to the drawing board (but agree, it looked better when new) but the new rip-stop material should last longer, and look better with age. I like the extra room - felt the older one was just a little bit too small for more than a week or two away...this is my go to bag every trip - great review btw. You didn't add how crazy hard it is to get it packed into the pouch - or get it out the pouch new when its folded into it! what were they thinking :)
Can’t tell from the video but looks like your matte version has the same pinching as mine near the “a” on the small zip side. Guessing it’s from how the bag stows inside itself causing a stretching when they ship it. Does your old version have that too? How do you think the laminate will fair (assuming yours is pinched like mine).
Do you mean the crease? Yes I think that's just where the fold the bag to stow it. The older version seemed to have issues with peeling and delaminating for heavily worn bags, or would crack if exposed to a lot of UV light. I imagine this would be worse where the bag was folded. The new fabric doesn't have the same shiny exterior laminate so I suspect it will hold up better to that kind of wear but I haven't had it long enough to find out.
@@OneBagTravels exactly, the crease. Mine came creased right below the small pocket zipper to the right of the logo and left of the webbing. Almost to the point of looking pinched like the laminate could be weaker there now. Like if you folded wax paper really tightly. Looking at more photos it looks like it’s pretty typical of these bags. I’m sure I’m overthinking it, but just want to be sure my investment (let’s face it, these things are an investment in good travel gear 🙂) will be good for years to come.
Awesome reviews, by the way. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of your gear reviews since discovering your channel. Thank you for your efforts!
@@joevargo22 Yeah I could see that being an issue, but I don't notice the crease in my older duffel, so I imagine the crease will go away over time if you don't fold it back. I'd be curious to hear if it develops a crack or delaminates there though. Thanks!
@@OneBagTravels Wanted to ask one more thing. Any chance you might have plans to do an old vs new model comparison of the 55L as well? I would love to see how volume actually shakes out. On paper, the outgoing 55L measures WAY bigger. But the actual physical measurements I'm coming up with on the new model are way bigger than what Patagonia has on their website for H x L x W. I understand that manufacturer measuring standards are not nearly as scientific as your packing peanut test. I love your method.
@@joevargo22 Probably not for the 55L, it's too big for anything I would use it for. But since Patagonia's measurements are all over the place I wouldn't be surprised if it was bigger than the listed specs as well.
Would the new version still be considered a carry on if it’s more like 47l?
Good question, max volume of many airlines carry on dimensions is 22x14x9, which is about 45 liters. This bag is so squishy it basically has no structure you you're able to fit a lot in here and go way over the listed capacity. I think you'd be fine for most carry-on limits, just make sure you dont' over-pack the duffel.
It almost seems like there are 2 different sizes available, and they sent you the larger one. Hard to believe a major manufacturer could be so incompetent 🤔
The next size up is the 55L. I guess they could have sent me that one by mistake, I don't really have any way of knowing since the specs on the one I have would be wrong for both of these. But either way Patagonia is notorious for their specs being wrong, they also listed the weight differently on the same product page, so I'm inclined to think they could have made either mistake 😆
Are these ok the use as carry on luggage on a plane?
Probably but depends on your ticket, you need to check the airlines carry on policy
Wouldn't it be easier/ more accurate to do the measurements when the bags are still full of packing peanuts?
Thanks for another great video🙂
Yes you're probably right. I think in general this bag is weird to measure because it tapers and is kind of a round sack, but I should have measured when full.
MLC 45L looks better day by day, unless this one is significantly lighter.
Thanks dude. Great review. Really. Made me decide not to get this bag. Esp the end of this video.
Really useful upload
. Thanks
Nice, it's a great duffel but I don't like the carry and it's a little large for carry-on. What bag are you going with instead?
@@OneBagTravels I do think the deuter Avanti access 38 is a great one esp for comfort. Waiting for new model to come out. I thought about Patagonia Terrevia 36 but the internal frame screws it for carry on. Obs there is osprey and their new daylight. Fair point is too heavy and too many straps. Jeez, it's never ending
To be honest. I have an old alpine lowe 55ltr from like 18 years ago. I took out the frame. With the straps, I can compress it really small. Nothing seems to beat this. But it's 2.3kilos. its 's seen better days too but it's great.
Have you got a video on the new 32 black hole. Seems much bigger capacity than 32 so it's an option too