Review: Gregory Alpaca 60 Duffel

Duffel envy isn't pretty. An otherwise amiable fellow descends into a dark abyss of discontent, plotting against the bag-bearer, fabricating devious designs to pilfer the bag and dispatch its owner. Luckily, before any of my malevolent machinations could come to fruition, I came across Gregory's Alpaca 60 Duffel, a spittin' image of my mate's bag, and yet different enough to make it my own. And that's exactly what I did, filling the voluminous 60-liter compartment with my own important items: hiking clothes, extra layers, food & water for the dog, swimsuit, and a host of other daily essentials for a life on the go, which is the life of all of us, it seems, in these silly times. Regardless, I can stash the bag in the back of the truck without fear of damaging its contents, as the TPU-coated, 900-denier nylon is both waterproof and durable. Grab-handles fore and aft make for easy retrieval over the bedrail and quick lashing to tiedowns while in transit. The bag's shoulder straps can be deployed for hands-free carry, or detached and stowed when not in use. And the main opening is wide, letting in light and allowing me to dig deep for small, loose items without so much as a grunt of frustration. With all of these features, and the Alpaca's lower price point, my former nemesis may just wind up in her own black hole of jealousy. $140; gregorypacks.com.