The North Face’s Most Iconic Travel Bag Just Got Its Most Rugged Update Ever

A whopping 40 years ago, The North Face launched its inaugural Base Camp Duffel. All these years later, it’s still among the brand’s best offerings and stands toe-to-toe with the greatest travel bags ever built, including the Patagonia Black Hole.

But this monumental milestone deserves some celebration, which has led the brand to craft a couple of special editions. The first was a premium leather take on this iconic bag, which elevated it stylistically, especially in a travel context.

However, the other is arguably more exciting, especially if you’re a big-time adventurer. The North Face Base Camp Waterproof Duffel 50L might be the most formidable expression of this bag yet.

The North Face

More robust than ever

The standard version of the Base Camp Duffel is nothing to scoff at. After all, it’s one of the best duffel bags ever made, whether that be for adventure, travel or otherwise. But this one puts it to shame, at least when it comes to durability and resilience.

Usually, the bag is built from 1000D recycled polyester with a phthalate-free PVC coating for the upper and DWR-coated 840D recycled ballistic nylon at the base. But this new edition is more robust, boasting 1000D recycled polyester with a TPU coating throughout.

The North Face

Not only does that make it stronger, more abrasion-resistant and more adept at staving off scratches, cuts, punctures and whatever else you throw at it, but it also means the material is completely waterproof (instead of the upper being water-resistant).

But that’s not all. It now also features fully welded, waterproof construction, including waterproof zippers. That means, tip-to-tail, this bag is so waterproof that you can literally submerge it, and nothing inside will get a single drop of H2O on it.

The North Face

From the tarmac to the mountain top

That extra-ruggedized construction is the star of the show, but it’s not the only thing to get excited about. This is still a Base Camp, after all, and it has the feature set to prove it.

For instance, it retains its daisy chain on the exterior, providing additional lash points for modular additions, granting greater versatility. It also has suitcase-style straps for duffel-style carry, as well as backpack straps, for easier carrying in tighter spaces or when you need to haul ass.

The North Face

And it gets oversized zipper pulls, which will make those watertight zippers easier to manage when you need to access the generous main compartment. Oh yeah, and the bag has a 50-liter capacity, which should be plenty for even a full loadout of adventure gear.

Stylistically, the bag is a little limited. Still, the two options are brand classics: a Summit Gold/TNF Black combo and a stealthier TNF Black/TNF White option.

In the words of The North Face itself, this Base Camp Duffel is “Nearly indestructible. Always iconic. This is the last bag you’ll need.”

The North Face

Availability and pricing

The North Face Base Camp Waterproof Duffel 50L is now available on the brand’s site in yellow or black for $320 apiece.

The North Face

The North Face Base Camp Waterproof Duffel 50L

• $320 at The North Face

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