Patagonia’s Black Hole duffel bags and backpacks have long been weather-immune luggage staples for travelers and adventurers. Heavy-duty ripstop fabric, reinforced daisy chains and padded backpack straps are just some of the features that make these bags worthy of both weekend trips Upstate and expeditions to Kilimanjaro.
Now Patagonia is adding to the Black Hole collection with a new set of five: two duffels, two packs, and a tote. The new line offers the same vision of durability through a lens of packability thanks to pared-down, simplistic features. Daisy chains are now “micro” and no longer reinforced. Backpack straps on duffels are no longer padded. Zippers are smaller. Perhaps the most notable change is the switch from 15–ounce 900D polyester ripstop fabric to a lighter 7.1–ounce 210D nylon ripstop version.
How much weight do the design changes save? The Lightweight Black Hole Duffel 45L weighs in at 1 pound, 2 ounces, compared to the 1–pound, 11–ounce standard Black Hole Duffel 45L. To some, that won’t warrant a new purchase. Ounce-counting purists have already placed their orders and listed their old bags on eBay.
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