Buying Guide

What is a Duffle Bag?

When the duffle (or duffel if you prefer the original spelling of the word) bag was first created in the Belgian town of Duffel, it was simply a cylindrical bag made of cloth with a drawstring at the top to close the bag and secure the contents.

The duffle bag hasn’t ventured too far from its original appearance, but the lines have been blurred between what is truly a duffel bag and what is a gym bag, which is defined as a zippered bag with hoop style handles.

It could therefore be said that most of the duffle’s we sell at Snowys are actually gym bags, but nowadays we tend to describe any cylindrical or similar shaped bag with handles as a duffle, and it’s more the brand upon which is stamped on the outside that depicts whether it is a bag for travel, camping or gym.

What are duffle bags for?

A duffle is an ultimately versatile bag, having one in your closet is almost mandatory as at some stage in one’s life you will find the need for a duffle.

They are often referred to as a weekend bag as they come in many sizes and small to medium sized duffle’s are the perfect lightweight and functional bag for the basics you need for a weekend. They are also the perfect men’s or women’s overnight bag as they do not come with all the straps, zips, frames and wheels that larger travel bags are equipped with.

When it comes to camping and adventure a large duffle bag is ideal for climbing gear or tools and equipment, and many have rolltop closures or watertight zippers to create a waterproof duffel bag that can be strapped to the roof rack of a 4WD for road trips and touring.

For travellers flying abroad the duffel bag can be either checked in, or in the instance of the smaller versions can be suitable as carry-on luggage, their simplicity means that your luggage is going to weigh less than if you were to use a heavy suitcase or travel pack.

How do you carry a duffle bag?

Traditionally the drawstring top duffle bag was just thrown over the shoulder. Today’s duffle bags, or gym bags, come with several carrying options. Most notable a set of loop handles that come over the top of the bag so it can be carried in the hand at the side of the body.

Further to this, sports oriented duffle bags generally have a large shoulder strap that is fixed at each end of the bag, this can then be thrown over the shoulder, or over the head in a cross-body style of carry.

The higher end duffle bags which are aimed at camping and adventure often come with stowable backpack straps. In the instance of needing to carry the duffle bag for a short distance, these backpack straps can be clipped into place and the duffle bag carried in an upright position on the back like a traditional backpack.

Duffel bags in Australia

Most Australians at some stage of their life will have used a duffle bag, sometimes things just need to be kept simple and the duffle epitomises this. Check out the range of duffle bags available to buy at Snowys, from the super simple and affordable to the technical and waterproof, we have a duffle (or duffel) to suit just about any adventure.