We sailors know a thing or two about soft luggage. The best duffel bag though is really a matter of functional practicality fused with personal taste. I've picked out a range of the best duffel bags for sailors from 5L to 130L in this sailing luggage buyers guide.
Packing our bags to go sailing requires a bit of creative space saving and calls into action our best duffel bag for the occasion.
Are we going for a long time offshore or around the cans? Are we carrying a full set of foul weather gear a lifejacket, sailing boots and safety gear? Or are we packing light and carrying some smart clothes for drinks and prize giving at the club after bashing around a regatta course all day? All of these require a different duffel choice.
I carry a 90L Helly Hansen bag with my foul weather gear and lifejacket and then in a smaller 30L Helly Hansen bag I carry my smaller daily essentials.
There’s luggage for every eventuality. Researching it can take hours to trawl through to find the right size and features you want. This buyers guide has a range of duffels starting at 30l and increasing in size to a whopping 130l.
I’ve collated this line-up of top duffels to help you find the best duffel bag for you. Some are classed as waterproof; most are classed as water resistant. There’s always a trade-off. If you want waterproof, it will have fewer pockets and a simpler style to facilitate welded seams. If you go for water resistant, you get plenty more features and facilities because the additional sewn seams allow for more pockets. Most likely a combination of the two will work best.
In this 90l Helly Hansen bag I can fit my asymmetric spinnaker (folded very neatly) plus lifejacket and basic foul weather gear.
At a glance – editors 3 top choices for best duffel bag
Best Duffel bag for sailors – 30L – 40L
1 / Helly Hansen Duffel Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 30L
– Dimensions: L 50 H 27 W 27 cm
Reasons to buy:
– Good amount of storage for essentials
– Hardwearing and long lasting
Reasons to avoid:
– Seams aren’t waterproofed so they can’t be exposed to water for a length of time
– Handles are stiff and it can get in the way of straps.
The Helly Hansen 30L duffel is made from a sturdy plastic canvas. so it is water resistant to a degree. Though the seams aren’t waterproofed, so it isn’t advisable to dunk this bag for any length of time.
The rucksack straps neatly stow away into the zip flap on top, though this makes it a bit stiff to handle, it does get those straps out of the way, especially when you’re onboard and you want them flailing around. Under the top flap there’s a mesh pocket too. I find this useful to stow my sailing gloves, buff and hat.
In the cold the material on this bag can get quite stiff. But, mine has stood the test of time so far, as can be seen in the pics at the top of this buyer’s guide. The purple bag is the earlier model to this one. They’ve improved the bag by adding webbing straps and handles on each end which is handy for strapping it down to stop it flying off a bunk.
Buy Helly Hansen 30l Duffel from Amazon
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2/ Lomo 30L White Holdall Duffel Waterproof Rolltop Dry Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 30L
– Dimensions: L 52cm H 28cm W 31cm
Reasons to buy:
– It’s a budget-friendly buy
– The duffel bag has good waterproofing
Reasons to avoid:
– Would benefit from additional storage compartments
– As the material is thick, the bag can be stiff during the winter months
This 30L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with waterproof submergibility.
I personally love a white bag when I’m heading into dark spaces, such as yacht cabins. It means you can see the contents inside your bag more easily. Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non-waterproof duffels, the trade-off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet. Those of you sailing smaller J boats, I’m looking at you…
The other trade-off with this type of waterproof bag is that by its very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. This can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather. This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place. Some folks have used this as a pillow by trapping air inside.
3 / Gill 30L Team Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 30L
– Dimensions: H 31cm W 52cm D 27cm
Reasons to buy:
– It’s the perfect bag for small voyages
– You can attach parts of your kit to the webbing loops
Reasons to avoid:
– It doesn’t have rucksack straps making it harder to spread the weight from the contents of your bag
– The waterproofing isn’t as effective if the roll top isn’t secured correctly
– It’s a small bag – avoid it if travelling on a longer trip
This small holdall from Gill is made from PVC with welded seams and roll top to give a waterproof duffel.
It has a removable shoulder strap, but as with the other waterproof bag in this size, it doesn’t have rucksack straps. The roll top keeps a watertight seal and can be used to trap air inside the bag making it buoyant or useful as a pillow.
It features some handy webbing loop handles on each end plus additional webbing loops to attach other bits of kit to. On one side it also had a label window so that you can put your name on it to identify its owner.
The welded PVC is a little stiffer in the cold and can be tougher to handle, but when warm it’s handles very nicely.
Buy Gill 30l race holdall from Amazon
4 / Victorinox Touring 2.0 Travel 2in1 Duffel
Specifications:
– Capacity 38L
– Dimensions: H 28 cm L 32 cm W 57 cm
– Price: £240
Reasons to buy:
– The side pockets are a bonus as they help you to keep your bag organised
– The rucksack straps will distribute the weight, which is good news for anyone carrying a lot of gear
– It makes a great gift due to the personalisation
Reasons to avoid:
– It’s expensive
Victorinox don’t shout very loudly about their luggage. Indeed, if you go to their website, they don’t smother you with sales guff. They let their products talk for themselves.
This premium priced duffel from this Swiss knife maker is every bit as innovative and full of hidden handy bits. You can read what I think about their Skippers knife here
There’s a shoe pocket, lots of organised side pockets, pull out hidden rucksack straps, or a detachable shoulder strap. There’s a waterproof internal document pocket. And, if you’re into personalisation, there’s a little plastic thingyme-jig that can be customised with your own name or message on it that is attached to the bag.
Buy Victorinox 38l Duffel from Victorinox
5 / Overboard 100% Waterproof Classic Duffel Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 40L
– Dimensions: L 52.07cm H 32cm W 23.11cm
– Price: £55.99
Reasons to buy:
– It’s a durable duffel which will stand up against all types of weather
– Good for kayak or paddle boarders due to its excellent waterproof functionality
Reasons to avoid:
– With its smaller capacity, we wouldn’t recommend it for longer trips
Specifications:
– Capacity: 40L
– Dimensions: L 52.07cm H 32cm W 23.11cm
– Price: £55.99
A 100% waterproof welded seam duffel bag with roll top closure. Overboard have this rated to IP66 so you can be confident that if you’re luggage is sitting a pool of water in the wet locker of a boat, your kit will still be dry inside. Equally if it gets repeatedly dripped on by a leaking hatch, as long as the top is rolled over correctly and fastened, then your kit will remain dry.
It’s been designed for a bit of rough handling and should stand up well to the rigours of frequent use in wet conditions. Ideal for carrying wet gear back with you too, so if you go open water swimming, surfing, or kayaking and find yourself needing to pack a wetsuit and wet gear, then shove them in this for the journey home and your car will remain dry.
The attachment points on this bag also enable you to strap it down, so it either won’t fly out of a bunk or it will remain strapped to your touring kayak or paddleboard.
Buy Overboard 40l drybag duffel from Amazon
Best Duffel Bag for Sailors 40L – 65L
1 / Helly Hansen Offshore Waterproof Duffel bag, 50L
Specifications:
– Capacity: 50L
– Dimensions: length:28.0cm x width:64.0cm x depth:28.0cm
– Price: £120
Reasons to buy:
– Lots of room to put your gear in
– You can load and unload the bag effortlessly
Reasons to avoid:
– The duffel doesn’t guarantee complete protection if submerged in water
– Some compartments would be beneficial for storing smaller tools and essentials
Helly Hansen do a fair range of waterproof kit bags. This middle of the size range duffel is a waterproof version with welded seams and a roll top.
It can sit in pools of water all day and your kit will stay dry.
They suggest it can be strapped to a car top and it remain waterproof too, though I haven’t tried this so can’t verify whether kit will stray dry with rain pelting it at 70mph on a motorway.
As per other welded waterproof bags, this one isn’t designed to be fully submersible but it is as waterproof as you can get without full dunking.
It has end handles which are useful for strapping the bag down, but very few other bells or whistles.
There’s no rucksack straps with this, but there is a removable shoulder strap.
Buy 50l Helly Hansen offshore Duffel from Helly Hansen
2 / Red Original Kit Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 60L
– Dimensions: L76.5cm W33cm H29.5cm
– Price: £149.95
Reasons to buy:
– If you’re looking for a lighter option, this is the duffel bag for you
– Made from recycled TPU
– Plenty of storage for a first aid kit, towel and more
Reasons to avoid:
– It’s easy to forget to pack the waterproof padded mat
– The duffel has a waterproof zip closure rather than roll top
If you watch the Red marketing hype you’d think this bag will make you a paddleboard, camping and hiking expert and all round wilderness guru.
In this bag we are given a waterproof zip closure rather than the roll top of other 100% waterproof bags. It has welded seams as the others do, but it is made from a slightly lighter weight material.
It has a waterproof padded mat inside it which can be removed and used as a changing mat to stand on.
The Red Equipment bag has a range of strap options, including rucksack straps and shoulder strap.
There’s some mild eco credentials on this as it is made from recycled TPU. Though I guess those credentials need thoroughly scrutinising as who knows where this bag was made and how many air miles it took to get to you.
The bag does pack some seriously good organisation and innovation though, with high quality components used and sturdy long lasting fasteners.
Buy Red Equipment waterproof bag from Red Original
3/Typhoon Osea Dry Duffel Pack 60L
Specifications:
– Capacity: 40L or 60L
– Dimension: TBC
– Price: £73
Reasons to buy:
– Good value for money
– Excellent waterproofing thanks to the 500D tarp and roll top functionality
– Along with the rucksack straps, the waist straps transfer the weight from your back to your hips
Reasons to avoid:
– Not the most stylish duffel on this list
The Typhoon Osea Dry Duffel is made from 500D tarp which is 100% waterproof.
This roll top bag is 100% waterproof and comes with removable rucksack straps as well as waist straps, which is very handy in any rucksack with a larger capacity.
This duffel also comes with an unusual buckle attached to a chest strap that has a built-in whistle. This is a nod towards Typhoons origins as a commercial safety gear manufacturer.
A feature I really like on this duffel is a compression valve, which means you can sit on this bag and squash the air out of it, close off the valve and you’ve saved a ton of space in the cabin.
I like the understated functionality of this bag and whilst it doesn’t shout style appeal, it really is a great duffel for keeping your kit dry, or for keeping your wet kit from leaking all over the place.
Buy Typhoon Osea 60l duffel from Amazon
3 / Lomo Blaze Expedition
Specifications:
– Dimensions: L 64 x H 34 x W 34 cm
– Price: £46
Reasons to buy:
– This duffel is good option if you’re on a budget
– It has bungee loops to help you secure your bag
– You can fit plenty of essentials in it thanks to its large capacity
Reasons to avoid:
– Not fully submersible with its waterproofing
This Lomo orange duffel is made from waterproof material with welded seams on the sides. This means the bag can sit in a pool of water without letting any in.
It isn’t submersible though as this has a zipped closure on a large top flap. There’s a mesh pocket inside and some useful webbing loops externally mounted for clipping on gear.
The duffel is fitted with a strong D shaped dual zip closure and bungee loops for strapping the bag down.
Excellent value for money this bag has decent capacity and there’s a huge range of complimentary other dry bags and pouches available from this Scottish based manufacturer.
They keep their prices lower by cutting out the middle-seller and they sell direct to customer using popular platforms such as Amazon and Ebay and their own website.
Buy Lomo 60l duffel from Amazon
4 / Lomo Dry Bag Duffel
Specifications:
– Dimensions: L 78cm H 37cm W 30xm
– Price: £38.90
Reasons to buy:
– Bright design makes the bag easier to locate
– Good waterproofing for a budget duffel
Reasons to avoid:
– It doesn’t feature any additional compartments for essentials
Specifications:
– Dimensions: L 78cm H 37cm W 30xm
– Price: £38.90
This 60L dry bag duffel from Lomo is incredibly good value for money. You get fully welded seams and a roll top closure. This gives all the advantages of the wide mouthed duffel with waterproof submergibility. It’s the larger version of the one I featured at the top of this buyer’s guide.
I love a brightly coloured bag, as they cheer up dark spaces, such as windless yacht cabins. they also allow you to see the contents within your bag more easily.
Whilst this duffel doesn’t have the practical additional pockets of the other non-waterproof duffels, the trade-off is worth it if you are planning on going for a wet ride or need to put your luggage where it will get wet.
The other trade-off with this type of waterproof bag is that by its very nature, to enable toughness and strong welded seams, the material must be a certain thickness. his can make the bag feel quite stiff. Particularly in colder weather. This duffel doesn’t have rucksack style shoulder straps but does have a removable single shoulder strap and plenty of webbing to cinch it tighter and places you can tether it to your bunk to keep it in place.
Buy Lomo 60l drybag duffel from Amazon
5 / Zhik Holdall
Specifications:
– Capacity: 65L
– Dimensions: L 59cm H 31cm W 31cm
Reasons to buy:
– Easier to carry than other options on this list as it has a lighter denier fabric material
– The pockets and zipped areas are great for storing belongings you’ll need
Reasons to avoid:
– It’s not waterproof, meaning the contents will get wet if it falls into the water
You can trust Zhik to make something that looks sporty even when it’s designed to hold your sweaty salt encrusted clothes.
Made from 600 denier fabric, this bag has a softer handle or feel than the PVC welded waterproof bags I’ve featured elsewhere in this buyer’s guide.
If ever I have the choice, if I am sailing on a less sporty, less dunking wet boat, I will always choose the softer feeling bag as it’s nicer to deal with in my cabin.
This duffel from Zhik has those stowable rucksack straps as many others have in this best duffel bag buyers guide making it easy to schlepp your gear from shore to ship and back again.
Due to its construction this bag can be described as water resistant but not waterproof. It can deal with a bit of spray and a bit of errant water, but you won’t want to leave it in a pool of water festering away.
The base has anti slip, which is great if you have this resting on a bunk or other dry surface and want it to stay put.
There’s also organisational pockets and zipped areas to help keep smaller things where you can find them easily.
Buy Zhik holdall 65l from Amazon
Best Duffel Bag for sailors 90L -130L
1 / HH Duffel Bag 2
Specifications:
– Capacity: 90L
– Dimensions: length:40.0cm x width:64.0cm x depth:28.0cm
– Price: £110
Reasons to buy:
– Large storage capability
– Good design and is very versatile
Reasons to avoid:
– It’s not 100% waterproof
– Heavy to carry and doesn’t have additional straps to distribute weight
This Helly Hansen 90 Litre duffel offers versatility and conversion between bag and backpack as per the smaller model I introduced at the top of this buyer’s guide. The material is hardwearing and waterproof, though as per the others in this range, it isn’t 100% waterproof as the seams aren’t welded.
This allows for an internal and external pocket and this model also comes with a pack away bag that can be used for other things when the bag is out.
I use this bag for flying with a lot of kit, as seen in the image at the top, in the white version. I’m not sure if they sell white ones anymore. I’ve manged to get most of my foul weather gear plus a very neatly folded asymmetrical spinnaker for a 36 foot yacht in this bag.
My back did not approve of the weight though. Beware of overloading large bags and doing your back in.
Buy 90l Helly Hansen duffel from Helly Hansen
2 / Gill Rolling Cargo Bag
Specifications:
- Capacity: 90L
- Dimensions: TBC
- Price: £135
Reasons to buy:
– Instead of carrying the duffel, you can wheel it on your boat
– Excellent features such as a large zip opening and sturdy handles
Reasons to avoid:
– Not fully waterproof. It will only protect against a small amount of spray
I had to include on wheeled duffel in this buyer’s guide, but I have to confess to you, that if someone turns up to my boat with a duffel on wheels, I will make them sleep with it in their bunk. I have a personal apoplexy every time I head wheeled bags being pulled along a pontoon and the noise they make is particularly unsociable when flying in or out during the small hours.
Having got that off my chest, I will contradict myself entirely by saying this is an excellent bag!
It has a padded shoulder strap, some sturdy handles and a huge zip opening to access kit through. There are webbing loops on the sides and all manner of organisational pockets internally and at one end externally.
Whilst the material is waterproof, the construction is not, so it will withstand a bit of rain and spray, but it shouldn’t be left sitting in pools of water.
It has good handles on each end too, so passing this bag up and over a rail to a fellow crew mate or skipper is easy.
Buy Gill rolling 90l cargo from Amazon
3 / Musto ESSENTIAL DUFFEL BAG
Specifications:
– Capacity: 90L
– Dimensions: TBC
– Price: £120
Reasons to buy:
– It’s a large bag that a lot of tools and essentials will fit in
– Easy to store away in a cabin when the duffel is empty
Reasons to avoid:
– Although water resistant, the contents will get wet if submerged
Made from water resistant and durable nylon diamond ripstop shell with 600D TPU base, this extra-large bag will fit a fair amount of bulky kit and still squash down quite small when it’s empty.
It has stowable backpack straps to help you haul this beast around too.
The end pocket is a zipped section where you can shove some wet shoes or kit.
There’s an additional zipped exterior pocket to the side.
The structured ends help the bag to maintain its shape as with some of the larger bags they can go wildly misshapen when half filled, making them hard to zip and unzip.
Buy Musto 90l holdall from Musto
4 / Crewsaver Crew Holdall
Specifications:
– Capacity and dimensions: 55 Ltr – L61 H30 W30cm, 75 Ltr – L61.5 H35 W35cm or 100 Ltr L62 H40 W40cm
– Price £42.99 – 53.99
Reasons to buy:
– Bight design with lots of functional features
– The bag comes in a variety of sizes
Reasons to avoid:
– The bag will keep your kit dry from rain, but not if it gets submerged
The Crewsaver holdall or duffel is made from an abrasion resistant nylon type of material. Unlike so many of the others in this best duffel bag buyers guide, this one doesn’t have the cold plastic outer feel.
It isn’t 100% waterproof but it is water resistant so you can get rained on or place it on a wet deck while you transfer it from shore to ship or ship to shore.
This holdall is a simple but functional design that packs down very small when empty.
The end pocket is semi translucent so you can see the outline of stuff in there. It comes a range of sizes too.
Buy Crewsaver 55L holdall from Amazon
Buy Crewsaver 75L Holdall from Pacer Marine
Buy Crewsaver 100l holdall from Pacer Marina
5/ Thule Chasm Sport Duffel Bag
Specifications:
– Capacity: 130L
– Dimensions: L 86cm W47cm
– Price: £140
Reasons to buy:
– The largest capacity of all duffel bags listed
– It converts into a rucksack
– Lots of pockets to help keep you organised
Reasons to avoid:
– It may be too large for your needs and is heavy to carry
– Although made from waterproof material, you won’t want this option to fall in the water
Seriously huge, they named this bag Chasm. I can’t help but snigger at that name, but I’m a puerile eejit. So, Thule, they do luggage for the top of cars and roof racks right? Yes, and they do some great duffels too.
The top flap on this is huge. It not only opens the top, but down the side too. This makes fitting and finding bulky sailing gear a doddle.
As with most of the duffels I’ve chosen to show you, this one also converts to a rucksack. Though given the size of it, if you really do stuff this thing full to capacity, your spine might need a bit of a decompression after hauling this load around.
Internally it has mesh pockets to help with organisation and externally it has compression straps to help keep the bag snuggly fastened and not flopping around if it is only half filled.
The bag has a carry case pouch which it folds down to fit into for storage, but the pouch can be used too, such as for your dirty undies or other kit.
The bottom of the bag is padded and there’s a lockable zip which means this bag is a good candidate for flying with your gear and will withstand being handled and thrown into and out of plane holds.
The mag isn’t 100% waterproof, but it is made from waterproof material. You might not want to go laying this around in pools of water all day long, but it will slide into a bunk space easily and compress down once you’ve removed all of your bulky sailing gear to hang up.
Buy Thule Chasm 130l from Amazon
Best duffel bag under 30L
1/ Itiwit Duffle Bag 5 Litre
Specifications:
– Material: polyester
– Capacity: 5 litres
– Colour: orange, yellow
– Lash Loops: 1
– Weight: 290g
Reasons to buy:
– Bright orange colour is great for safety
– It’s a great value duffel bag
Reasons to avoid:
– The bag has limited capacity
– It’s splashproof only
You’ll be easy to spot if you’re sporting Itiwit’s bright duffle bag. This vividly-coloured dry bag is available in sunshine yellow or neon orange, both ideal for being seen by other water users when you’re on or near the ocean or a river. Itiwit is one of sporting goods retailer Decathlon’s stable of in-house brands, and we reckon it offers great value for money all round – this handy little bag is a steal at under £10.
This design is dinky enough to work as a sort of outdoor handbag – sling it over your shoulder to keep valuables such as your phone and your wallet within reach but protected from splashes when you’re paddleboarding, kayaking or just out walking the dog in horrible weather.
The Itiwit bag has good solid clips and a simple but adequate strap (it isn’t padded, but then again this bag is too small to be too heavy when slung on one shoulder). There’s a top clip that works like a lash loop, so you can add a carabiner and attach this to another bag or a bit of equipment.
Our favourite feature was the numbered stencilling on the outside of the polyester material so that you can see if you’ve folded this bag far enough before you secure it – we’d love it if all dry bags had this feature. This bag is only ‘waterproof to splashes’ and should not be immersed according to Decathlon – on test we found it let in water after a minute when submerged. Ideal for popping your phone in for more relaxed activities near water.