The North Face Base Camp Duffel review: big, bold, and built for abuse
This classic expedition hauler shrugs off weather, weight, and wear — but don’t expect fancy features or featherlight carry comfort.
The North Face Base Camp Duffel
Ideal for: Travel, hauling gear, short walks
Not suitable for: Hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, fastpacking
The North Face Base Camp Duffel (Large, 95 L) is a no-nonsense, ultra-rugged gear hauler designed for serious travel and outdoor use. Made with heavy-duty materials and offering multiple carry options, it’s the kind of duffel that thrives in the back of muddy 4x4s, on baggage carousels, and in basecamp kit piles. Its cavernous 95 L capacity swallows gear whole, while compression straps and grab handles keep things manageable. It’s not light, it’s not breathable, and it’s not fancy — but it’s brilliantly dependable. If you’re looking for the best duffel bags UK adventurers can rely on, and you care more about bombproof build than bells and whistles, this deserves a spot on your shortlist.
The Good
Incredibly tough materials
Huge 95-litre capacity
Weather-resistant design
Grab handles everywhere
Packs down small
Works with packing cubes
The Bad
Sweaty backpack carry
Minimal internal pockets
Fairly heavy empty
The North Face Base Camp duffel review
Few brands carry the same weight in the outdoor world as The North Face. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, the brand has built a global reputation on technical clothing and expedition-grade equipment — the sort of gear that’s seen Everest basecamps, Antarctic crossings, and countless wild weekends in the Brecon Beacons. Over the years, we’ve tested our fair share of TNF kit at the Great British Adventure Club — from their outerwear to storage solutions like the Base Camp Gear Box, which we recently rated highly for car camping and home gear organisation.
The product under the spotlight today — the Base Camp Duffel (Large, 95 L) — is one of The North Face’s most iconic pieces. You’ve probably seen it slung over shoulders in airports, strapped to roof racks, or nestled beside climbing racks at the cag. It’s designed as a rugged expedition-style duffel, meant for hauling lots of gear — and handling the scrapes, knocks, and soaking rain that often come with that task. We tested the 95 L version, which weighs around 1.84 kg — not exactly lightweight, but par for the course in this category. UK pricing typically hovers around £135, making it more affordable than some high-end alternatives.
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In the world of expedition duffels, the Base Camp sits firmly in the “classic tank” category. Against rivals like the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 100L, Osprey Transporter 95, and Gregory Alpaca Duffel 90L, it holds its own for durability and sheer simplicity — though it can’t quite match the comfort or organisation of those options. But that’s kind of the point. This bag isn’t trying to do everything. It’s designed to carry your gear, take a beating, and keep coming back for more.
How we tested The North Face Base Camp duffel
We’ve been using the Base Camp Duffel (Large) across months of UK-based adventures. It’s become our go-to duffel for shifting bulky gear — from car camping setups to mountain photo shoots. We’ve loaded it up with multiple tents, sleeping bags, pads, boots, waterproofs and more, essentially packing everything four people needed for a multi-day trip (minus their backpacks). It’s been chucked into boots, dragged through damp woodlands, hauled onto shoulders and bounced off gravel car parks. Despite all that, it still looks almost new — a few scuffs, but no tears, frays or zip failures. That’s testament to its legendary build quality — and exactly why we trust it.
Features and details
Let’s start with the materials. The Base Camp Duffel uses 1000D recycled polyester with a phthalate-free PVC coating, backed up with 840D ballistic nylon on the base. In plain English: it’s thick, rubbery, and built like a brick outhouse. Even when dragged through the dirt or wedged under wet boots, it shrugged off everything we threw at it. The materials give it that signature semi-rigid structure, which helps with packing and stacking — but also contributes to the weight.
The main compartment opens via a D-shaped zip, protected by a weather flap that helps fend off rain. It’s not fully waterproof, but it’ll survive a fair soaking without issue. Inside, there’s just a single mesh pocket in the lid and a small sleeve at one end. That’s it. No dividers, no clever compartments — just a huge cavern of space. And honestly, we kind of liked that. You’ll need your own packing cubes or dry bags, but that flexibility makes it ideal for mixed-use travel.
One standout feature is the removable backpack straps, allowing you to throw it on your back when needed. They’re padded — just — and do the job for short distances. But there’s no back padding, no ventilation, and it sits tight against your spine, which gets sweaty fast. It’s fine for a train station dash or campsite wander, but it’s no rucksack. If you need to haul long distances, look elsewhere.
Around the body, you’ll find four compression straps to cinch down bulky loads, daisy chains for lashing extra kit, and grab handles on all sides. These seem like small things, but they make a huge difference when you’re trying to wrestle a 95-litre sack into the back of a van or pass it over a fence. There’s also a water-resistant ID window on top for travel tags — a nod to its airport-friendly design — and the whole thing folds into a mesh stow bag for easier storage when not in use.
Finally, we appreciate that The North Face has upgraded the environmental credentials over the years. This newer model uses recycled fabrics and non-PFC DWR finishes, which won’t save the planet on their own — but it’s a step in the right direction.
Performance in the British outdoors
In use, the Base Camp Duffel does exactly what it promises — and does it very, very well. It’s massive, which was perfect when we needed to carry everything in one go. Whether we were loading up for a weekend away or needing to shift gear between campsites, this thing soaked up kit like a black hole. And even when stuffed to bursting, the zips held firm, the seams didn’t flinch, and the straps didn’t dig painfully into our hands.
We particularly liked using it alongside the North Face Gear Box, creating a kind of mobile basecamp from the boot of the car. The box stored the bits we needed quick access to; the duffel swallowed everything else. It’s not clever. It’s not sleek. But it works.
The North Face Base Camp Duffel FAQs
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Only moderately. The removable backpack straps are handy for short hauls, but the lack of padding and ventilation means it quickly gets sweaty and uncomfortable — especially when fully loaded. We wouldn’t want to carry it far.
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Extremely. It’s built with thick recycled fabrics, bombproof stitching, and weather-resistant zips. Ours took months of abuse and still looks near-new. If you treat it halfway decently, it’ll last for years — possibly decades.
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Very, in most situations. The big opening and simple layout make it easy to pack and access your gear. Grab handles and compression straps help with transport. But internal organisation is limited, so we recommend using packing cubes.
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Loads. At 95 litres, it can easily hold gear for multiple people — we managed to pack four tents, sleeping bags, pads, boots, and more. It’s perfect for car camping, expedition travel or gear-heavy hobbies.
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If you value ruggedness and simplicity, yes. It’s not cheap, but the build quality and brand reputation make it a smart long-term investment. For frequent adventurers who prioritise durability, it’s a great buy — just be sure it suits your needs.
The North Face Base Camp duffel: our verdict
The North Face Base Camp Duffel isn’t trying to impress you with sleek design, clever compartments, or ergonomic wizardry — and honestly, that’s why we like it. It’s refreshingly honest. It’s a big, burly bag that does exactly what it says on the tin: hauls loads of gear without fuss, fails, or frills. For some, the lack of internal organisation and the uncomfortable backpack carry will be deal-breakers — especially if your adventures involve long distances on foot. But for anyone who travels by car, plane, or train and simply needs a tough, roomy bag that can take a beating, this thing is in its element.
Over the course of our testing, it became the bag we reached for whenever things got messy, bulky, or chaotic. It swallowed gear like no one’s business, held up to rough handling, and never once gave us a reason to worry about what was inside. The fact that it’s still looking near-new after months of abuse says everything you need to know.
So no, it’s not elegant. But if your adventures lean rugged, unpredictable and gear-heavy — from Scottish Munros to muddy festival weekends — the Base Camp Duffel is a faithful companion that won’t let you down. And if you’re looking to pair it with something equally robust for in-vehicle storage, check out our North Face Base Camp Gear Box review — the two together make for an excellent mobile basecamp setup.
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