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As an adventure traveler, I often find myself looking for an easier way to transport my gear around the country and world. Ideally for me, my perfect bag is big enough to carry my adventure essentials, has some additional pockets for smaller items, Is durable enough to stand the rigors of air travel, but also looks half way decent.

Last month, I went on a trip to Park City, Utah as part of Columbia Sportswear’s OmniTen program. Part of the gear that they provided us to put to the test was the Columbia Sportswear Lode Hauler 100 duffel.

Build

Built on Columbia’s Omni-Shield technology, this duffel first and foremost has the ability to shield all of your gear from water and dirt. This will certainly benefit those of us who have had to tie gear to the roof of their rental car in less than pristine conditions. I know some of you have been down that road before. I certainly have. To add to that point, the bag has a multi-point lash-down system that allows one to easily attach the Lode Hauler 100 to the roof of their car without the need of a ropes expert and an engineer. This would have been great to have on my last trip to Iceland when we had Three people, too much gear, and too small of a vehicle.

I have only been using this duffel for about two months, but so far, I haven’t found anything concerning about the build quality.

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Size

With a carry capacity of 100 liters, this thing swallows tons of gear. On a recent trip to the Adirondacks, I stuffed it full of Ice climbing gear, clothing, camera equipment, and it didn’t even begin to fill out. I am really looking forward to stuffing it to the brim this summer when I head to Norway.

Features 

  • Dimensions: 14”x 28”x 17.5”
  • Techlite L.O.A.D. shoulder pad
  • Multiple lash down points for securing bag to roof rack
  • Omni-Sheild fabric repels dirt and moisture.
  • Grab handles and removable shoulder strap
  • Mesh organizer underneath lid
  • Mesh organizer in main compartment

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Price and Thoughts

I have seen the Columbia Lode Hauler 100 range in price from $70 all the way up to $100, but at the time of writing this, you can find it HERE for 70$. If you find yourself traveling a lot, and want something with a little weather protection that you can use for both air travel and car travel, then this may be the duffel for you. I know that for me, the size is perfect for what I do, and the weather resistance is definitely an added bonus.