I should begin by stating that I purchased this duffel bag with a very specific purpose in mind: I was looking for a bag to carry my plein-air painting equipment with and serve as a portable studio that could be used on a daily basis. In truth, I liked the duffel bag so much that I reasoned my way from "want, but do not need," to "want, but must use and enjoy enough to justify the cost." This is an effort to justify the cost :)
Having recently visited Yellowstone Park, the Grand Tetons and the Badlands, and experienced plein-air painting in those environments, I had a good idea of what I was looking for in a painting bag. My two previous bags were not up to the task: (1) a large nylon backpack, was falling apart and was not waterproof, and (2) a cylindrical drawstring bag that came with a large lawn chair, was durable, but not accessible enough and highly unbalanced when slung over the back. Now here is a summary of features I was looking for as a painter, and how the Saddleback duffel measures up:
- Easy access: One of the first things that caught my eye on the website description was an open-top design with wide pockets. So whether I am sitting or standing with the bag opened at my side, I can retrieve paints, store dirty rags, and hold paint brushes vertically in the pockets with minimal effort. For setting and packing up, the open rectangular shape is the most hassle-free solution I found in the Saddleback product line. I am used to having to worry about every square inch in my backpack, and stacking three or four layers in an exact order of items to get everything to fit. With the duffle, everything can go in or out in one layer where everything is visible.
The side pockets are essentially satchels permanently attached to the sides of the duffel, and I find them perfect for keeping books, food, and water bottles separate from the painting equipment. With the main flap closed, the side pockets are difficult to access. A thick book, for instance, would require taking the clip off of the D-ring before the side pocket can be pulled far enough upward. The newspaper pocket is the only easily accessible pocket if you're on the move.
Pochade box with paints, palette and canvas panel, solvent canister, spring clamp, paper towel roll, ziplock bag, digital camera in padded case, sketchbook, pen, lens cleaner, brush holder, tripod (in separate bag). If I need to bring more stuff I can easily make room by taking a handful of paper towels instead of the roll and doing away with the camera case, which is excessive protection in the first place. Both side pockets are free to use for food, water, extra clothing, books, hat. They can stretch out to about 2.5" wide.
- Size: I was attracted to the duffel because I knew my pochade box would not fit into the other models, and I liked having the option of storing my tripod inside the duffel if I needed to, with the top flap wrapping around the tripod because the end of it has to stick out the side to fit. The length is also great for holding long canvas panels for landscape studies, though a thin wet-panel box of that size would be helpful for bringing a painting home intact. A 8 x 15" or smaller wet panel box would fit vertically.
- Durability: I found the full pig-skin lining throughout the interior both aesthetically pleasing and better suited to handling the sharp edges on my pochade box. In the event that solvent, medium and/or pigment leaks into the bag, the pig-skin will resist stains much more effectively than raw cow-hide.
A detail of one end of the shoulder strap with two weight-bearing points attached to two different parts of the metal hardware. I don't think this is how the design is intended but it feels sturdier with the shoulder strap this way, and slightly less sturdy using the carrying handle because the leather belts bear most of the weight when using the handle. With 35 pounds inside, the weight is very evenly distributed among the four weight-bearing points for the shoulder strap, and I have no worries about anything breaking, except my shoulder! My equipment is heavy, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bottom does not sag with weight. The weight-bearing straps are riveted to the sides and the bottom, so that holding up the D-rings pulls all the sides taut.
- Aesthetics: As an admirer of fine craftsmanship, thoughtful design and anything that improves with age, I strongly abide by the maxim, "Buy the best, cry once", and try to avoid spending money on inferior products that cannot necessarily be loved and enjoyed beyond utilitarian purpose. Other examples currently of interest include fine bookbinding, printing and typography, and any material that develops a patina with age and use such as a carved wooden string instrument. I am pleased to have found an alternative way to incorporate its use and enjoyment on a daily basis. I truly feel that every penny I spent, and then some, was invested in the highest quality materials, design, and construction.
The duffel took quite a lot of effort to break in, and required folding everything back and forth over several days before the leather started to become supple.
I'll be heading outside almost every day after New Year's, which is when this set-up will really get put to the test. Because of the 35+ lb weight (the bag itself weighs 12 pounds), I am skeptical that I can travel very far on foot beyond a few miles, but it will certainly speed up the process of choosing a painting spot!
Despite needing to return home after only one hour, I learned a lot of do's and don'ts today:
