REVIEW – The Douchebags Carryall 65L duffle bag is the kind of travel bag that makes more sense once you stop treating it like a daily backpack. It is big, tough, and easy to grab from almost any side. It also costs $199, carries a brand name I still find crude and off-putting, and has a few overbuilt details that make it less smooth to use than it should be.
What It Is
The Carryall is a 65 liter duffle that sits between a large suitcase and a normal wheeled airport carry-on. If it is packed lightly, it can work as a carry-on. Fill it with clothes and gear, deploy the shoulder straps, and it becomes a better fit for a long weekend away.
Douchebags describes it as an “active duffle bag” for work or the gym. I would not use it that way. The size alone makes it too much bag for most everyday use, even before it is loaded.
Specs
- Width: 36 cm / 14.7 in
- Height: 60 cm / 23.6 in
- Depth: 30 cm / 11.8 in
- Weight: 1.6 kg / 3.5 lbs
- Volume: 65 liters
- Outer Shell: Polyester 600D / TPE 500D
- Inner Lining: Polyester 200D-PU
- EVA back panel
- Thermal formed 1680D ballistic polyester underneath
- Interior mesh pockets
The Name Problem
Before the bag itself, the company name has to be addressed. Douchebags is a jaw-droppingly crude and offensive name for a company. I could not find anything in the company’s About section that explains it in a way that makes the choice feel thoughtful. It comes across like a joke that should have died before anyone put it on a product.
The branding affects how I feel about the bag. The initials show up across panels, pulls, and hardware, so the name is not easy to ignore. No matter how useful the Carryall is, I would not personally spend money with the company, and I had no interest in keeping the bag after finishing the review.
Loading and Storage
Set the name aside and the Carryall is a capable duffle with some smart storage ideas. It takes a little experimenting to decide how you want to pack it, because there are several ways into the bag and the pockets are deeper than they first appear.
My favorite feature is the pair of large pouches at the top and bottom. They extend far into the body of the bag, so you can usually push more gear into them even after the main compartment is already full. You can also reverse that approach and fill those pouches before packing the center space.
The top pocket includes a useful mesh pocket built into its lid. That gives small items a home instead of letting them disappear into the bottom of the pouch.
Main Compartment Access
The Carryall gets the main opening right. When the shoulder straps are out and you are using it as a backpack, you access the interior through the top of the back panel. That is the reverse of many backpacks, where the zipper sits around the front upper edge.
Unzip that panel all the way and the whole interior is exposed. Packing is much easier than it is with a top-loading bag, and the sectioned mesh zip pocket inside the panel adds more organization.
Handles and Carrying
Another thing I really like is the number of handles. There are grab handles on the top, bottom, and both sides. Almost every time I reached for the bag, there was a handle where I needed one.
The backpack straps store neatly inside the back panel and pull out easily. Attaching them is less effortless. Each strap uses a hook that slides into a matching loop near the bottom of the bag, and seating those hooks takes some fiddling.
Once connected, the hooks feel secure. The problem is adjustment. The straps tighten from loops at the bottom, which means you cannot realistically adjust them while the bag is on your back. With most backpacks, you put the pack on and pull the adjusters from around mid-strap. That does not work here.
To get the fit right, I had to take the bag off, change the strap length, put it back on, and check again. It is not a deal breaker, but it is annoying when the bag is full and you instinctively reach back to tighten or loosen the straps.
Design Quirks
I also ran into trouble with the top pocket. If that pocket was not fully zipped shut with the zippers tucked toward the back, the top flap could unzip and flop open as soon as I lifted the Carryall by the top handle.
That happened more than once. A small travel lock through the top pocket zippers would keep the pocket and handle area closed, but it would also make the quick-access pocket much less quick.
The same style of hook used for the shoulder straps appears elsewhere on the Carryall as a visual detail. In those places it seems to be there for looks rather than function.
When the Carryall is packed to the brim, it becomes awkward to move without using the shoulder straps. It is still manageable, but not graceful. Even empty, the overall size is the main reason I would not consider it an everyday bag.
What Works
- Handles are placed almost everywhere you want to grab the bag
- Once adjusted, the shoulder straps make the bag comfortable to carry
- The 65 liter capacity holds a huge amount of gear
- The top and bottom pouches are genuinely useful
- The full back-panel opening makes packing easy
What Does Not
- The company name is crude and offensive
- The $199 price is expensive
- The shoulder straps are very hard to adjust once deployed
- The top and bottom pouches can unzip when using the handles if they are not secured
Quick Questions
Q: Can the shoulder straps be adjusted while wearing the bag?
A: No. The straps tighten from loops at the bottom, so you have to take the bag off, adjust, and put it back on to get the fit right.
Q: Can it work as a carry-on?
A: Yes, if packed lightly, though its 65-liter size makes it too much bag for most everyday use once loaded.
Q: Does the top pocket stay closed when lifting the bag by the handle?
A: Not always. If it isn’t fully zipped shut with the zippers tucked back, it can flop open when lifted by the top handle.
Q: What colors is it available in?
A: Black, white, and green.
Bottom Line
The Douchebags Carryall 65L duffle bag is a roomy, sturdy weekend travel bag with useful access points, clever deep pouches, and enough handles that it is rarely hard to find a place to grab it. The full interior opening is the highlight, and the shoulder straps are comfortable once you finally get them adjusted.
The flaws matter, though. The strap adjustment setup is frustrating, the quick-access pocket can open when lifted by the handle unless it is carefully closed, and the price is high. On top of that, I still think the name is awful.
You can get the Carryall in black, white, and green.
Price: $199
Product Link: Douchebags
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Douchebags
