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Travel Himalaya Nepal
Packs & Poles

Duffels & Expedition Bags

What the porter actually carries.

About the links on this page.Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend: every card here also says who the item is not for, and a few things we think you should simply rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara instead, which earns us nothing.

Mountain Hardwear Camp 4 Duffel 65 L — What the porter actually carries
Best overall

What the porter actually carries

Mountain Hardwear Camp 4 Duffel 65 L

65 litres, welded fabric, removable backpack straps

Weatherproof, takes a bus roof in rain without complaint, and 65 litres is the size that keeps you inside a porter weight limit. Take this rather than the 95 L version: the big one is a trap, because you will fill it.

Genuinely weatherproof on a bus roof

Takes a padlock through the zip pulls

The size that keeps a load honest

Heavy empty compared with a dry bag

No internal organisation at all

Straps are for carrying it to the bus, not for trekking

Not for you if: Anyone tempted by a 95 L duffel. Our porter limit is 15 kg for two trekkers combined — a bag you cannot fill is a feature, not a compromise.

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Osprey Transporter 65 — Duffel that works as a rucksack for the airportBest to carry yourself

Duffel that works as a rucksack for the airport

Osprey Transporter 65

The harness is good enough to walk a kilometre with, which the North Face straps are not — you pay for that in weight and in a slightly less bombproof shell.

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