- The Tortuga Setout Duffle Bag
is intended to be used with the Setout Laptop Backpack
as a two-bag travel system.
So how does that stack up?
In this video we're going to check it out
and get into all the nitty-gritty details
of the Setout Duffle Bag.
I'm Tom Wahlin of Pack Hacker,
and we love helping people optimize
their travel experience with guides
and reviews just like this one.
So if you're new to the channel, consider subscribing.
Let's jump right into the Tortuga Setout Duffle Bag.
[upbeat music playing]
In theory, the two-bag travel system makes sense.
You have all of your clothing and other types of gear
inside of your larger duffel.
And then in your smaller backpack
you have your laptop and other items
that you use when you're traveling around the city
exploring for the day, or bringing to the co-working space
or the coffee shop, or to a meeting.
All of this is great if you're flying on an airline
that allows you to take a carry-on,
and a personal item that's sized correctly
for the Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack.
A lot of European and Asian airlines
charge extra for this type of carry-on system.
That's why we typically recommend
using a packable day pack inside of a larger bag,
in order to just have one carry-on.
But the benefit to the two bag system
is that it prevents you from needing
to unpack that packable day pack,
reorganize it with things in your larger bag.
You already have two bags
that are split out and ready to go.
In actual use, it's a bit of a pain to have a backpack
as well as cross-body duffel strap on.
However it's easy to get used to as you use it for longer,
and of course, your mileage may vary
depending on your travel style.
So please, let me know in the comments
what you think of a two-bag travel system.
This is a bit new for our channel
as we're typically preaching one bag.
But we're always open to new ways of traveling
and carrying around items.
So I'd love to hear your comment below
on what you think of this system.
Also we polled our Instagram audience
over at Pack Hacker to see what they thought
of a two-bag travel system.
If you want to be involved in future polls
be sure to go follow us @packhacker on Instagram.
The main fabric on this pack is a 900D
heathered gray polyester material.
It's the same fabric that we've seen
on a lot of the other Tortuga Setout product offerings.
At the time of this review, only heathered gray
is offered as a colorway for this Duffle.
However, Tortuga plans to update the colors
on other items in the Setout line,
so we're curious to see if they offer this
for the Duffle as well.
As with any Tortuga product,
you can find their logo all over the place,
and it's a bit of a fun scavenger hunt
to see what's going on on the exterior
and interior of the pack.
So of course we have a simple black logo on the exterior.
Their logo is also imprinted on the zippers
in a tasteful black-on-black style.
Plus you can spot them on the metal buckle
for key chains and other key-like items
on the interior of the pack as well.
We think the overall design of this bag
looks decent and polished,
especially since you can hide away a lot of the straps,
which we're going to check out in the next section.
Overall the size is a little bit large and bulky though.
So again, we polled our Instagram audience
to get their thoughts on the overall look of this bag.
The zippers used across this bag
are #8 YKK Racquet Coil zippers,
which are strong and durable.
And they're also lockable in most areas
that offer two zippers.
We'd be curious to see a duffel of this size
using a more robust and durable
#10 zipper for that main opening.
However, they have the #8
and it's also quite strong.
Plus the plastic hardware across the pack is Duraflex,
which is a great and durable choice we've seen
in a lot of other quality backpacks across the board.
Kicking it off with some external components -
there are two ways to carry this duffel.
The first way is by using the Velcro-able duffel handles.
This way of carry is great
if your bag is a little bit lighter,
you're carrying it for short distances,
and you don't need the extra support
of your back and shoulders.
One awesome thing about this is that they are hideable
via the Velcro pocket on each side.
So when you're not using the duffel straps
you can easily just hide them away.
We love that Tortuga is thinking a lot about this stuff
and streamlining their bags
so you don't have a bunch of handles and straps
just dangling around the exterior.
Somewhat hidden by the Velcro straps,
you can see that there are two D-rings
to attach an additional strap.
We found this strap to be the best way to carry the duffel.
You can either wear it on your shoulder
or cross-body messenger style depending on your preference.
That strap offers a thick and padded strap area
that is comfortable to carry even with higher weights.
The strap attaches with Duraflex hardware
and it's highly adjustable as well.
When not in use, it is easy to stuff this
into one of the Velcro-able pockets as well.
There is a small stash pocket
on the front side of the duffel as well,
to just store any free-floating items
that you want quick access to.
One thing that this small pocket
does not do well is a water bottle.
So it doesn't really have any stretchy mesh
to hold anything more in place, nor is it grippy.
So it's just going to be good for smaller things
that you kind of want to stash down there,
and it doesn't matter too much -
doesn't need to be zipped up
and kind of locked into position.
A bit of missed opportunity here
at least perceived on our end.
Lastly, there's a luggage pass through here,
which is really great to have that functionality,
especially on a duffel if you want to use this
with a carry-on roller bag.
The pass through area is hidden
by a small, very cute, little tiny YKK zipper,
and that opens things up and allows you
to put that luggage handle through.
It's a little bit floppy and insecure,
plus we've seen Tortuga do this
a lot better on some of their other items
within the Setout line.
Kicking it off with the front pocket -
it is freeform and there's plenty of space inside.
This is a perfect place to stuff a jacket
or things that you need quick access to -
although it is a little bit large
to be considered a quick-grab pocket,
which are typically a little bit smaller
and it's easier to fit your hand in
and grab something out pretty quickly.
Directly behind that we have a larger pocket
that opens up with ample space,
and it features a similar organizational system
to what we've seen in other Setout products.
One thing to note here is that the organization panel
is a lot more usable in the duffel
than what we've seen in other bags.
That's because there's ample opening
and the organizational area is positioned
in a way that's easier to access.
At the bottom we have a stretchy black pocket
for a battery bank or small hard drive.
Then we have four credit card-width pockets
of varying heights stacked on top of one another.
There's one deep liner pocket
next to three pen, pencil and stylus pockets.
Then above that there is a larger partition
for flatter items such as a small notebook.
Then there's another zippered secure compartment
on top of that.
Plus there's a metal clip to attach keys,
a flashlight, or really anything else
that belongs on a key chain.
Opposite of the organizer side
we have another compartment that opens up
with ample space for a laptop,
a tablet and some other gear.
So we have a 15-inch MacBook Pro here
and it fits in but barely.
You really have to jam it in there.
And we're curious to hear why Tortuga did not include
a larger laptop compartment in this ample space.
In front of that laptop compartment
there is another space for an eReader
or a tablet or an iPad, something of that nature.
The flap side of the pocket offers two zippered mesh pockets
that are great for storing additional tech gear and cables
that would otherwise just kind of
be floating around in your pack.
So maybe one side gets your massive laptop charging brick
and the other gets some freeform cables.
Now moving on to the main opening here -
the duffel opens up in a horseshoe fashion
with that #8 YKK zipper.
There is a generous main compartment area
inside of here that's great for packing cubes
or individually rolling larger articles of clothing.
Each side offers mesh pockets that are zippered
for additional organization.
On one side the mesh compartment
covers the entire length of the duffel,
and on the other it is split into two.
This is great for socks, underwear, t-shirts -
anything that you want to have some separation to -
compared to what's in the main liter capacity of the duffel.
And you'll notice a big pile
of polyester ripstop on the bottom,
and this is one of our favorite and most thoughtful
features that we've seen in this duffel.
You can store your shoes inside of here
and keep them separate from the main
liter area of the pack, which is great.
Potentially there could be a little bit
more weather resistance on this pocket.
Just make sure to wipe your shoes off
before you stick them in,
as it's not necessarily a waterproof pocket.
At the time of this review,
the Tortuga Setout Duffle Bag has seen two weeks of testing.
Not much to report on the durability end,
besides some loose threads we've seen
in a couple areas of the pack.
We imagine the 900D heathered gray polyester
will hold up similarly to what we've seen
with the Tortuga Setout,
which we've tested for three months.
And after three months of testing,
there's only a couple small aesthetic blemishes.
As for the experience of two-bag travel --
we like the concept cuz it's nice
to keep your clothing and things that you
would leave behind at the Airbnb, hotel or hostel
separate from things in a smaller backpack
that you take out with you for the day.
So the concept is there,
in practice we're still getting used to it,
and testing it out.
Plus this is especially awesome
if the airline that you're traveling with
allows you to take on a carry-on
and a personal item that is sized correctly.
So be sure to check with your airline
and your flight as to what they allow
before picking up this two-bag travel system.
So wrapping this thing up with some pros and cons
starting with the pros.
The shoe compartment is thoughtful
and a great way to compartmentalize
them from the rest of your bag.
Tortuga offers some 'just right' organization
that is easy to access across the pack.
And there are two ways to carry,
both of which are easy and discreet
to tuck away when not in use.
Onto some of the cons.
The front stash pocket isn't super useful and secure, especially as a quick-grab pocket.
The laptop compartment could possibly be larger,
allowing you to fit larger laptops that are 15 inches,
larger than the MacBook Pro.
Lastly the luggage pass through feature
is a little bit loose
when compared to other Tortuga products
where they have really nailed this functionality.
The Tortuga Setout Duffle Bag is a great option
for anyone wanting a larger freeform duffel to carry around.
It pairs well with the Tortuga Setout Laptop Bag,
although carrying both of them together
takes a little bit of getting used to.
It's a bit large and bulky,
and it isn't the most streamlined to carry.
But if you don't need to take advantage
of that 35-liter space,
and can keep it a little bit lighter,
it's easier to carry by the handles.
Despite the couple of nitpicks we've pointed out,
the organization and functionality is overall solid,
and this is a good compliment
to the greater Tortuga Setout line.
Thanks for taking a look at our review
on the Tortuga Setout Duffle Bag,
we'll see you in the next video.