Sometimes you wind up dragging your duffel through an airport, so abrasion-resistant fabrics and reinforced bottoms and corners are necessities. Patagonia's Black Hole Bag, which I tested on a half-dozen trips, hits a home run in three of these categories, and comes close in the fourth. Let's start with capacity, the first home run. While packing for a recent 10-day trip that would include backpacking, mountaineering, mountain biking, and rock climbing, I faced an enormous pile of boots, packs, helmets, and clothes. The gear didn't all fit in the Black Hole, but so much did that I didn't need a second duffel.
Most duffels are too skinny for that kind of packing.
Loading this duffel is as easy as throwing trash in an open dumpster. The zipper wraps around each end, creating an opening that easily swallows bulky items. There's no tugging and grunting needed to get a full pack in here. Carrying the Black Hole won't break your back. Durability was the only area that gave me any pause.