north face voyager duffel

The North Face Base Camp Voyager Review: A Lighter, Durable Upgrade to an Iconic Duffel

The North Face upgrades its well-known travel duffel with more internal organization and a 100% recycled body material. I took it for a spin to see how these changes affect this brand mainstay.

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I have always been a fan of duffel bags. They’re compact, more portable than a rolling suitcase, and perfect for overnight outings near home as well as weeklong getaways overseas. I’ve tried numerous duffels over many adventures and have found that not all duffel bags are created equally. One bag, in particular, stands out: The North Face’s Base Camp duffels. And if there were an all-star team for duffel bags, the newer Base Camp Voyager would make the first string.

In short: The Base Camp Voyager is very similar to the rest of the Base Camp series, with a slightly different and lighter body fabric with a bunch of recycled updates. Plus, it’s slightly better designed when it comes to an EDC, gym gear, or carry-on travel bag — there are more exterior compartments, including one for a laptop, and it’s easier to organize.

It’s also smaller than the smallest of the Base Camp standard duffel series (50L), making it carry-on-sized for most airlines. Despite the difference in fabric (The North Face went from 1,000-denier to 300-denier for the body), this bag held up super well over several months of testing.

The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel

• Materials 300-denier recycled polyester tarpaulin with non-PFC DWR, 840-denier bottom
• Compartments 5 (main compartment, laptop sleeve, 2 exterior pockets, 1 internal compartment)
• Water-repellent
• External lash points
• Removable backpack straps
• Dimensions 23" x 14.67" x 10.2"
• Weight 2 lbs. 5 oz.
• Carry-on size, unlike other Base Camp duffels
• Lighter-weight exterior fabric
• Wide zipper opening for easy packing
• More organization
• No shoulder strap included
• Not the most durable

TNF Base Camp Voyager Review: Tested on Land, Air, and Sea

Who this bag is for.

At 42L, the Base Camp Voyager is compact but still has plenty of room to stash your things. It’s perfect for quick overnight trips and meets carry-on bag requirements for airplanes. And so far, it’s proved super durable, so it also doubles nicely as a gear bag for stashing climbing gear, surf supplies, or anything else.

We beat it up over a course of several months from flights and trips in the car, to use as a surf and gear bag at the beach.

Upgraded Recycled Materials

Designed with the environment in mind, one of the key upgrades from the Base Camp duffel is that the body is made from 300-denier recycled polyester tarpaulin with TPU laminate. Additionally, the boot is made from 840-denier recycled ballistic nylon with a non-PFC durable water-repellent finish (same as the rest in the series). Finally, The North Face finished the bag with recycled webbing, buckles, and mesh. The only part on the bag that’s not recycled is the zippers.

Carry-On Size Comfort

As the name suggests, the Base Camp Voyager was designed for…voyaging. So, we wanted to put all-day travel and its comfort to the test. The duffel sports padded shoulder straps that unclip and can be tucked away behind the back panel, so you can carry it as a backpack or a duffel. The bag also has side handles that help the bag sit away from your body, so it’s not constantly swinging into you as you walk.

Other thoughtful features include an external, secure-zip, padded 15-inch laptop pocket, an internal zippered pocket for stashing essentials, and a zippered exterior pocket. The duffel has an adjustable and removable divider in the main compartment to help keep gear organized. Lastly, the duffel has external webbing with multiple lash points for attaching extra gear.

When the Base Camp Voyager first arrived in the mail, I was worried it might be too small for my needs. But after sitting down with it and getting everything together that I needed for a trip down the coast, I found it was the perfect size. At 42L it can hold quite a bit, but it’s a manageable size that’s easy to carry and easily fits in an overhead bin should you be utilizing air transportation.

I tend to be the type of packer that throws everything in my bag without rhyme or reason and calls it good to go. I’m working on getting more organized and the Base Camp Voyager has proved to help immensely with that. I travel for work, so the padded laptop sleeve was perfect for keeping my laptop safe and sound. I liked that the divider in the main pocket was removable because I wanted it for some occasions, but not all. The external zippered pocket was perfect for storing quick-access items like my glasses, keys, wallet, and passport.

I’ve tested my fair share of gear, and was surprised by how durable this duffel is. I’ve only owned the pack for a few months, but I have no doubt it will withstand years of adventures, even if I’m not super gentle with it (letting it ride in the back of a truck on a drive down the coast, for example). The water-repellent finish makes the duffel water-resistant, which is perfect for me as I spend a lot of time in tropical climates where it rains frequently.

In addition to fitting clothing and other travel essentials , I found the Base Camp Voyager worked well for stashing my wetsuit and swimsuit after surfing and diving. I’m also a big fan of the option to convert between backpack and shoulder straps. When I found myself walking far, I simply transformed the duffel into a backpack, and I was good to go.

KUIU's Waypoint Duffel Is Simple, Travel-Friendly, and Darned Near Perfect

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The Base Camp Voyager has everything I could want in a duffel bag. It’s lightweight, comfortable for hours, and has ample storage space for all my things. If you are already a fan of the Base Camp duffel series and are looking for more organization or something made with recycled materials that can be put through the wringer, the Base Camp Voyager is one duffel to consider.

Rebecca was born and raised in Orange County, and she has spent countless hours exploring the California coastline. She loves surfing and standup paddling and recently relocated to Oahu, Hawaii to chase her childhood dream of being a professional beach bum. When she’s not in the ocean, you can find her running the local trails or sleeping under the stars alongside her adventure pup, Koa.

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clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

How does an NBA team build culture? For the Wizards, it starts with the last man.

In February 2020, Anthony Gill was in the middle of a game in Moscow, standing in the corner near the basket and waiting, hands in front of his chest, legs coiled, for a teammate to pass him the ball. Gill had never experienced anything like what happened next: A thought struck him, suddenly and with the same brute force as an elbow to the ribs.

“There has to be more to life than this,” he thought.

By that moment in his young life, Gill had already struck gold. A shaky start to his post-college playing days had become a lucrative pro basketball career overseas that took him and his high school sweetheart, Jenna, whom he married shortly before graduating from Virginia in 2016, to Turkey and then Russia.

They learned new cultures and had their first child as Gill made a name for himself on the court. Khimki Moscow gave him an extension in 2018 that Gill says made him one of the highest-paid players in Europe at the time.

Behind the scenes with the Wizards and all that dirty laundry

Yet Gill describes that time in his life as chasing paychecks, and a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction had begun its creep. Maybe it was the base layer of financial security and familial stability that made him want to pursue a dream just then, in that gym in Moscow. Maybe he had just had enough of waiting in the corner.

Finding fulfillment looked like this: At 28, he made a leap and became an NBA rookie, taking a pay cut to sign with the Washington Wizards in December 2020. He has since averaged just 9.8 minutes per game over three seasons but has filled an indelible role.

Gill is the Wizards’ culture guy.

He is the first player to pop up off the sideline to high-five haggard teammates during timeouts. He is the one who asks players and staff members personal questions when they least expect it, who knows his teammates’ middle names and who picks up his own trash in the locker room rather than leaving it for the equipment managers. He hates having microphones and cameras at his charity events, and when told microphones and cameras could help whatever his charitable organization is, he says, “There is no organization; it’s just me and Jenna.”

“If you’re around him or you’ve been his teammate, everybody could probably say the same thing: He is just one of the best people that you’ll ever be around,” said Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris, Gill’s college teammate.

“You need a balance of personalities in an NBA locker room. Sometimes there’s a veteran presence: They’ve been around the block, they’ve played for however long, they’re not too concerned with making more money. They’re there for the team; they want to help out, do their part. That’s a different person than a young guy trying to establish himself, trying to get a contract. I feel like AG, regardless of where he is in his NBA tenure, he’s the same way that he was in college. He’s just about the team. He’s about the right stuff.”

‘It’s not normal’

One of an NBA team’s most tried and true bonding tools is dinner on the road. Postgame meals on interminable road trips can foster trust and build chemistry. Letting off steam after a loss or celebrating a win with teammates is crucial for a healthy work environment in which, from October at least until April, players spend more time with their co-workers than they do their loved ones.

Gill took it upon himself to open up the practice this year. Players usually eat among themselves on trips, but the forward began making dinner reservations on the road with a handful of players and an entire department. They broke bread with the training and weight staff in Salt Lake City, with the coaching staff in Milwaukee, with the security team in Portland. At the end of every night, Gill picks up the tab himself or, more often, splits it with another player. It’s a purposeful gesture, a rare moment that inverts the typical player-first NBA model.

“We’re trending in that right direction, getting more connected with the staff,” Kristaps Porzingis said of the outings. “That’s a normal thing in Europe, where everybody is together always. On other teams I’ve seen here, it’s not like that.”

A healthy Bradley Beal is ready to ‘ride it out’ and make playoff push

Gill has always pushed back against basketball norms.

At Virginia, assistant coach Ritchie McKay — Gill’s longtime mentor who’s now the head coach at Liberty — remembers Gill as doing whatever it took to win.

“He usually makes his decisions based on his convictions, not just his opportunities,” McKay said. “He was willing to take on whatever role was necessary for the team in order to get the desired result.”

Often, the results Gill desired had to do with quality of life as an NCAA athlete. He played his freshman year at South Carolina and was one of Virginia Coach Tony Bennett’s first transfers from another Division I program when he arrived in 2012. He brought with him tricks he had learned from the Gamecocks about getting the absolute most out of NCAA rules that governed how much food a program can provide players. Harris said he got the team extra meals and other various benefits.

“This was before Shabazz Napier said he didn’t have enough to eat and the NCAA relaxed all these regulations,” McKay said.

Some of the ideas Gill had for Ronnie Wideman, Virginia’s director of basketball operations, are things the program still implements today.

“It’s not normal. There aren’t many that have come with that perspective,” Wideman said. “He was never afraid to speak his mind. He always was trying to figure out things to better the experience — and it wasn’t just for himself. Kudos to him for having a voice.”

If his purpose in Charlottesville was bettering the college athlete’s experience, his purpose in the NBA is to challenge the notion that the league is just a business. Gill knows that he could be traded in the offseason and that money governs all. But while he’s with the Wizards, he wants to throw himself into creating deep relationships.

“My main goal is to break down barriers between people. I want people to know that we can care about each other and love each other and it’s not taboo,” Gill said. “I know I can play basketball — 100 percent I give every single thing to the Washington Wizards every day. But for me, I’d rather be known as a better person than a basketball player. The basketball window is so short. But the person aspect of it, people will remember. I have a lot of life to live after this.”

Rejecting the hierarchy

The Wizards’ coaching staff started a cultural initiative of its own this year. Each player received a surprise personalized shirt made for him, and coaches revealed them at practice — one day, everyone donned a Bradley Beal St. Louis-themed tee, and Daniel Gafford’s featured one of his favorite anime characters.

Gill’s featured four pictures of himself, each with a word bubble: “I love basketball,” “My bad guys,” “You’re a great player,” and, because Gill doesn’t curse (or smoke or drink, for that matter), “Freak you!”

The North Carolinian isn’t just the Wizards’ culture guy. He’s also the nicest, most polite guy on the team, so much so that when Porzingis arrived in a trade from Dallas, he thought Gill was performing. Nope. “He’s just that super, over-the-top nice guy all the time,” Porzingis said.

Gill is aware that this could get annoying. He doesn’t care. He has won over the locker room anyway.

“He’s a perfect blend,” Beal said. “He helps me all the time if I’m frustrated or the team isn’t getting energy or something. He’s like, ‘Yo, B, it’s time.’ That helps me. I may not even be frustrated; I may just have a blank face. And he’ll be like: ‘B, you all right? I want to make sure you’re good because if you’re good, we’re good.’ I’ll be like: ‘You know what, AG? You right. I’m good.’ He’s probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”

Gill doesn’t subscribe to the assumed NBA hierarchy that places players above everyone else, and he tries to resist falling prey to the spoils of the job.

He gets teased every time he asks the equipment manager for a new pair of shoes because he averages somewhere between four and six pairs per season — insanely low for a professional basketball player. He frequently asks Daniel Villarreal for his opinion on Gill’s game after they work out even though Villarreal is one of the team’s video coordinators, generally considered a low-level position on a coaching staff.

“In my mind, I’m the lowest person on the totem pole. But for him, status is not a thing. He wants to hear what I think,” Villarreal said. “He’s helped me break down some of my own mental barriers because he’s willing to have those conversations — I’ll tell him, ‘If you think I’m helping you, you’re helping me just as much.’ ”

When the offseason comes, Gill plans to do what he did last year and alternate spending two weeks in Washington with two weeks at home in his native Charlotte, surrounded by his extended family, his wife and their three young children. He spends half of the time in Washington in case there’s another player in town so they’ll have someone to work out with and, if need be, another Wizards player as a touchstone.

“I get more out of coming here every day and being the last guy on the roster with no chance to move up — it seems like just working against this brick wall every day — than collecting checks and not playing at the highest level,” Gill said. “So, yes, I like to show up in the summer.”

Gill’s family and his faith ground him more than anything. They are the driving forces behind his unrelenting good-guy personality. Between his family and his role with the Wizards, Gill feels he’s fulfilling his purpose.

McKay, the former Virginia assistant who officiated Gill and Jenna’s wedding nearly seven years ago, knows as much from their conversations.

“God broke the mold,” McKay said. “The motive being so authentic I think is a rarity. I think it’s uncommon. And to some, Anthony is invisible because they judge the outcome or they judge his contribution by his stat line. But when you genuinely invest in someone else’s life — that’s real for him. That’s why I say he’s got to be as good of a teammate or the best teammate in the NBA. Because that’s a profession that can seduce you into thinking you’re more important than others. And AG, he just won’t bite that apple.”

• Wizards stay in the fight but fall short at home to the Lakers April 3, 2024 Wizards stay in the fight but fall short at home to the Lakers April 3, 2024
• Wizards find the ‘good stuff’ in a surprising win over the Bucks April 2, 2024 Wizards find the ‘good stuff’ in a surprising win over the Bucks April 2, 2024
• Monumental to debut ‘ManningCast’-style Capitals and Wizards broadcasts April 1, 2024 Monumental to debut ‘ManningCast’-style Capitals and Wizards broadcasts April 1, 2024

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THE NORTH FACE Base Camp Voyager Duffel—42L

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About this item.

• ADVENTURE READY. The Base Camp Voyager Duffel—42L is the game-changing update to our iconic Base Camp Duffel. Sized for multiple-day adventures, it now offers more internal organization and 100% recycled body material that is lighter but just as durable.
• COMFORTABLE CARRY. A comfortable padded shoulder strap can be unclipped to carry this bag as a backpack or duffel. Thanks to the Durable Water-Repellent (DWR) finish, this duffle bag is ready for use even in adverse conditions.
• ORGANIZED DESIGN. An external, secure-zip, padded 15" laptop pocket and two internal side compartments allow for convenient organization. An adjustable and removable divider in the main compartment lets you position your gear to meet your needs.
• EXPLORATION WITHOUT COMPROMISE. Easily find our most sustainable products with this badge. To qualify, apparel, equipment and accessories must be made with 75% or greater recycled, regenerative and/or responsibly sourced renewable materials by weight.
• TECH SPECS. Dimensions: 23" x 14.7" x 10.2" (58.4 cm x 37.3 cm x 25.9 cm); Laptop Sleeve: 16.5" x 10.875"; Avg Weight: 2 lbs 5 oz; Volume: 42 L.

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Product details.

• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.69 x 7.87 x 5.51 inches; 2.5 Pounds
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ NF0A52RQ
• Department ‏ : ‎ Men's
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2022
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ The North Face
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TT4MNCN
• #595 in Travel Duffel Bags

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