34" Beast Duffle Bag

This bag is named correctly. It holds everything you need and more for a long trip. When fully loaded with clothes and gear it weighs about 55-60 pounds - still manageable to get into and out of the SUV. At this weight the top touched the sides and the buckles were able to buckle without straining - the bag was not overstuffed - just pleasantly full. This is my 7th or 8th bag - it is as well built and stylish as the rest. All of my bags are tobacco color and I did notice this one is a bit darker than the rest. Not sure if it is a one-off variation, or a move to a darker shade going forward. Time will tell as I am sure I will be buying more.

The beast is absolutely the right name for this bag - it holds everything you would need and more for an extended trip. Filled to the max with clothes and gear (where the cover actually touches the sides and the front and you can buckle it without straining) it weighed about 55-60 pounds. Still manageable to get in and out of the SUV. Stylish and built to last too - like everything Saddleback makes. This is my 7th or 8th bag - they are all aging nicely and holding up well. The tobacco color on this one is a bit darker than the rest of my bags. Not sure if that's a one off variation or a movement to a darker shade going forward.

As most cars do not have trunks, I’ve transferred everything from the net to this bag. It has MORE than enough room remaining to accommodate grocery bags or anything else! I ENJOY this functional mobile trunk ;-)

I've had my beast since 2012, purchased as a Dave's Deals with no noticeable issues. It works really well for holding 30 days worth of clothing. When not being used for travel it also works very well for storing other items.

This bag is legendary. Doormen, Bellhops and luggage handlers have complimented the caliber of these bags (beast, waterbag and accoutrements) on many occasions with reverence. These bags are right at home in “World Class” surroundings or the rodeo grounds. They wear like hardened steel. Never a tear, pull or failure of any sort. The belt holes don’t even show much wear. You literally cannot go wrong with anything they offer at Saddleback. IAFF member approved.

We just received our new Saddleback Beast bag and it looks just as great as the pictures on the website. This being our first bag purchase, we were impressed by the quality of the leather and craftsmanship. This bag represents everything you would expect from Saddleback and more. It's your ultimate duffle bag purchase. Looking forward to our next Saddleback purchase!



P.S. This really is a BEAST! Dave must be a giant among men because he makes it look normal-sized. :)

My wife bought me the Beast just over a year ago I think in part to humor me and my keen interest/obsession with SBL - never actually expecting I'd make good on my claims to actually travel with it. Since then it's accompanied us to China, BC, Honduras, Iceland, Greenland, Maine and Italy. It's remarkably light empty (no frame, wheels or gadgets) but fills and weighs up quickly. Leather tightening straps allow a compression sack-esque ability to minimize volume. The twin shoulder straps work OK for long walks but I find I spend 90% of my transfers and transitions slinging the massive beast over one shoulder duffel-style. 50lb on one shoulder seems to work fine on my 6'3' frame but all of the helpful people at airports and hotels tend have a hard time. I make an effort to do all of the bag handling. Beautiful functional piece of luggage if your'e big enough to carry it. Never buying another piece of large luggage again. We place bets not on if, but on how much time it will take before someone makes a compliment at the airport.

This thing is seriously massive, as others have said. I couldn't wait to get him, and when he finally arrived, he looked amazing in the dark coffee brown. He also has a really cool scar right in the top!

I bought this work of art to replace the ugly dresser in my bedroom. Every stitch of clothing I own fits inside The Beast, including shoes, winter boots, and coats...everything. Using compression bags could make room for even more.

It's just too beautiful to be only used for travel, so why not use it everyday in full view? If I'm investing this much, than why not admire it from a place of honor, and enjoy it all the time? The ritual of unbuckling all the straps in the morning to take my clothes out for the day (and then buckling all of them up again :) just makes me smile. The Beast looks so nice on my hardwood floors.... He smells wonderful, too.

What would be cooler than having this beauty in the living room for storing, linens, blankets, pillows, whatever, when not using as luggage? Way better than a foot locker in my opninion. This would make a lovely addition to a rustic cabin, a fishing lodge, anywhere! The Beast deserves to be in the spotlight all the time, in my opinion.

Love my Beast!

OK, I just got a Beast from Dave's Deals....and I have looked from top to bottom...inside and out and can not find the reason that Dave made this 15% off. (But thanks a ton!) It is as good as I thought and all of the other items that I have from Saddleback. My last suit case broke just figured that if it only lasted 1.5 years then this will pay for itself in about 6 years!



As for the bag it is off to Jordan in a bit....then it will be scuba diving in Jamaica.....more to follow ....Thanks Dave!

i ordered it thought it was to big ...not thinking I sent it back.....wow now they are out of stock.....help,,,i want my bag back,,,,,i have a lot of there bags I want thinking .......ps I slept it at the foot of my bed ,,,,

Wife, daughter and myself recently went on a Mexican coast trip. We had just purchased the beast Duffle bag a few months back. We put the Beast to the test, on the way back from vacation. The bag with our clothing and all the extra shirts for family members and other miscellaneous items we bought while on vacation were in the bag. When we checked in at the airline the bag weighed in at 38 kilograms about 84 lbs. The bag did not break a sweat, carrying the bag in backpack style was a plus. While waiting in line to check in I would lift the bag with the side strap because it was too heavy to carry it the whole time while waiting in the check in line, the side strap handled the weight very well. I would definitely recommend the Beast duffle bag. My wife and I are very pleased we bought the Beast Duffle bag. This wasn't our first purchase from Saddleback, we love all our products but the Beast is a must have for families who travel.

I received my Beast yesterday afternoon after eying Dave's Deals for the past six months to see if it would show up. It is everything I expected and more! Amazing quality (as always), will no doubt work fantastically on my annual summer trips to southern Africa, and will definitely fit everything I will need plus some.

Overall, amazing duffel, can't wait to wear it in!

Excellent quality and great value

I got this as a high school graduation present, along with the dopp kit, and took them along with me to South Africa and Tanzania over the summer. A month long trip and The Beast didn't let me down, carried all my gear for climbing Kilimanjaro and Safari, and even weighed less than the bags that my grandparents packed. I love this thing to death and take it out whenever I get the chance. Well worth the investment if you're planning on taking long trips out of country, or if you want to sneak a lion cub or two back into the states (they'd fit with room to spare). Not to mention the coffee color is absolutely gorgeous.

I bought this beast in the fall of 2013 before my trip of teaching oversees. During this initial trans-pacific journey, The Beast proved to be a hardy workhorse carrying the great weight of burdens I had placed on it. As with all pack animals, we tend to overladen them. This time it was no exception. Upon arriving in this new world, the Beast and I established our new homestead. Thus earning itself a well deserved respite and a winter hibernation. Let�s fast-forward to the present. It is now March 2014 and The Beast has awaken. It�s now a new season and once more The Beast takes heavy loads with a tireless effort and the doggedness of youth. Many a passerby marvel at its enormity and musculature and silently wish that they too had such a behemoth by their side. When they ask me where I discovered such an animal, I simply declare: "It will live a hundred years!

This thing is aptly named. My beast is dark coffee brown. We have two daughters and when we go on vacation we were always lugging tons of bags, so I ordered a beast with the goal of getting down to one bag. The bag itself is massive. On our next family vacation, everything fit into one bag, which posed a few new challenges I wasn't prepared for. One was the weight of the bag...it was easily 40-50 pounds. The bag itself didn't even sweat. No fear of it breaking, tearing, etc, its built like a tank. I'd suggest a hand cart. The second challenge was also in relation to size. We pretty much live out of our bag and don't put our stuff in drawers. It was tough finding everyone's clothes since they were all piled into essentially a big trunk without compartments. . If you're an unpacker, this is the bag for you. If you're like us, you'd be better off with a suitcase or duffel bag or two with more compartments. Pick the right bag for your lifestyle. The other thing is people will want to talk about to you about your bag. I got a handful of "nice bag!" comments and even one guy nodding and smiling "saddleback?" This is not the bag for you if you just want to be left alone. It's perhaps the manliest of man bags.

My Beast was ordered early 2015 and tested throughout international travel to three countries! If you're thinking about pulling the trigger on this bag....my advice, DO IT!



IS IT ROOMY? GOODNESS YES!

It's dimensions allowed me to pack until i was tired! The vast internal side pockets also had space underneath them for other items!



TIME MANAGEMENT

If you think you're gonna just fill THE BEAST up quickly and go...my friend, you are wrong! The straps on this ecosystem prevent ANYTHING from occurring easily or instantly! The straps will need to be secured twice to keep them from flailing around and possibly being snagged on something. (HINT): move the quickly accessible items you may need to the upper front of your stack!



IS IT HEAVY? WELL GOLLY!

There should be a video on how to PACK THE BEAST. Since I rushed, I kind of got happy and packed more than the suggested airline weight limit by at least 20lbs! You should consider pre-planning the packing phase because It can get ugly! Expect to pay extra for this animal at the airline ticket counter...or at least plead for a discount! (I'm military so the obvious method works for me most times!)



HELP WANTED!

Anything created with the awesome qualities and advantages of Saddleback Leather will be worth its weight in heft! (Well, at least I think this!) But just slinging the Beast Duffel over your shoulder all day may not be a healthy piece of advice. Invest in a collapsible duffel carrier. Trust me, I've searched high and low for other solutions but there aren't many. The "Wheeled Luggage Carrier" has become the market standard. Dave, can we get some help on this?



LOOKS...FANTASTIC!

Now, I may be alone in this comment. The beast in Carbon is exceptional!!!! The comments and compliments I receive about this bag (including my large dry-bag and front-pocket backpack) are numerous and far from average! Please note that ANY owner of THIS bag (with this much quality) is also far from average). This leather creation has it's own lane!



SORRY FOR THE ENVY

So sorry (not really sorry) for all of you guys who joined the SBL party of late and missed this piece in all of its carbon glory. The deep grey hue is unmistakable. However, you will enjoy your Beast as much (in any color) as I or anyone else once its yours.



Large Size...ITS HUGE!

Long leather straps

Compliments by the dozen

Should've bought another!

Said it would be my last buy...over and over and over

In a small Middle Eastern Country (Bahrain), a Saudi guy came over to me at hotel check-in, pointed to my bags and said "GOOD COW".

yes, you'll will JUST GLANCE AT IT once you're reached your destination!

Purchased my college-aged daughter the squared backpack and shes ALSO now a lifetime member! There should be a name for our type!



The Beast Duffel (in my honest opinion) is a flagship product. There is a sense of pride in ownership you'll feel once you make your purchase...so enjoy it for a lifetime!

This bag is big. I am 181cm tall (5'11") and this bag, sitting on its end, reaches my waist. think football (soccer) kit bag and you are in the right area. that being said, it is extremely well constructed, its strapping and handles aiding it in keeping its shape when you are lugging around your stuff.

I did have high expectations of this bag, both through the reviews and Dave's videos, and higher anticipation after the item had been out of stock for a while, but I must say it exceeds them all. As I live out of a bag (initially a 100litre rucksack, then a SBL side pocket duffel), this will be a constant companion, with enough space for my restaurant and party clothes (YAY), my work clothes (Hmm...) and my gym gear (wait a minute! what?). It is one big bucket of a bag, so some internal organisation will be needed for used sports kit etc, but that is not a problem in the slightest.



As the bag is made with only 4 pieces of leather, there are some character marks(a few lines), however I am of the same mind as Dave et al on this - it lends itself to a more interesting bag. If the marks denoted any weakness, I am sure that it would not pass the quality test. This is on the tobacco coloured version - I imagine that the other styles will have such minor elements removed.

The only thing that I am not immediately over the moon with is the strap handles/shoulder pads. this is simply because they are still new and it will take some time to soften them down such that the grip is comfortable when carrying heavier loads (it is far from uncomfortable as it is, but I had to pick on something now, didn't I? ;-) ).



I have only had it outside a few times, but already several comments on it - be prepared to be social if you have one of these!.



Great job Guys!

Great quality

The beast is the only duffle/travel bag I will ever need again...I ill be handing off to one one soon an cannot wait to. See their eyes! Ill e the thing... I love all of the products I have bought, the dry bag, the wet bag, the women's totes, the clutch, the gadget bag, the big wallets, etc.... What a company...what a set of people behind it all! Michele DeMeo

I absolutely love this bag, however in full disclosure I purchased it with the two straps that convert to a backpack mode. The way we pack this sucker, I can't imagine not being able to do that. Nor can I understand how the current configuration for the handle would be an effective way to carry this. That being said, I cannot attest that I have tried to carry the new version or not, so there may be something that I don't know/understand. Ergo, my 5 stars apply only to the previous generation.

I work in Northern Alberta, Canada in the oil field. I am way from home most of the time, and the beast is my go-to bag. I have blown out and wrecked so many bags over the years its about time I got a bag that can hold up. I also carry a large breifcase and Large front pocket backpack. Sure it was expensive, but in 30 years when I retire the cost per year will be minimal. Keep up the good work Dave. Also SBL customer service is top notch.

For all practical purposes I live out of bag. I have looked for a long time for a large duffel bag. I looked at bags from Duluth Trading Company, Shnees, Gander Mountin, Filson, and various other reputable companies. This bag is by far and away the best built of any bag I could find. I unpack almost completly at each move and it has all the room I need. Only drawback is possibly the wieght. The bag itself is almost a work of art, it was definitaly assembled by a craftsman of high skill. Just sitting in the corner it garners compliments on it's looks. People ask/comment on all the time. I am almost nervous to let an airline handle it, (becausee of the chance of loss, not that it won't stand up to thier gentle handeling). No doubt it was not cheap, nothing good ever is. I will update my will to include this item, I believe it will be around longer then me.

I was all set to go to The North Pole in March of 2020, but then corona virus hit so my trip was suspended. That being said, when I bought the bag I knew it was a very large bag, but then again I had never visited The North Pole. It requires an extreme amount of gear, down, wool and equipment. Although, I didn't get to go this year, the ONLY bag that fit all of my gear was the beast bag. I'm hopeful I will get to go in 2021 with the beast ............

Not much I can say that hasn't already been said, but truly, this bag is big. No really, sit down and think about it. Do what I did...get a measuring tape and try and find something around the house that has the same approximate measurements. ...and then, I swear, once you get it, you'll think it's even bigger than they say it is. It's too much bag for a weekend trip, honestly. It would be perfect for a week long car trip. Well built, like all SBL products. No complaints. Yes it's heavy, yes it's bulky, yes it will make you hate that you packed it so full...but that's why you bought it isn't it? Just go for it. You won't regret it!