What People Think
Changing your life... for the better
The bag can become quite heavy, it's sometimes frustrating not to have zip pockets to easily stash items and the fact that you have to carry it rather than wheel it does sometimes devoid you of an element of speedy travel.
All that said I still use my bag as much as I reasonably can within those constraints, why? Because the bag is such a fantastically aesthetically pleasing item which radiates quality to the extent that the above irritations are worth bearing for this alone - the bag is also perfectly capacious and durable.
In summary, appreciate the bag for its limitation of not being a plastic box on wheels (which at times can be the right solution) and you won't be disappointed with this product!
Medium Waterbag - Better than Expected!
When I first received the Waterbag I was immediately impressed with the tobacco color and, of course, the glorious smell of leather. The bag is expertly constructed as is usual of Saddleback Leather products, and has noticeable substance to it. I can't stress enough the outstanding quality of this bag. I have to admit, at first I was worried that the bag would be too small for my needs. I originally selected the medium size so I can fit it in the overhead compartment on airplanes. But once I removed the insert I was able to stuff A LOT into the bag. Surprisingly, I'm still able to fit an almost-full bag into the overhead compartment. Interestingly, I had to literally punch and shove the bag in, which the bag handled without even a hiccup.
In fact, that's what impresses me most about this bag - it can take a lot of abuse. I don't purposely abuse it, but I travel extensively and sometimes I can't be gentle. No worries, this bag is built like a tank. I've drenched it in the rain, dropped it, stuffed it in a car trunk, stacked stuff on top of it, banged and scraped it along innumerable walls, railings, and other objects, etc. Nothing phases it. Everything, from the body to the straps to the rings, are all of the highest quality.
By the way, the Waterbag serves very well as a business travel bag. I use packing cubes for my "good clothes" and shoes, and stuff underwear, socks, and tee shirts (all rolled up) in the nooks and crannies. I carefully folded and placed a sport jacket at the top of the packed clothes and closed up the bag. The jacket was well protected and had few wrinkles when I arrived, which came out in a steamy shower.
If you need a versatile, strong, and stylish bag, you absolutely must get the Waterbag.
Oh - My new medium Front Pocket Backpack (tobacco) arrived just this morning. My goodness, what a beauty! Already my daughter tried to steal it this evening, and I've only had it for 6 hours. I had to let her use my Waterbag for her trip this weekend to divert her attention from the backpack. I better get my Waterbag back.
Only travel bag I'll ever need...
Dark Coffee Brown Medium Waterbag
Great Bag
Product Details
Shoulder strap adjusts long from 34" - 59"
Dimensions (W x H x D)
20" x 18" (unfolded) x 9" or 20" x 14" x 9" folded closed
Weight: 7.0 lbs.
Design of this Leather Duffle Bag
This leather duffle bag is our most popular overnight travel bag and the most versatile one. It is just one solid giant piece of leather with no breakable parts like zippers, snaps, buttons, etc. Any place that might get stress has been reinforced with rivets or hidden polyester strapping between the leather. The reason it's built with just one solid piece of leather is to reduce the amount of seams (watch the video above with bull to understand this better). Since we sew at only five stitches per inch, there is more leather between the needle holes. You see, a sewing machine is really just a perforation machine and so the fewer the holes to start a tear or let water in, the better. So when it comes to seams, less is more.
Materials To Make These Leather Duffle Bags
Full Grain Leather-
The cow leather I chose for this leather duffle bag is the strongest there is (full-grain boot leather, but thicker). Leather is like a roof. The shingles are the toughest and most protective layer. Leather has what is called "Grain" and it makes up the top layer of the hide. Some companies shave off the top layer to get rid of scars and blemishes because they don't want to throw any leather away. That's money. But in doing so, they shave off the shingles from your roof. It's really dumb, but they do it. We don't. We use high quality leather with the full amount of grain still there to make all of our leather travel and overnight bags.
A Durable Liner
The bottom of the leather duffle bag has a liner covered in tough pigskin, which is stronger than the cow skin. It gives it form, but is removable and the removable liner is covered in pigskin, which is stronger than the full-grain leather. Other bag makers might line the interior with some stylish cotton fabric or nylon material with a pretty map, but we wanted durability, and we think you do too. So pack in your clothes, gear, toiletries, and collection of cool rocks, these rugged bags can handle it.
Thread To Keep The Leather Bag Together
Our thread is super strong industrial marine grade UV resistant polyester thread. It's the most expensive for a reason. It's so strong and doesn't turn into dust like the half priced nylon thread does. Watch out for low quality companies that use nylon just to save a buck or two. When you want a leather bag to stay strong and durable, you want this thread.
Hardware
Using 316 Stainless Steel for hardware is like killing a fly with a shotgun, but we've never once had a problem because of this hardware. A lone tear just dropped from the eye of a metallurgist somewhere. Our clips were tried and found they can hold up to a 750 lb bag of cats over a cliff without breaking. It's the kind of hardware people use when their life depends on it. Ocean and parachuting stuff. And the metal of fancy watches and iPhones. There's no other overnight leather duffle bag or any leather bags that we know of that uses hardware this complete.
Functionality Of These Leather Duffle Bags
We haven't heard of any other full grain leather duffle bags as versatile as this Waterbag. Let's go over some of the functionality, from the ability to go from a tote to a backpack, down to it's carry on approval.
Leather Duffle Bags That Convert Into A Backpack
The shoulder strap makes it quickly to a backpack. So when you are going to be carrying your leather bag for a while, why not use it as a backpack? Unlike other leather bags you might find in some random department store, we thought this functionality would be important, and everyone loves it. When you have it on, you will barely feel it on your shoulders, and it will still look classy.
Tote
It has a built in handle so it can be carried as an 18" high wide open tote. I used it more than once in Africa this way carrying a whole bunch of toothbrushes, toys, and dolls, and you name it. The removable handle can be disconnected and reconnected to the corner d-ring so it doesn't rub against your leg when walking.
Two Shoulder Strap Anchors
Attach the shoulder strap to the lower D-ring to wear the bag angled across your back or attach it to the upper D-ring if it's more full. Again, we wanted you to have options for the best way to carry our duffle bags.
Watertight Duffle Bags
If the top is rolled closed, this leather travel bag turns pretty much watertight. It can be left in the back of your truck in the rain and what's inside should stay dry. It's worked for me many times. But if you try to test the limits and dunk it in a river, make sure your last change of clothes isn't in there.
For 1 Day or 5 Days
You can strap it down to lay 4" flat if you're alone or folded over on top to be 14" full. This makes it great to work as an overnight bag, as leather weekend bags, or longer, such as a road trip bag with all your gear.
Carry On Approved Travel Bags
As carry on luggage, it is within all international limits. This leather duffle bag fits into all overhead compartments and under the seats. It's our go-to travel bag for sure. Just be aware, with as much class and style this quality bag brings to the room, you will probably have to stand around answering questions about it and yourself.
Dual Closures
It can be closed with one strap while the other two tuck through slots to the inside or strapped down with all three. You can pull the three straps tight to compress it small.
Holds Long Objects
Because of the nature of the closures, fly rod tubes or architectural plans can be put deep down on one side, stick far out the other, and still buckle down nicely. If you need to, stick longer objects under the three straps and then cinch them down tight. This makes packing long objects so much easier than with other bags. There is so much storage space in this sturdy full grain leather duffle.
Is It Called Duffle Bag or Duffel Bag
We've heard both, but we prefer to call it a leather duffle bag. Some even call them kit bags, but that's probably a bit over the top for us. You decide.
Either way, it looks awesome and will get you there in style. That's what we like about it the best. Have fun out there!
No matter where you're headed, this leather duffle bag will make your journey easier and more enjoyable.
How this leather duffle bag got its name, "The Waterbag"
Since I grew up in Oregon, there were some things we used to do that I didn't realize aren't all that common. One kind of weird, actually. Since it was usually really cool and rainy, when the sun came out and it hit about 70 degrees, almost all men took their shirts off to bask in the sun. I didn't think much of it until I went back to visit with my wife in the summer and, no kidding, one third of the men walking around downtown, in shape and not, were bare chested. My wife started laughing and then I did too. I forgot how common it was. I thought everybody in the world did it too.
The other thing that we did in the short summers was float down one of the dozens of rivers on innertubes and little rafts. Seemed like every other weekend maybe. The river was usually snowmelt and super cold, but that didn't matter, we took our shirts off and floated. Anyways, something that pretty much everybody had with them was some sort of way to keep their things dry from the water on those floats (and for the 8 solid months of rain for the rest of the year). It was usually some kind of a dry bag or smaller bag for gadgets that would tie to the tube or raft and make the 5 hour float with you. It was a long plastic or rubber bag that rolled up and then half way rolling down the bag, a strap or clip or ziplock thing was there to keep the rubber duffle bag rolled up.
I figured the whole world knew about them, but have since learned that they're not very common away from oceans of rain and watersports. But it was common to me and when I started this company, I knew that I just had to make one out of strong water-resistant leather. And so I did. And I made it with as few seams as possible because that's the only vulnerability where the water could get in when it's rolled shut. Now don't submerge this bag or anything, but it is really good at generally keeping water out when it's in a rainstorm or for when you're using it in backpack form on a hike. I just recently walked all over London in the rain using my own Leather Duffle Bag in backpack form to carry little things we bought along the way. Quite the duffle bag it turned out to be.
Keep Your Stuff Dry And Your Brain Tickled With Our Newsletter
The waterbag will take care of keeping your things dry, just don't go deep sea diving with it. So now that is no longer a concern, sign up for our newsletter and get ready for some amazing stories. We can almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed; with adventures from all over the world, inspiring stories, and of course quality leather designs, you will never run out of things to read about. So join us today and get an insider look at our exciting world – we believe it's worth your time!
