Deep Pocket Leather Duffle Bag

Does it soak up compliments like a camel at an oasis? Yes
Does it fit the jiu jitsu gi's of a family of 6? Yes
Can you pick it up and carry it without latching the top? Yes
Is the baby gladstone deep pocket a work of genius? Yes.
Is the size ratio of the pocket straps visually and physically proportional to the top strap? Yes.
Did SBL nail all the little details, like rivets on the baby gladstones, the off center strap anchors, the generous yet thin inner panel, the shape of the handles, the variable depth deep pockets, the holes on the straps all the way to the tips, and the superb feel of full grain leather? Yes.

It's outstanding. Get one.

Love my waterbag; but that's for checking at the gate. I think it's the most handsome bag Dave makes.

Put your sports coat and two pair of pants into a lightweight garment bag and it should fold in nicely. Socks and underwear into a pair of shoes, fold in a vest (waistcoat) and three dress shirts.

There will be enough room for toiletry bag and probably a tablet on top. Use the two outsides for power cords and maybe your passport/wallet.

Compare the leather to those pieces of junk they sell other places, full of plastic and zippers. You won't walk through the airport, you'll stride.

I have had this thing for a few years now and I am not one who reviews many things but I have got to tell ya. It just gets better with age. I wanted to break it in a bit and have been doing just that for the past few years building some character into it. I condition it every few months and man it looks great. I treat it like a trusted friend at this point. Haha.

This is not my first Saddleback product, and may not be my last. Although, I probably have all I need, I can't help myself!
Anyway this bags is my carry-on when going away for 3-5 days, and also goes in the car when I am camping.
Absolute best feature is the Gladstone opening - easy to pack, easy to find what you need.
I use one of the front pockets for undies and socks (hint: alpaca socks can last several days) and the other one for tech cables - plugs etc.
Then there is a handy inside pocket where I can stash my tablet and/or laptop.
I also love the strap, so I can sling it over my shoulder and drag my wife's back around, or checked luggage (depending)

Beautiful bag. I was torn between this bag and the Doctor's bag and thought this would be better for trips. The correct choice. Good size without being overly large. Very easy to load and the side pockets are more handy than I originally thought. I used the Chamberlain's Conditioner and Protector on it which did darken it up somewhat from the original Tobacco color yet still a great looking and functional piece of luggage. Strongly recommend.

This bag is stunning!! I had been looking at it online but in person, it is hard to put into words how much of a showstopper it is. As always, Saddleback quality can’t be beat. Such an amazing weekend bag that is as good looking as it is functional. Well done, Saddleback Leather!

Been exploring various brands of this bag for months and just received my Saddleback version. There is no comparison. Saddleback's leather artisans are the best in the industry. All my leather goods are Saddleback and will continue to be so. Thank you for respecting your customers by providing the absolutely highest quality items.

Saddleback never lets me down. I absolutely love the bag and it is my second addition to my Saddleback collection.
My main love for there brand is the solid quality and I look foward to the aged patina of the bag as we grow old together.
I wish I could own the collection, but we will see. Im just waiting until they release a side pocket beast. Then Im back in .
Thanks Saddleback, you never disappoint.

So I received my limited run Dusty Carbon a.k.a. Groucho Grey on Saturday. I can't wait to fill this beauty up with my 4 days worth of belongings for my Saddleback Members trip to Guanajuato, Mexico in March. I now know why they call it Dusty Carbon - it looks like the bag just got dusted up from vehicles traveling along a dirt road - pretty cool. The large gladstone opening is great for packing and the two large pockets which lean inwards will be great for those items you want to keep secure but that you need to access quickly. The pigskin interior is velvety and the inside side pocket is nice for general storage or dirty laundry. Dave is right again, quality materials and craftsmanship are important but so is thoughtful design.

Boy did I agonize over this one. My objective was to have a duffle that looked great, for 2-3 day trips where I didn't want to use my business-oriented, boring, travel suitcase. Especially wanted it for driving trips where it was easy to toss it in the truck and carry it around vs the long walks at airports.

First concern was the size. Even though the video showed the packing, the problem is I'm 6'4 290 pounds and all my clothes are XX or XXXL. So when I see videos, I'm always skeptical about my size clothes. First thing I did was just a little test to see how far I could push it. In my first test, I was able to pack:

1 Pair Cowboy Boots
1 Pair Jeans
1 XXXL Hoodie
5 XXL Sweatshirts
5 underwear & socks (shoved in the boots)

I had to push down to close and pull tight to cinch, but sure enough, all that fit! And, it looked great on the outside even when that stuffed. With all that, even though the deep-pocket design is meant to go inwards toward the bag (and the inside was stuffed), I could still cram a few more socks and underwear into the front pockets with no sweat.

That's not a practical packing list, but I wanted to test how many bulky things I could throw at it and it exceeded my expectations. It looks so deep when the Gladstone is open, but when closed, the profile is really unassuming and all that was still easy to carry. It's as wide as my carry-on is tall -- almost exactly, and no doubt designed that way to fit on airplane overheads.

The weight is not bad at all. Lighter than I expected for a bag that can hold that much.

On to color. Here, I agonized. I have a front-pocket briefcase that is 10+ years old and it's tobacco. Pictures are really hard to use for color because lighting changes the look so much. In the end, I wanted something that would fit the mood of a classy mountain resort hotel, which for me was either the Dark Coffee Brown or the Chestnut. The Chestnut seemed right, but in some of the pics it looked so... red! Well, I bit the bullet because some of the pics looked exactly like what I wanted and I could not be more happy with the choice! It is nowhere near overly red. It's beautiful, warm, and exactly what I was hoping for! (Though I know color perception and preference are so variable from person to person!)

In summary, This bag is lighter than I expected, holds more than I expected, and the Chestnut Brown is as beautiful as I expected.

The only thing to nit pick is, while the Gladstone opening is exactly what I want, it is obviously more narrow than spreading wide a cloth duffel bag. For clothes in my size, just means I have to turn the clothes as I'm putting them in vs putting them in flat through the opening. How small of a nit is that?! But just for completeness of the review, I figured I'd throw it in there.

Looking for a bag that I could use for weekend trips and as a carry-on when flying, I settled on this duffle. The gladstone opening was the feature that decided it for me; no zipper breakage to worry about, and a bag that stays open as your packing and unpacking. It can hold a great deal of items. The inset design of the front pockets also gives you a significant amount of additional space. A well thought-out design.

I bought this during the 20th Anniversary sale and when I opened the package, I audibly gasped by how beautiful this bag is. I opted for the Chestnut variation since they've updated that color of leather and I found it to be very similar in color to my Saddleback Leather Papyrus logo era Tank backpack. The new chestnut feels more supple and has a bit more depth than the Chestnut SBL used way back when. If you've seen those bags you will know how amazing that is. For a better idea of what the new Chestnut looks like, look at the pictures of the Front Door Briefcase and the Leather Document Holder. Take those images and envision it for the Deep Pocket.

As for the construction of the Deep Pocket, it is a functional piece of artwork that smells absolutely divine. I am a very picky person and I could not find a single flaw with this bag. I have a small collection of SBL items and have been most pleased with every single purchase. I will be so happy to use this alongside my older Tank as they nearly match and are of such high quality. Bite the bullet; cry once, buy once and get this bag. You won't regret it.

I got this bag as a birthday present for my 50th birthday from my sons. Let me start by saying this bag is a beauty! The website does no justice at all. Once you see it live, you can tell the quality and craftsmanship that was put into this bag. It is just right. This is my 6th saddleback leather product and they always deliver. If you are looking for a beautiful bag that is built like a tank and will last forever do not hesitate.

What a great bag! This is my second purchase after the Leather Passport Wallet. Both are great quality. This bag is made with such great attention to detail. I ordered the Tobacco color, and couldn’t be more satisfied with it, and the smell is amazing. They even included a leather key fob! Now I just gotta plan a trip so I can use it! These guys hit it out of the ballpark with their leather. You won’t regret your purchase.

I've been a fan of Saddleback for quite some time, and have a number of their products. The deep pocket duffle is an outstanding piece. Although it is a recent acquisition, it has become a quick favorite. It's compact, yet carries so much. Easy to pack up with the Gladstone closures, looks SO nice, scores the highest marks in every regard. Highly recommend.

It's really perfect - not nearly as heavy as some of my other pieces, more mobile, fits easily under the seat on a plane.

Fills to capacity, space on the outside, leather just as supple as you'd want. It's beautiful, functional.

I love my waterbag, and that's something I can give to a baggage handler. It's not that I couldn't do that with the Deep Pocket. I just want it next to me.

I literally could live out of the two of them, easily. I mean, easily, for life.

I always wanted some thing just a little bit bigger than the classic briefcase for a four day trip. But it couldn’t be too big.

So far, my Gurka cavalier works just fine… But I wanted something that made it louder statement.

Enter the deep pocket duffel bag. I just got back from two trips in a row: four-day trip to go kayak the Grand Canyon. Three day turnaround, then leave again for a two week cross-country trip to kayak with killer whales from Dallas to Vancouver.

For the last 3 1/2 weeks, this bag has been my daily companion, and I loved every minute of owning it. It’s practical, big enough, opens easy, stays open, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Unexpectedly, my favorite part is the satisfying noise it makes when I drop it from the double handles onto a wood cabin floor: whhomp!

It sounds full, but not too full. It sounds square and round at the same time. It sounds like quality. It sounds like it has character. It sounds like it IS a character.

I keep trying to figure out ways to beat this bag and I just can’t. I’ve loaded a week of beach clothes for 2 people, a Dopp kit,, an iPad and 2 laptops and all the chargers you’d need and it didn’t break a sweat . I’ve loaded a suit jacket 2 button downs 2 pairs of slacks, a Dopp kit and shoes and you could still close it down to the lowest strap hole. It has been snowed on, rained on, used as a platform for my kids to sing from (they decided they were singing astronauts). It is incredibly comfortable to carry in your hand as well as on the shoulder strap. I guess if I could nit pick at anything it would be nice to have a good spot on the bag to put a monogram. You aren’t going to find a better bag or a better group of people to do business with. Period.

I was looking for a bag that would suffice for a long weekend, and this bag is more than adequate size. Construction quality is on par with what I have come to expect from Saddleback, and I can't wait to to get it broken in properly.

An incredible bag. Love the gladstone opening, especially on the front pockets. Agonized over color, but went with DCB to match my flightbag. So beautiful. Looking forward to many weekend getaways with this. Expensive, but no doubt a piece of functional art. Zero regrets.

Today, I finally received the long-awaited package after two months of waiting! Unfortunately, I couldn't order this bag direct to my country (I had to ask my friends to help me get it. This is the best travel bag I've ever owned! Original design, thick leather, Gladstone clasps... it's an explosion of emotions. Bravo Dave, it's amazing. My respects to the craftsman who made it. This is the seventh purchase from saddleback and I plan on more)

This is my fourth bag from Saddleback and the best one yet.  It fits perfectly in the overhead compartment on planes and allows me to pack everything--including laptop--for a weeklong business trip in a single piece of luggage.  That makes airport navigation easier and saves the space under my seat for extra legroom.

I finally received the best bag ever, from Saddleback! And that's saying a lot...ha....(I'll list what I have down at the bottom, so you'll know I have plenty of Saddleback bags to compare it to!) First, the size is absolutely perfect. I have the Beast, and the Adolescent Beast, and yes, they're amazing - and big. This is smaller - but not by much! And that's the thing....it's just right. Bigger than the Doctor's duffle, which was my go-to for quick trips...but now? This is the one. Second, the quality. Wow, Saddleback hit a whole new bar with this one. So beautiful! (mine is in Chestnut like most of my stuff). I mean, so beautiful and so well-made, you just want to put it in an extra chair at the dining room table and just look at it while you have dinner Ha...But seriously, when function and beauty come together - that's this bag. Thank you Dave!

Like all Saddleback products this Gladstone duffle far exceeded my expectations. Besides the functional design this duffle looks incredible. It's the perfect size for a weekend getaway and the wide mouth opening makes accessing its contents a breeze. The front pocket design is like nothing I've seen before, they look to be a normal size from the outside but the liner can expand into the interior of the bag and can fit way more than you would think. Saddleback knocked it out of the park with this duffle!