With the summer months quickly approaching comes the promise of a few long weekends. You are either about to embark on a summer packed full out-of-town adventures (i.e. all your friends weddings) or chill weekends away at the cottage. Perhaps you have already booked your flight or a rented the car for the road trip but have you thought about packing? Sure, summer getaways can make packing simpler – a few swim trunks, a few t shirts, something dressier, some flip flops for the beach… But what should you pack it all in? Most men seem to have two travel options for bags: a gym bag and a carry-on suitcase. But gym bags get funky pretty quickly, and sometimes a suitcase with wheels is just too much. The one piece of luggage every man should add to his arsenal is the leather duffel bag.
When it comes to leather accessories, there is a golden rule you should always follow: quality over quantity. No matter how many weekend trips you take to Muskoka or the East Coast, you’ll be the best ‘luggaged’ man there with the help of a man’s holdall. The rules for picking out a bag that will last you a lifetime are easy.
1. Look for a duffel bag with clean lines and not too much hardware. You don’t need multiple pockets. Keep it simple.
2. A good leather duffel will cost you. Spend as much as you can afford – if you put up the money at the beginning you will end up with a bag that will last you to the very end.
3. It’s all about the quality of the leather, you want a duffel bag that will stand up to abuse but will also age well.
4. For the most versatile duffel – pick a bag in chocolate brown or tan/butterscotch. Black is the obvious choice but a brown leather bag ages much better – and that’s what you want.
5. Use it over and over again. The more use, the better your duffel bag will look in the end.
