Outdoor Research Antimatter Duffel Bag

LOVE this bag. You can carry it like a duffel or a backpack. Its awesome because it folds up into an incredibly lightweight pouch, so its easy to bring in your suitcase for longer trips to help separate your dirty clothes. I can easily pack for myself and my kids for a weekend in this bag. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.

I'm a self-admitted gear addict/junkie. I believe in the old saying "horses for courses" - basically the idea that there is a proper tool for each task. Towards that end, I have about 20 different backpacks, with each one being used for very specific purposes.Duffels are my new kick. I snagged a Marmot Long Hauler a few months back before departing on my current assignment, and the thing has been amazingly useful. I love how much stuff I can pack into a duffel but I usually find them to be too uncomfortable to carry to really be worth it. Enter the new trend of duffels that integrate backpack-style shoulder straps into the handles. I like this style so much that I picked up the Antimatter in both sizes to see if either of them would work as an overnight bag on my upcoming R&R.Let's start with the positive. It's pretty amazing that OR was able to make a 45 liter duffel bag that weighs less than 11 oz. The cardboard tag feels like it weighs more than the bag it's attached to. On paper this should have worked as something that I can throw in the bottom of my luggage and then pack up for short overnights and day trips.Unfortunately, the bags do not live up to this promise. The material is simply too lightweight for the bag to be comfortable to use. The zipper to the main compartment opens up all the way to the side and the bag collapses in on itself when you put it on the ground, which makes packing it feel like you're wrapping your stuff up in a sheet. I found during my practice packing that things that I thought I put on the bottom of the bag were actually on the side once it was zipped closed. Additionally, the straps are so lightweight that they roll in on themselves when attached together for one shoulder and are not comfortable when worn separately like a backpack (though the 30 liter carries much better as a backpack).Bottom line: I recommend taking the slight weight penalty of a stronger bag unless you absolutely must count every single gram that you carry.