Mission Rolling Duffel 30 inch Tactical Bag
Feature rich large rolling bag! Materials: 1680D Nylon Model: 56005 Features: Reinforced bottom corners and skids Pockets on side and top for organizing smaller personal items Laptop-keeper to secure your laptop case Internal mesh divider separat
- Amazon Sales Rank: #249450 in Apparel & Accessories
- Brand: 511 Tactical
Handled One Deployment and One Vacation
I took this thing to Iraq and back, then back across the Atlantic for a Baltic cruise. It's been aboard UH-60s and CH-47s, as cargo on C-130s and C-17s, then civilian baggage handlers across the states four times. It's rolled over sand, dust, gravel, rocks, slush, snow and been dragged like a sled through mud. Not to mention being handled by cruise ship luggage staff on and off of a cruise liner.
I would call that a fairly comprehensive test of durability. It did OK, but not awesome. I had come to know 5.11 as possessing some quite robust design but was ultimately disappointed. The seams busted on the top half of the front from what I believe was a yanking motion by a US baggage handler.
Pros: Great size for all uniforms needed for a year in the desert including a pair of boots and some moderate winter gear. Decent sized and fairly sturdy wheels, they've never chipped, cracked or worn oddly; I should know how tough they are, I chipped a bone on my little toe walking into it. While not specifically waterproof or even water resistant, it does a pretty good job keeping your clothes dry while traveling in the rainy season in Iraq. I still suggest carrying daily outfits in a 2.5 gallon zip-lock inside the bag. I wish I had this thing when I was in Afghanistan. Not a single zipper on this thing has come close to failing even with considerable use. The netting inside that keeps your clothes organized when you flip it open has never torn or disintegrated as I've seen on other bags. Half the time, I clip the extend-able handle of this thing in the shoulder strap of my backpack and forget it's behind me.
Cons: The significantly beefed up cloth handle on the very top of the bag is not really connected to much material. The material around it has come apart probably from over-packing and airline baggage handlers can be a little mean to oversize luggage, even if you pay for it. The seams on the top of mine have come apart in the process. Funny how it survived Iraq to be ripped apart by baggage handlers on domestic flights. It sleds a bit through gravel, slush and mud; I would have liked the wheels to be a bit bigger. If you take a hard corner, like any long rolling luggage, it will roll over on you and force you to stop and right your bag. Oh, when I emailed the contact at 5.11 when I got back to see whether they could help me out with their "Tactical Mission Ready" rolling duffel after the seams blew apart under what I consider normal wear for a 'Tactical' bag, I got no response. Nothing. I emailed twice, from two email address'. I'm still disappointed. Not even a "Hey, sorry, here's the fine print. You shouldn't have had 80lbs in that thing." Nothing.
