Kelty BRD (Big Rolling Duffle) : You Can Take It All With You

When Kelty's BRD (Big Rolling Duffel) arrived at my doorstep, it was in a box that could have held a small refrigerator. I was amazed when I pulled it out of the cardboard - it's absolutely huge. It's 10,000-cubic-inches huge. It's the-biggest-bag-I've-ever-owned huge. To get a handle on how big it is, my wife climbed inside and I wheeled her around the living room. What's even cooler is that the bag is so well-balanced that it's easy to move, even when fully loaded.

Kelty scored some major points with the BRD, and there's a lot to like about it aside from its capacity. First, at 11 pounds, it's relatively light for what it can carry. Kelty eliminated the telescoping handle used in other duffels, so the bag instead relies on a beefy fabric handle at its front. No metal parts means nothing to break, nothing to take up internal space, and nothing to weigh down the bag.

I packed the BRD for a short road trip through Colorado recently, and, of course, had some room to spare. 10,000 cubic inches is about twice the size of my backpacking pack, which I use for trips of up to a week. It's made out of a thick 1000-denier nylon, so it's pretty beefy.

Despite having extra space in the bag, I was able to stabilize the load well by cinching down the side compression straps. Next, I stared up to my car and wondered how I was going to lug the bag up the 20 steps to my driveway. Thankfully, the bag has thick padded grab handles that I was able to use as backpack straps. Problem solved! Once on pavement, the bag wheeled great, thanks to a pair of oversized skate wheels.

I like that the Kelty BRD is a simple, no-thrills bag. Still, it has some thoughtful details, such as a side pocket for documents and other items, like my toothbrush, that I like to keep close by when I'm in transit.

In the coming years, I'll be splitting my time between Norway and the States, which means I'll be traveling back and forth with all sorts of clothing and outdoor gear. The Kelty BRD will be my go-to bag for those transcontinental journeys.

Bottom Line : Massive rolling duffel that transports all of my gear well, even when packed to the brim --N.W. (Aug '10)

BUY ONLINE : $239, click to shop at Altrec . On sale at Amazon.

Manufacturer's Site: www.kelty.com

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