Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L

My Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L duffel bag ticks many boxes for me as travel luggage. The organization, carry options, and size make it a great for my needs. Find out if it’s right for you in this product review.

One bag & Carry-on travel

I’m a big fan of traveling with duffel bags in general. I already have the 60L Eagle Creek migrate duffel and decided to pick up the Eagle creek cargo hauler in the 40L size as I wanted an additional travel bag that was carry-on compliant and has more organization with compartments for separating gear. The Migrate Duffel is great but is just one big space.

I can fit a good amount of gear into it, clothes for four or five days, toiletries in one side compartment. Then there is another compartment on the other side so I can keep things separate from clothes in the main compartment. In the 40L version these end compartments are too small for shoes if, like me, your feet are size 11 or above. If you have one of the larger duffels or smaller feet you’re probably good to go.

Size & Carry Options

The Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler comes in a 40L, 60L, 90L, 110L, and 130L versions. The 110 Litre and 130 Litre versions being wheeled duffels.

The 40L version that I bought measures 56cm x 23cm x 32cm which is within the carry-on size limit for most airlines. You can check your airline’s max limit. A few budget airlines may be stricter but as it is a soft bag you can cinch it, if not fully packed, to get it back within those measurements.

All luggage comes with pros and cons. Wheeled hard cases and great for fitting a lot of things and keep them super protected but at the expense of mobility and comfortable carry options.

I like to have a lot of carry options when traveling which is why I buy Duffels. I can carry smaller duffels by my side, over the shoulder, or use the backpack straps. The eagle creek cargo hauler has good straps that can be turned into a handle to carry by your side, a side handle so it can be carried ‘suitcase style’, or it can be carried in backpack mode. You could probably carry over the shoulder too but it would be less practical than the other two methods. There are lots of grab handles around the bag to tie to a roof rack or even a Mule if you’re going somewhere more adventurous.

Materials

My Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L says made in Indonesia. It’s made from durable materials (find out exact parts made of what) – 800D Nylon Dobby, 1680D Ballistic Polyester, and recycled 200D polyester. I have other eagle creek bags, some 15 years old and all have held up very well. This bag feels like it will too.

Internal Organization

All of the non-wheeled Cargo Hauler duffels are laid out the same. the only thing that is different is the size of each compartment. They have a spacious main compartment, even in the 40L version it can hold quite a lot. It has an optional mesh divider that attaches to a toggle to split the main compartment down the middle, I rarely use it but it’s nice to have the option. It has two compartments on either end. One features a YKK zipper that looks water resistant – possibly water proof? The other end an Eagle Creek branded zipper but covered by a flap to shield the zip from the rain. The end with the YKK zipper also has an internal mesh pocket for organization. You could put a wallet, passport, or travel documents here – your choice.

Compared to other options available for travel duffels I think the Eagle Creek Cargo haulers are a good combination of durable yet lightweight materials. I love the organization and useful end compartments, pockets, and handles. Are there more durable, more heavy duty duffels Such as North Face? Yes I think so, only judging from looking at them in the store. But they are also much less lightweight than the Eagle Creek bags. For me, the Eagle Creek bags are my go to due to the combination of favorable weight, durability, and internal organization.

A Packable Duffel

As a bonus the duffel is packable, it folds into one of the end pockets. I packed the 40L version into a 60L duffel while traveling to Europe. Once there I had a large enough carry-on to pack for a couple of weeks at a time and avoid the queues at baggage claim.

Whether the Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler duffel is right for your travels only you can decide. I purchased mine and am really happy with it so far. Below I noted some pros and cons which I think are important considerations when deciding if it’s the right travel luggage for you.

*Review not sponsored, The Eagle Creek cargo hauler 40L duffel was purchased with my own money.