which is more bomber? patagooch black hole vs. tnf basecamp

I'd like to buy a sturdy duffel for heavy duty travel. I'm not abusive, but I'm not easy on my gear and I use it a lot. Anyone out there have notes on duffel bags? Seems like every dude in Boulder has a black hole bag but after taking a closer look in the retail store, they seem like they'll fall apart after being checked on 3 or 4 flights. I'm open to other options as well. Thanks in advance.

I love my black hole duffels.  I have a 60L and a 90L and they've both held up very well.  

I have both a smaller black hole duffel and a larger TNF base camp. The base camp fabric is coated on both sides which makes it stiff and seems more prone to cracking and wear. The black hole fabric is only coated on one side making it more flexible and seems more durable long term. The black hole duffels are also more square with a larger opening which makes them pack much better for the same overall volume. Overall I'm happy with both, but if I lost the base camp duffel I'd replace it with a black hole.

My favorite is by far the duffels from Rab. I’ve had a couple sizes and abused them pretty heavily the past 3 years. They’ve held up really well. Probably more similar to the black hole duffels, not as stiff and thick as the base camp.

I recently got a 120L Black Hole duffel for a big upcoming trip.  The TNF Basecamp is pretty comparable, but I preferred the Patagucci bag because it is lighter - that can make a big difference when you're flying and dealing with a weight limit of 50lbs! Check out the excellent Outdoor Gear Lab Duffel Review.

At the end of the day, they are both super-tough high end duffels.  I don't think you can go wrong and I don't think you'll see much of a functional difference between the two.

climbing friend,

I am thinking if you would purchase or own product calling by name of "patagooch," you must re-evaluate your life decisions myah hah hah!

Neither, Get the Mammut Cargon Duffel.

I love my 155L Rolling Thunder (TNF)....I had a pretty rugged travel year with it, including 7 flights, and it is still in excellent condition.  I have had to learn to fly with an extra empty backpack and transfer some of my crap into it for weight limitations on flights but being able to throw everything back into the big pack when I arrive at my destination, and keep all my stuff in one bag while ground traveling is awesome.  It also has enough compartments to keep me super organized!  It takes up half the back of an SUV when I am sleeping in the car at some random mountain TH/hotspring/crag....so that is kinda like extra body warmth (or so I tell myself, lol).  I wouldn't go back to traveling without it, definitely true love! <3 

(originally I had the Patagonia bag with rollers, 120L, but returned it because it was too small and it started to rip on a seam...)

TNF basecamp is the more bomber of the two. It is heavier, though, and sometimes I find it a bit tougher to efficiently pack due to the cylinder shape. I have a 90L that has survived 12+ trips with only some scuffs to show for it.

Black hole is lighter and a bit easier to pack with the boxier shape, but certainly less durable. My 120L tore on it's first trip (due to airline baggage handling). Patagonia patched it for free. The handles are also annoyingly long.

Fish Behemoth

Go local, go USA, go small guy.

Beastly bag of a bag.