Gossamer Gear Vanish 38L Duffel Review

The Gossamer Gear Vanish 38L Duffel is a packable bag that will make life easier for those who buy too many souvenirs on their next trip. Still, just because it’ll fit all the extra stroop waffles you bought in Amsterdam doesn’t mean it’ll be comfortable or ensure they stay safe on the way home. Will this bag be the perfect fit for those looking to pack a few extra liters, or should we look elsewhere? Let’s dive in and find out.

External Components

We’ll start this review similar to how you’ll receive the Gossamer Gear Vanish 38L Duffel if you order it online—packed away. Since this is a packable duffel, it packs down into a small package. You can carry it in one hand, but it isn’t palmable, if that makes sense. It’ll certainly fit into your daypack, travel backpack, and even some larger slings without issue. There’s a small loop on the top to hang it from something and a little tag with the Gossamer Gear logo on it. Apart from that, there isn’t much going on.

Once you unpack it—which, at most, takes a few seconds—there’s a lot more going on, but the bag is still pretty minimalistic, especially for a 38-liter duffel.

When unpacking the bag, you’ll notice immediately that the materials lack structure. The fabric is PFAS-free 70D recycled Robic nylon. It’s durable and water-resistant, but it can’t stand up alone. The material feels like something you’d see on a medium-durability packing cube, not a duffel, but we’ve had no issues with it failing in testing. The materials don’t offer additional protection for your gear, so it’ll be up to you and what you pack to stay safe and add structure inside the duffel.

The pack utilizes YKK zippers, which are our favorite brand at the time of writing. We appreciate it most when zipping up the bag to pack it away, as that’s when the zippers are under the most stress.

There are four small attachment loops, one on each corner, which are handy for attaching extra gear to the outside of the bag. Additionally, you can use these to fasten a more comfortable strap onto the bag, but we’ll get into the carry methods later.

Overall, the experience on the outside of the duffel is very minimalistic, and there aren’t a ton of features. Still, it has everything you need to get your gear from one place to another, so we can’t complain!

Fit Notes

There are side handles on three sides of the duffel, which are handy for grabbing it and placing it in the overhead compartment on the plane, into the car’s trunk, or getting it out of storage. If you pack it away before storing it, we find the bag harder to find than if you leave it unpacked and stow other gear inside it because it’s much smaller. Maybe you don’t have as much travel gear as we do to store, though! We earnestly hope not, anyway; it’s getting out of hand!

There are two main handles for carrying the pack—one on either side of the duffel. There’s a small button so they snap together, which is handy. The handles lack padding or aeration and can dig in, which isn’t ideal, but with the price and packability, we knew this was coming.

As mentioned before, you can attach your own strap to this duffel, which is handy. If you’re interested in this pack, it’s likely because you’re trying to travel lighter. We commend you, and this next part is for you.

If you’re traveling with this duffel and a sling bag, you can make your experience with this bag more comfortable by bringing a sling with a removable strap. Likely, your sling will fit inside this duffel, and when you have to carry this bag, you probably don’t need access to your sling. So, pop the comfortable strap off your sling, but that bag inside this one, and attach the padded, aerated strap onto the duffel. This is using one piece of gear for two uses, saving space and money, and keeping you more comfortable.

When packed away, the duffel is easy to move around in. You can stow it anywhere, even in a coat pocket, which is handy for trips to the city. After all, you never know when you’ll come across a vintage store in London and want to buy everything in stock!

Inside The Duffel

The duffel has two end pockets: one mesh and the other standard. The regular one is larger and works well for bigger quick-access gear. These are the only two smaller pockets on the entire duffel, so they work well for gear you want to access more quickly. At 38 liters, it’s challenging to find things in the main compartment.

The mesh side pocket is where the bag packs away. Packing it away is pretty easy, which is surprising for its capacity. Still, it takes some getting used to. We try to pack the bag straps first, as they can cause issues if you don’t wrangle them and are trying to close the zipper with them near the top. After a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it!

The main compartment has two zipper heads, which are handy and helpful. You can leave them on either side, which makes getting inside without opening the entire compartment less challenging.

There’s no organization inside—it’s a wide open area. You can stow gear of all sizes and kinds here, but it’s essential to think through your packing method with a bag as lightweight as this. If too much heavy gear is on one side, the lack of padding and structure will cause the pack to sag heavily in one direction. Additionally, carrying the pack can be uncomfortable if you load bulging items on the sides, so keep that in mind, too.

To keep things organized, we recommend packing cubes, a tech pouch, and other organizers to keep your gear safe from bumps and knocks and ensure you can find your gear more easily when needed. Finding a needle in a haystack is challenging, but finding a needle inside a sewing kit in a haystack is a lot easier. Either way, it’s well worth the effort when the haystack is as budget-friendly and packable as this one.

For the price and packability, the Gossamer Gear Vanish 38L Duffel is a solid choice for budget-friendly, ultralight, or overpacking travelers. The bag is relatively cheap and incredibly lightweight, and offers a solid option for overpackers who want to load up gear to send home after a long trip.