ProView – Advanced Elements Thunder25 Rolltop Duffel

As a weekend warrior, I feel like I’m constantly chasing daylight and trying to cram as much as I can into those sacred ~48 hours at the end of every week. My perfect day is trying to combine 2-5 activities until I pass out from exhaustion somewhere in the wild.  This particular bag accompanied me on an overnight down the big Blackfoot river (after yet another viewing of A River Runs Through It), a chill afternoon float down the Bitterroot, and a hard-charging water weekend in Glacier. 

I’ve been wanting to try out a wide-mouth style duffel for a while after getting tired of digging deep down into my usual 120L drybag (I can literally fit inside the damn thing). Having procrastinated on packing the night before for two days of rafting, I decided to simply empty the entire dryer into this Thunder25 duffel and was shocked to find that it all fit! On another trip, I packed an entire cantaloupe plus enough supplies/snacks/beers for four thirsty people on a four-hour float. I proceeded to cut and clean the cantaloupe, putting all the peels/seeds in the side pocket and was pleased the all the slippery compost didn’t leak into the inside compartment. Another day my sunscreen exploded in the side pocket and didn’t destroy everything else in the main compartment. With both messes, the bag easily cleaned up with some soap and a garden hose, drying quickly.

• 

• 

Fit/Comfort

Nice touch with the neoprene handles where webbing would dig in if fully loaded. 

• 

Look/Style

The welded design gives the bag a super sleek look and the orange on the dark grey pops enough to find the bag in the depths of my gear pile. 

Features

I love the daisy chain on the sides for extra lash down points or to clip a carabiner on to hang gear off the outside. The shoulder strap and the handles are great for carrying a fully loaded pack. 

• 

• 

Weight/Packability

This duffel is great as it packs way down when not in use and held a ridiculous amount of stuff. I can fill 25L in no time with a backpack but had plenty of room with this duffel.

Function/Performance

The bag has an awesome wide-mouth roll-top plus a small side pocket. The zipper on the side pocket isn’t waterproof so don’t put valuables in there if you’re getting splashy. 

Durability/Construction

The 210 Denier TPU  feels durable without being stiff and rolls down easily for smaller loads.

While this bag is obviously meant for paddlesports, I’m excited to take it on my heli-ski trips and also to use as my ski patrol day bag as I know it will keep spindrift out of my gear. I also intertube waterpolo in the winter and am always looking for a solution to keep my wet swimsuit and towel away from my dry clothes. 

The Final Word

This bag was easy to access for an extra clothing layer while still rowing a raft down class II and was small enough to take our essentials on a quick paddle. This was a perfect deck bag for my SUP and a surprisingly perfect overnight bag on the river. I wish the side pocket had a waterproof zipper and it would be nice if this duffel came in a 35L and maybe even a 45L. I’m happy to be able to leave my ginormous drybag behind and take the Thunder25duffel with me on my next weekend warrior adventure. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Find Advanced Elements Thunder25 Rolltop Duffel on Outdoor Prolink. Not a member? Apply today!