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Canvas and leather weekender and duffel bags

Your perfect bag for overnight trips, business trips or as an individual sports bag. Handmade weekender made of genuine leather and canvas, sustainable, robust and endlessly practical. Distinctive vintage duffel bags with attention to detail, unique and vibrant. For the safari of your life.

What is a weekender?

A weekender is a compact duffel travel bag and is part of classic luggage. The term weekender has existed since the end of the 19th century and is derived from the English term "weekend". In principle, it is the bag for a weekend excursion. In linguistic usage, it primarily refers to a particularly high-quality and fashionable travel bag made of leather or cotton.

 

Why is it called a duffle?

The first historical mentioning of duffle bags dates back to the 18th century in the Belgian town of Duffel near Antwerp, which at that time was world-famous for canvas and coats made of strong woolen fabrics. To this day, the classic holdall or duffel-like travel bags bag is called a "duffel bag" or "duffle”.

 

What makes a good duffel bag?

A good duffel bag should above all be durable and have a timeless design. In the best case, the bag should be stored for the next generation. Our leather duffels and canvas weekender bags are inspired by the design of the late 19th and early 20th century. These design eras are still influential in the design of leather goods today.

 

What is the difference between a holdall and a duffel bag?

A duffle bag and a holdall are basically the same thing: a cylindrical, round or rectangular travel bag with two handles and a zip running along its length. Duffel or duffle are actually just different spellings for with the same meaning. The word Duffel is derived from the Belgian town of Duffel. Therefore, "Duffel" is more correct than Duffle.

 

Which brand duffle bag is best?

DRAKENSBERG's duffel weekenders are everything but ordinary. Sustainability is not a marketing element for us, but a design element. For us, it's about an authentic product that could have been made in a similar form 200 years ago. Because plastic has only been around since the middle of the 19th century (1862).

In fact, there is currently no leather goods manufacturer that could serve as a role model for us. Even the biggest brand names in the industry still rely on classic chrome tanning. Many manufacturers change the surfaces of the leather or suggest a higher material thickness through plastic lamination. The term natural leather also has inflation, but rarely applies. It is often about uniformity, more appearance than reality.

A good duffel bag in the 21st century should therefore also convey a good and honest feeling and not make empty promises. We avoid plastics as far as possible in our production. Our leather or canvas is not laminated with plastic. Our outer fabrics do not contain any plastic fibres. The leather used is sustainably vegetable tanned, even if not entirely without chrome.

 

What size for a duffel bag?

Depending on the purpose, a length between 55 and 60 cm is ideal. Duffel Weekender of this size have a storage volume of between 40 and 60 litres. When it comes to storage space, we recommend the rule of thumb 10 litres per day of travel. A 40-litre Weekender should therefore be sufficient for 3-4 days. If flexibility in terms of storage space is important, we recommend our weekender "David"(L). It can be expanded by approx. 20 litres in just a few steps.

 

Is a duffel bag carry-on luggage?

A duffle bag is very suitable as carry-on luggage for the plane. However, you should check the airline's regulations before departure. Small canvas weekender bags up to a size of 55 x 35 x 25 cm should usually not be a problem. The specifications in our shop always correspond to the maximum dimensions. If a weekender is not filled to the limit, most of our range should also be suitable as board luggage.

However, it is not only the size that is important, but also the weight. Many airlines stipulate a maximum weight of 8kg.

 

Which duffel bag for 1 week?

A duffel bag with a storage volume of 60 litres should be sufficient for one week. You will find a large selection in this size in our shop.

 

Which travel bag for 2 weeks?

For a longer trip of 2 weeks, a duffel bag is no longer the best choice. A suitcase with a storage capacity of 80 litres would make more sense. Unless the trip allows you to take 2 travel bags. We currently offer travel bags with a maximum capacity of 60 litres. Some of our travel bags can also be expanded to 80 litres in an emergency, such as our weekender "David"(L).

 

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