The duffel bag that you use definitely makes a lot of difference in your travels. Duffel bags, after all, vary considerably. They run the range from simple canvas bags to luxury leather luggage. What duffels are the best for you? It depends on a lot of factors.
Personally, I like to use a duffel bag that I don’t have to worry about. For me, duffel bags should be cheap, easy to access, and rugged. My favorite are canvass duffel bags, but I’ll take any that I don’t have to spend a lot of money on. I don’t mind having to lug them around, but if I’m going to be traveling more than a quarter of a mile or so with a lot of weight, I’d much rather have wheels on the bottom.
A good friend of mine, however, takes a very different approach to duffel bags. He is a much more serious traveler than I am, and he also takes better care of his things. I figured that my duffels bags will get beaten up anyway, so they don’t have to look that nice. For him, however, having a nice piece of luggage makes his travels more pleasant. He packs everything very carefully, and having a well padded dufel bag helps to ensure that all his possessions stay safe.
He actually prefers a duffel bag to a suitcase, however, for a few reasons. Suitcases, although they provide a little more protection, do so at quite a price. They aren’t flexible, and they can’t be expanded. Some of them have little zippered expanding pouches, but compared to a duffel bag, they are much more rigid and fixed. If you’ve ever come back with much more than you left with, you know how important it is to be able to pack a little bit of extra stuff in the same luggage you brought with you. A duffel bag will simply make it much easier to do than a suitcase will.
Of course, if you want a comfortable traveling experience, you really can’t do better than a hiking backpack. Hiking backpacks aren’t all that stylish, but they are simply the most logical way to carry your possessions. It is much easier to put something on your back then to have to lug it around with your arms. With a hiking pack, you can walk for miles if you have to. Imagine doing that with a heavy canvas duffel bag dragging behind you!