The Boreas Gear Erawan Travel Duffle mini-review

Occasionally, members of the Gadgeteer Team receive products out of the blue, sent by eager PR people proud of their product(s), hopeful that we will take a look at them and comment on and/or review them on the website. Many times it is the umpteenth smartphone case or something just as lack-luster, but occasionally it is from a manufacturer or an item we had never heard of, something that causes us to raise an eyebrow and get our Gadgeteer synapses firing and keyboards a-clicking. That’s the case with the Erawan Travel Duffle from Boreas Gear – impressing me enough to do just that and create this mini review.

Boreas Gear is a small (seven person) outdoor gear company located in San Francisco, CA. They were founded in 2010 and have “been designing award-winning packs that are designed to use everyday: beautiful, practical, hardwearing gear for people as passionate as we are about getting outdoors. We believe that the best designs are not complicated or expensive and that there’s no reason to compromise form for function. We want our gear to be as versatile as the people using it. Each one of us is passionate about spending time in the outdoors and we make it part of our job to get outside and test the gear we design to bring you the best packs possible.”

Specifications:

Features:

• Fabrics 420D nylon and highly durable 840D TPU bottom.
• Suspension Shaped, perforated EVA foam backpanel helps keep back cool.
• Body Wrap around hidden daisy chains that enable shoulder straps attachment/reattachment for varying torso lengths, convertible shoulder straps that tuck away when not in use, large waterproof pocket, and built-in wet/dry storage pocket.

The Erawan Travel Duffle is lightweight, nicely designed, and very solidly constructed. The duffle is made of silicone-infused nylon, making it waterproof (or at least very water-resistant) and rugged. The bag is double stitched and reenforced in all the key places. The zippers work well and are recessed for protection.

The main compartment has three small pockets to help keep your gear organized. The largest is accessible from the top exterior of the duffle, waterproof, and the perfect place to keep a camera or smartphone.

The bag can transform from a duffle to a backpack in the blink of an eye. When not needed, the padded straps can be stored behind the back padding. The backpanel is a shaped, perforated EVA foam pad that helps keep your back cool. Both the handle and backpack straps are comfortable to carry/wear. There are several adjustable straps engineered to enable you to fit the duffle for comfort.

Overall, I am impressed with the Erawan Travel Duffle and look forward to using it this biking season. It is an ideal size and design (including its reflective back) for bicycle commuting. Its solid construction, lightweight design, and waterproofing will definitely help me get to and from work on those rainy Spring days here in Seattle. Boreas lives up to their promise/premise to create simple, well-made gear that’s designed to work while withstanding the test of time.