www.ospreypacks.com, 6 pounds, 4 ounces
We once scoffed at rolling bags. What if the zombie apocalypse hits and you need to run through a crowd? You can’t do that if you’re pulling a bag behind ya! But as we’ve matured (read: spent too much time hauling heavy gear on our backs through largely civil environs), the value of a rolling duffle became apparent, and the Vector 25-incher has become a go-to bag for weeklong winter trips. The 3,600 cubic inches of storage space is voluminous enough to swallow ski boots and all the apparel needed, along with a spare pair of shoes, après attire, and toiletries. Total weight? Less than 50 pounds, light enough to avoid the excess baggage fees (though we did have to stash our space-swallowing snow helmet in our carry-on). Two internal compression straps keep things tightly packed, and a variety of mesh zip pockets (at the side and along the front panel) help keep must-haves on hand. The bag also has a separate zipped storage area positioned between the bag’s chassis, which accesses a sizeable storage pocket that doesn’t impede the bag’s internal storage. Osprey suggests storing dirty clothes there to keep the filthy away from the clean, but we use it to stash our heavy coat when we get to the airport (and thus easily retrieve it when we get to our snow-choked destination). The telescoping handle and wheels both glide with the ease of fat skis through powder, and a hard-fabric exterior has proven durable across multiple intense-weather excursions. One tester had to replace the zipper pulls after overzealously trying to close an over-packed bag, but Osprey sent replacements gratis.