The North Face Wayfinder Rolling Duffel – Gear Review

posted by gumptiongear July 28, 2011 0 comments

For 40 years The North Face has been designing an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear. They have consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation so that their fellow outdoor enthusiasts can push the boundaries of exploration.

Towards those ends The North Face has constructed a line of luggage designed to withstand the rigors of travel with bags durable enough to handle being thrown in the family wagon, strapped on top of a train or shoved into a plane’s cargo hold.

While there’s a variety of ways to test the gumption factor of luggage, one method stands out above the rest. How about a three month trek across Europe? That’s the test one of member of our Gumption Crew did with the Wayfinder 25 by The North Face.

Part of North Face’s lightest luggage collection to-date, the Wayfinder 25 rolling duffel bag seemed an ideal choice for the long journey rockin’ the following dimensions:

Across the bottom – 24.5 in.
Across the middle – 24.5 in.
Across the top – 24.5 in.
Depth – 12 in.
Height – 6.5 in.
Strap – 11 in.
Handle – extended – 17.5 in.
Volume – 3785 in³ (62 Liters).

Constructed with durable, abrasion-resistant nylon ripstop fabric the bag was bullet proof and provided optimal resilience througout the European adventure. The ripstop fabric also proved for easy maintenance which always ensured our crew member had one sharp lookin’ bag no matter how bad that Euro Taxi trunk may have been.

The beauty of this rolled duffel is in it’s simplicity. The The Wayfinder bag is light, extremely durable and doesn’t waste excess space on a plethora of hidden compartments and zippered sections you’ll never utilize.

The exterior end compression strap is made with a side-release buckle that improves access to the main compartment. And speaking of that main zip compartment, like a hungry hippo it was big enough to swallow up all of our crew members items. In case you’re wondering that meant 7 pairs of pants, 12 shirts, underclothes for 12 days, 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of athletic shoes, toiletries, and a lightweight jacket!!
On this particular journey our team member partnered the goodness of the Wayfinder with Pack-It Folders from Eagle Creek and swore that the bag resembled more of a magicians bottomless hat than a traditional rolled duffel.

The telescoping ambidextrous handle allowed for pulling the duffel with ease and control. Smooth inline wheels ensured the bag rolled over cobblestones, up steps and through terminals with ease and grace. The reinforced corners also provided an extra durability factor which was appreciated when sprinting through the maze of foreign airport terminals. The Wayfinder also proved that it wasn’t prone to tipping and tilting despite the tall and lightweight frame of the bag.

While our crew member noted that the addition of some reflective piping would be a great inclusion as a safety feature, the bag otherwise exceeded their expectations on their European Vacation. The Wayfinder has a simple but rock solid design that will provide years of service. It’s a bag well-suited to be your travel companion no matter where your journey may lead. After all, if this bag can handle three months in Europe via trains, planes and automobiles, rest assured it has enough gumption to handle any adventure you have planned.