Savotta - 30L Duffel/Backpack

There are many types of duffel bags out there and it can be very difficult to find one that meets all of your needs. After spending many hours searching I think I have found one of the most functional, versatile, durable, and well priced duffel bags suitable for almost any situation and still looks smart. A Finnish company called Savotta have produced the 'Keikka' 30, 50 and 80 litre duffels bags. These bags are built to last and take a beating while being extremely practical and adaptive.

Features

• 100D Cordura material - This Keikka duffel is made of durable 1000D Cordura with stress points reinforced with double stitching. Their YouTube channel shows either their 50l or 80l bag carrying a 200kg load which is very impressive.
• Capacity - The bags come in either 30, 50 or 80 litres all bags also have internal and external organisation.
• Colours available - keeping it simple the bag comes in either Black, Green or Brown.
• Organisation - The 30L bag has a spacious main compartment on the inside with two large mesh pockets at either end. The polyurethane lining is interesting as its not something I have seen before in a duffel bag, however it is very hard wearing and should anything spill/leak it makes cleaning much easier. The inside lining of the lid has hook and loop allowing you to attach extra pouches to organises you gear.
  The front of the bag features a large zippered organisation pocket with two mesh pockets either side of a metal loop for attaching keys etc. and an open compartment. The inner lining of this pocket also contains hook and loop allowing further organisation.
  The back of the bag features a small quick access pocket/sleeve to fit smaller items such as a map/note pad.
• Duffel mode - In duffel mode the shoulder strap can be detached and hidden away in one of the many pocket. The handles have a built in hook and loop pad to improve comfort. Either end of the bag also has Cordura handles making it easy to manoeuvre in trains, airports etc.
• Backpack mode - Rather than using the duffel handles as should straps for backpack style carry. Savotta sell separately a purpose built adjustable backpack harness. This allows you to carry heavy loads for longer periods of time in comfort. I have not yet bought the backpack harness but will review when I have them. I think it was a good move by Savotta to have separate backpack straps as criticisms are often made when the duffel/back combination does not perform as well as hoped with other brands.
• Accessories - To complement the abundant hook and loop surface on this bag, Savotta have the option of their own organisation pouches called 'Trinket pouches' which can be used as med/hygiene/tech/tool kits. They are available in various colours and sizes. The pouches can also be bought as stand alone pouches without hook and loop.
• Hook and loop - As mentioned above the hook and loop can be used to organise gear. Furthermore on the outside of the bag are two surfaces where patches or identifiers can be added.
• Removable lining - The lid and bottom of the bag feature a removable padding that can be replaced or reinforced to provide even greater protection/comfort/structure to this bag.
• Design - The design of this bag really sold me before I even knew about all of the awesome features above. A great benefit of this bag when traveling/packing is the combination of the zip around opening/Lid and the upright structure. The lid allows very easy access and visibility to all of your gear. Secondly the upright structures keeps the bags shape even when empty to prevent it collapsing inwards.

Quality

• After opening the box I could immediately feel the quality and reassuring weight of this bag. The zips are heavy duty and all D-rings are steel. The handles, lining and outer layers is made from thick Cordura which provides great protection for your gear. The stitching and craftmanship is very impressive.
• The bags are manufactured in either Estonia/Poland/Finland or a combination of the two/three depending on workload. The absolute majority of materials used are also made in the EU.

Measurements (W x H x L)

• 30L bag dimensions: 30 x 25 x 45 cm and weighs 1.18kg
• 50L bag dimensions: 35 x 25 x 55 cm and weighs  1.42 kg
• 80L bag dimensions: 35 x 30 x 80 cm and weighs 1.88 kg

Value for money

• This bag is really excellent value for money. I love the adaptable qualities of the Keikka, if you wanted to have one bag for work, gym, travel, camping, you could comfortably use this bag for all situations.
• The backpack harness in not included, however it keeps the cost lower for someone that would not need it and for someone who does want it, then they have the option and it will probably be one of the most comfortable duffel/backpacks on the market. The cost for both 30L bag and harness is around £190.00 which is great value when compared to other bags in the £100 - £300 duffel bag range.
• The bag has a very 'tactical' design in terms of features and materials, however it looks much less 'tactical' that a lot of other bags with similar qualities which makes it so versatile and practical for all aspects of life. I would highly recommend this Keikka duffel bag from Savotta.