Ortlieb Duffle 60

When you're gathering up your stuff to go off to a race, a sportive or just a weekend away with mates, this Ortlieb Duffle will easily swallow riding kit, helmet and shoes, as well as some dry clothes and a towel. It's got Ortlieb's usual build quality and clever handles that double as rucksack straps if you need to carry it for longer distances.

You can have the Duffle in a range of sizes from 40 to a cavernous 110 litres, as well as a range of colours. It's made from the same PD620 polyester fabric as Ortlieb uses in its classic Back Roller panniers, which bodes very well for long-term impermeability.

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Our bright yellow 60 litre test model, with contrasting black straps and details (it's also available in black, white or blue), has a really chunky waterproof zip from German brand Tizip, and when it's zipped all the way up, the bag isn't just waterproof, it's completely airtight – you can sit on it without air leaking out. This is where it beats many competitors that are water-resistant rather than totally impermeable.

On the inside there are a couple of pockets, one at each end, but they're relatively small and flat – good for documents, or small bits and bobs. There are no other internal pockets or dividers, and no means of separating wet clothes from dry without buying a separate dry bag. Access via the long straight zip means it's not quite as easy to get things in and out as with a C-shaped zip, like that used on The North Face Base Camp bag, for example.

On the outside, there's a small zipped mesh pocket and a "daisy chain" – a series of loops in straps running along the top of the bag that you can hang things from if you need to carry more stuff. That waterproof zip has another trick – you can lock it with a padlock if you want some rudimentary security against theft of the contents. There's a metal wire built into one end for this reason; obviously you could cut it quite easily with some cutters but it could help deter casual pilfering.

That chunky plastic hook at each end of the zip fixes to the stud in the centre of each end of the bag, allowing for a longer zip while keeping the bag's shape once it's loaded up. On the inside there's a cinch strap that runs between the sides, across the middle the bag, so that if you've stuffed it full, you can compress the contents a bit to get the zip shut. The attention to detail and bombproof manufacturing quality is really exceptional – any bits that are likely to wear or get yanked on are thoroughly reinforced. The bottom has a second layer of tough black PS650C fabric which wraps up around the corners – Ortlieb does this sort of thing really well.

For carrying purposes, there are a couple of broad straps with adjustable length. You can bind them together in the middle with a Velcro pad if you're carrying it in one hand, but these straps are also designed for shouldering the bag like a rucksack. They join the bag closer together at one end than the other, like backpack straps, and widen to spread the load on top of your shoulders. It's an infinitely better arrangement than a single shoulder strap, and means that you can hike or even ride with the bag held stably onto your back.

While the Ortlieb Duffle lacks some practical features seen elsewhere, it's tougher and more waterproof than any similar bag I've used. Really, it's probably more waterproof than you're likely to need for any kind of cycling short of bog-snorkelling – I suspect that its major market would be sailing or kayaking. It's rated to IP67, meaning that it'll keep your stuff dry even if submerged in a metre of water for half an hour.

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There are a range of ways you could transport your kit, and this isn't a cheap one; £136 would buy a life-time's worth of supermarket carrier bags that would do the job if you just need something to chuck in the car. You could also get a roller bag, which might be easier if you're mostly using it for plane trips – we've also got a larger version of this bag with wheels in on test (review to come).

Various similar sized duffle bags can be had for around half this price, but none that I know of are as completely impermeable. If you need something you can use in really inhospitable conditions and will last for ages then this is an excellent choice. I'd suggest budgeting to add a 20 litre drysack to keep wet and dry contents separate.

Verdict

Tough and very waterproof duffle that can be shouldered like a rucksack; not cheap but it'll last for years