Review: Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag

Life is lived most fully when on the move, at least in my experience. It seems as if hunting expeditions, hiking adventures, fishing trips, and family vacations are where a healthy portion of truly good memories are made. I can still picture many details of some of my favorite trips over the years at the drop of a hat.

The author tested the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel during a trip. The bag’s gray man aesthetic and versatile carry options demonstrate why it’s suitable for everything from business trips to outdoor expeditions.

I travel more these days, which has led me to an endeavor to upgrade my current duffel bag. If you knew me, it would come as no surprise that I would visit my favorite bag company, Vertx. Now, obviously, Vertx makes more than just bags, but I’ve always been drawn to the designs and color schemes of their products.

A packed Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag positioned on a bed, showcasing its generous 50-liter capacity and travel-ready form. The durable tactical duffel features reinforced handles and water-resistant exterior, perfect for adventures or everyday trips. — The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag sits packed and ready for departure, displaying its impressive 50-liter capacity. Its versatile design allows for storage in airplane overhead compartments.

What really sells it for me is that Vertx bags don’t cause me to stand out as “the guy carrying a gun.” Vertx has a way of making mission-driven bags while still leaning heavily toward the “gray man” category. Only those of us acquainted with the industry see the Vertx logo placed discreetly on a bag and recognize it, compelling us to give a simple head nod to our fellow brethren as we pass by.

Duffel or Duffle?

A point of spelling should be addressed before anyone runs to the comment section about this. The correct spelling of the term is “duffel”. The term derives from the town of Duffel, Belgium where a coarse woolen cloth used to make the original bags was produced. Over time, “duffel bag” came to describe the cylindrical, cloth travel bag commonly used by military personnel and travelers.

US Army soldier with duffel bag — This U.S. Army soldier arrives in Uganda during Operation Support Hope in 1994. He carries much of his gear across his shoulders in a U.S.G.I. duffel bag. Image: NARA

Although “duffle” is a commonly seen variant of the word, both Merriam-Webster and Vertx use the spelling of “duffel”. We use it as well.

Size of the RLT 50L Duffel Bag

The duffel bag I ended up setting my sights on is the newest addition to the Vertx duffel bag line-up of products, the RLT 50L. RLT stands for “Road Less Traveled,” and the name implies quite a bit — the most obvious of which is the capacity of the bag. It is a 50-liter duffel.

The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag opened to show its contents packed with outdoor clothing and hiking shoes. The spacious interior of the tactical duffel demonstrates its practical capacity for adventure travel with clothing and gear neatly organized inside. — The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag reveals its impressive capacity when packed for an outdoor adventure trip.

It has a very generous footprint while still maintaining outer dimensions that, when packed, will still fit in the overhead bin space of an airplane. This is truly beneficial for the frequent flyers out there. That size is also a perfect fit to be plopped down on a passenger seat for road warriors, too.

The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag being carried by hand through a parking area, illustrating one of its multiple carrying methods. The durable tactical bag features reinforced grab handles on all sides, allowing for comfortable transport even when fully loaded. — The bag’s design includes durable nylon webbing handles positioned for accessibility from any angle.

To be specific, the outer dimensions are 21″(H)x13″(W)x11″(D) while the main cavity space is 21″(L)x13″(W)x11″(D) and 23” in diagonal length. The bag weighs in at a total of 2.9 lbs., making the bag itself quite lightweight.

Vertx Materials

The bag itself possesses many innovative features, something Vertx does so well, which has earned them the top spot among bag manufacturers in my mind. The fabric itself of the duffel is a PU-coated 1000D ripstop floor, and the 500D ripstop main fabric is wipe clean and water-resistant. The PU coating is polyurethane, providing several benefits including notable durability. With the PU coating, the durability of the RLT duffel is improved over normal duffels, with an increased resistance to tears, abrasions, wear and chemicals. It is also easier to clean.

The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag utilizes PU-coated ripstop fabric to provide exceptional durability and weather-resistance.

Most notably, it is water-resistant. In fact, the RLT duffel will keep contents dry in most normal wet conditions. The RLT is not “waterproof,” but if you get caught walking in a downpour or it starts raining while you are at the gun range, you will be good.

Enough Storage for Hunting, Shooting and Travel

The main cavity of this 50L duffel is generous in its size. Combine that with the duffel’s heavy-duty material, and you have a bag that can fit many different purposes in life. Clearly, you can travel with travel gear in it, but the durability and craftsmanship makes it capable of so much more. It served extremely well for me as a large range bag to dump gear into for range trips. You can also easily fit in a plate carrier or chest rig, and a duty belt. Aside from that, there is ample room to store some magazines or even specific shoes to change into for the range.

The Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag shown closed with two Springfield Armory pistols placed on top for size comparison. The tactical duffel's compact exterior dimensions are demonstrated with the firearms providing visual scale reference, highlighting the bag's efficient design. — Springfield Armory pistols rest atop the closed Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag to provide perspective on its exterior dimensions.

You can really rinse and repeat this idea to fit any outdoor activity. Dump some of your hunting gear in this bag so it can serve as a companion in your stand, or swap it for some rock-climbing gear or survival equipment for your next campout. Either way, I can tell you there is lots of internal storage, and the quality of the bag is going to endure in harsh environments off the beaten path or, as Vertx says, the “road less traveled.”

These bags are built for adventure, whether that’s your next commercial flight or traversing off the beaten path.

Varied Carry Methods

The bag comes with two backpack straps so it can be worn on your back. One of my personal favorite set-ups is to remove one strap and to cross the remaining strap over diagonally, creating an effective single-shoulder strap.

A person carrying the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag as a backpack, demonstrating the bag's versatile strap system during testing. The tactical duffel's convertible carry option shows the shoulder straps deployed to distribute weight across the back for comfortable hands-free transport. — The author demonstrates the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag’s backpack carrying configuration during field evaluation.

You can also unzip the side compartments to reveal the hidden classic dual duffel handle carry method that is so common. Not to worry, Vertx worked in some trickery with the side zip pouches. As a result, they can still zip closed with the revealed handles in use.

A person carrying the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag by its side handle in a briefcase-style carry position. The tactical duffel's versatile handling options are demonstrated as the bag is held horizontally at the user's side, showcasing its functionality as a more formal carrying method. — This carrying method utilizes the bag’s durable side handle, providing comfortable transport for shorter distances while keeping the bag readily accessible.

All the way around the bag are durable tubular nylon webbing handles found on all four sides of the duffel, allowing you to pull the bag from any angle and carry it like a briefcase from any side. Basically, this bag can be comfortably carried in a variety of convenient ways.

Interior of the Vertx RLT Bag

The interior of the RLT duffel is lined with a predominantly light grey interior. Two of the sides are loop-backed and designed to have hook-and-loop accessories attached, like Vertx’s very own abrasion-resistant translucent mesh pockets. The interior being made light grey is an intentional decision. The lighter color reflects light in dark environments, allowing you to effectively sift through the contents of your bag by the soft light of the moon or in other low-light settings.

A close-up view of hands connecting the backpack straps on the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag. The tactical duffel's convertible carry system is shown during setup as the padded shoulder straps are being attached to designated connection points, demonstrating the bag's adaptable carrying options. — Converting the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel to backpack mode requires connecting the included padded shoulder straps to reinforced attachment points. This straightforward process takes under a minute.

At another end is a sewn-in Vertx abrasion-resistant translucent mesh pocket with YKK zippers. This large translucent pocket can hold medium-sized carry items, with them remaining visible through the packet while it’s zipped. Again, this aids in the retrieval of items from the bag.

Outside of the Road Less Traveled

The RLT 50L duffel also has two outside pockets that are mostly flat in style and non-expandable, but run nearly the entire length of the bag. These pockets have a unique double-zipper design that allows you to hide the duffel carry handles or leave them exposed. Either way, you can still zip the side pockets closed and use them to store items.

Final Thoughts on My Vertx Duffel Bag Review

The RLT Duffel lineup seems to be built with the idea of making a duffel that is far more capable than just being a companion for weekend trips and crowded airport terminals. As the name implies, Vertx set out to make a duffel in various sizes that can be used on the road less traveled and off the beaten path, where the conditions may be unpredictable and less than favorable.

The author traversing a parking area with the Vertx RLT 50L Duffel Bag carried at their side. The image captures real-world use of the tactical bag as it's being transported in hand-carry mode, illustrating its portability in common travel scenarios. — This real-world testing scenario reflects how this duffel integrates into normal travel routines, offering convenience without drawing unnecessary attention.

This duffel, in my opinion, has proven to be a worthy companion for business trips, vacations, and outdoor adventures. Maybe it should be yours as well?

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