Patagonia Black Hole Pack 32L Review (2023) - The Best Commuter/ Travel Bag?

Patagonia's 32L Black Hole Pack is influenced by the outdoors to provide you with a bag that excels in travelling and commuting. In this review, we'll dive into the information you need to know if you are thinking about adding this bag to your life.

Pros

• Durable materials and construction
• Great travel features (luggage pass-through, grab handles)
• Comfortable carry (with limited loads)
• Use your imagination about how you want to pack

Cons

• Lack of compression straps
• Few outdoor features (hydration compatibility, etc.)
• No additional harness/ suspension features

One-Bag-Ability

The "one-bag-ability" metric used through Autogenic Amusements is based on Versatility, Durability, Comfort, Style, and Price. This metric is part objective, part subjective. Each category is rated out of 5.

Overall Rating - 3.8/5

Versatility - 3/5
While the product listing from Patagonia talks about this bag being a commuter and travel bag, it may also work in the outdoors. It lacks features like compressibility, harness adjustability, and expandability. They offer a smaller size for more compact daily carry needs. The dimensions of this pack make it easily fit in most carry-on sizers, and even some personal items sizers with the right spatial recognition skills.

Durability - 5/5
This pack uses some materials you'd expect to see on an outdoor pack. Its laminated TPU makes it water-resistant, and rugged while maintaining a light construction. Through months of usage, no stitching, seams, or material has degraded or aged negatively.

Comfort - 4/5
Even without the adjustability features, this pack is comfortable out of the box. The shoulder straps have adequate padding, and the back panel padding is adequate for minimal loads. With a sternum strap, the bag can be carried securely on your back through the city, on a train, or even on a small hike.

Style - 4/5
Minimalism is important to me. In the black colourway, this bag looks sleek and minimalist. Apart from the large branding, the pack could fit in well in an office environment, and on the trail. The more outdoors-centered features don't look too out of place either.

Price - 3/5
Currently, this bag costs $169 USD ($205 CAD). I believe you are paying a premium for the brand, which isn't entirely bad as the warranty and reliability provide a lot of value for your dollar. There are cheaper bags with more features and more expensive bags that provide less value.

Technical Details

Capacity
32L (1,953 cu in)

Weight
760g (1 lb 11 oz)

Denier
Body: 300D
Lining: 200D

Dimensions
20.5" x 11" x 8.3"

Notable Materials
Burly recycled polyester ripstop with a matte, weather-resistant, recycled TPU-film laminate

Manufacturing Country
Vietnam

Laptop Compartment Size
15"

Warranty
Ironclad Guarantee

Full Review

The Patagonia Black Hole Pack 32L provides a compelling product for a lot of different use cases. Coming from other bags better suited for the outdoors, like the Mountain Pack and the Ruckpack, I was excited to try a bag that would check off more in the realm of EDC, travel, and weekend use. The new Black Hole Pack also comes in a 25L version with slight changes to its construction and features.

I've spent a fair amount of time dialling in what's necessary in a bag for my use cases, and this bag seems to fit the bill. It easily fits my travel gear while leaving space for souvenirs and extra items.

While I haven't put the bag to the ultimate test of a month-long overseas trip, I've taken it out for daytime use for the gym, groceries, EDC, some mountain adventures, and a few weekends to get a better feel for its capabilities.

Below, we will take a deeper dive into what this bag has to offer, and if it's the right bag for you given your chosen activities.

Want to know more about minimalist travel? Check out the Ultimate Guide To Minimalist Travel from Autogenic Amusements. You’ll learn everything you need to know for a better way of travelling.

Materials and Aesthetic

Overnight

The Black Hole pack comes from a line of Patagonia bags that lead in many categories like sustainability, durability, function, and multi-use factors. The materials and aesthetic make it a great pack for overnights or week-long trips.

Urban/ EDC

While 32L might be considered on the larger end of an EDC/ commuter bag, the Black Hole will carry whatever you need for the day (within reason). The pack provides a more subdued colour way to blend in on the bus, train, or even a flight. The new material, a matte TPU vs. the older shiny TPU doesn't scream outdoor enthusiast as much as before.

The new Patagonia Black Hole Pack 32L gives you a pack that is rugged enough for the outdoors but can fit in at the office. There's very little of what you don't need like straps and clips, and everything you do need.

The bag has a clean and mostly minimalist look. When purchasing the black colourway, even the logo remains subdued and a bit understated. It also comes in 5 other colours if you desire a bit of flair. The wearer's left shoulder strap also features a sewn-in-colour Patagonia label.

The bag's style doesn't scream outdoor enthusiast, but anyone who has used these bags knows it can perform outside too. The burly construction is subtle and the clean lines of the bag make it suitable for an office environment.

The bag is designed to somewhat maintain its shape despite the lack of padding or frame to do this, but the heavy-duty materials allow it to remain stiff. If packed correctly, the bag will stand on its own, so you can place it on the ground without worrying if your contents will spill out.

The material lends to the bag being one of the lightest in its category and still having all the features you'd want out of a bag that works in so many different situations. It seems Patagonia has found the sweet spot between durability and weight.

Depending on how you pack, you may find the bag doesn't accommodate small loads all that well. And since there are no ways to compress the bag via cinching straps, and lack of internal organization, the 32L version might not be best suited for those who only need to carry a jacket, sandwich, and a water bottle.

The front of the bag is covered in a matte laminated TPU while the back and bottom feature a raw uncoated version of the material. This coating allows the bag to be highly weather-resistant. I can attest to direct and short bursts of rain or splashing being a minor inconvenience as long as the water stays away from the zippers.

Along the front of the bag are two vertical strips of gear attachment loops. While these are generally used for utilitarian purposes, and forego the minimalist aesthetic, they are not unsightly and have a low profile to not make the bag look like an outdoors pack.

The new version of the Black Hole TPU seems to have solved the previous issue of the shiny TPU chipping and peeling away over time. The previous shiny TPU didn't easily collect dirt, and the new material stays mostly clean and resists picking up dirt or dust.

External Compartments

Overnight

The Black Hole Pack, being predominantly a travel/ commuter bag, offers easy, no-fuss access to everything you'd need. The organization of the external compartments provides just enough micro-management of your gear without adding weight and features you might not use. With two sizable water bottle pockets, a front storage pocket, the top quick access pocket, and the sizeable main compartment, this bag gives you enough organization and functionality for most lengths of trips.

Urban/ EDC

The Black Hole pack features an array of pockets for you to organize your gear in whatever way you desire. Unfortunately, the bag doesn't incorporate any anti-theft features like lockable zippers, or hidden pockets. In urban environments, the external compartments should provide quick and easy access to the things you need the most.

The 32L Black Hole Pack provides just enough storage and gear management solutions on the outside. You can easily stow away your wallets, keys, and phone in one pocket, while keeping access to your laptop, charging cables, water bottle, and an umbrella all without needing to access the main compartment.

At the top of the bag, there is a classic top lid stash pocket for quick access items. This sizable pocket does share volume with the main compartment. It features enough space to potentially store a pair of shoes and also has a key clip for when you don't want to carry your keys in your pockets. It also has a two-way zipper so you can access it from many different angles.

On the front of the bag is a classic style of pocket that Patagonia does well. It's a flat pocket which closes with one zipper. This pocket seems ideal for storage of books, passports or other documents. Additionally, it could also hold your shower sandals to keep moisture out of the main compartment.

On the sides, this bag has generously sized water bottle pockets. The elastic mesh is quite flexible meaning you can store a larger water bottle like a Nalgene without using up too much space from the main compartment. Similarly, you could also choose to safely store a pair of sandals with room to spare. Unfortunately, these pockets are not very deep, so be weary of bending over as your items may fall out.

On the front of the bag are two vertical rows of gear loops. You can use your imagination on what you'd attach to the front. A crafty idea is to install some shock cords to allow for some extra gear portability, such as a towel after the beach, or a larger puffer jacket when going through the airport. The gear loops are relatively flat and give the bag a bit of an outdoor vibe without adding unsightly features for office use.

On the back of the pack is the laptop compartment. This is a "floating" compartment that easily fits a 15" laptop. The sleeve might seem like it would protect your laptop when setting down your bag, but the margin for error doesn't ease my worries. While the padding is adequate for careful and light use, I've chosen to keep my laptop in another padded sleeve for peace of mind.

The suspension system of this pack is quite basic. There is no waist strap, and nor should there be since this pack isn't designed to carry heavy loads. There are no gear load lifters like you'd find in a more outdoors-focused pack. The back panel is adequately padded and ventilated but has no frame. The shoulder straps are also adequately padded for minimal loads. Additionally, the shoulder straps have some gear loops that can be used for the removable/ adjustable sternum strap or to lash anything else you might desire. Similarly, the shoulder straps are breathable and adequately padded for minimal travel gear loads.

YKK zippers are adorned throughout this bag with dual zippers for the main, top, and laptop compartments. In either a #5 or #8 size, these zippers are burly but not oversized for the pack. There are two more single zippers for the front storage and the internal mesh organizer pockets. The zippers have a similar colour to whichever colourway you choose. Unfortunately, these zippers are not aqua-guard or waterproofed.

There are no compression straps on this bag, so getting the right size for your needs might be an important factor when choosing between 25L or 32L.

Three unobtrusive grab handles on this bag are constructed of varying sizes of nylon webbing on the front, top, and back of the bag. The rear handle also acts as a luggage pass-through so you can slide the bag horizontally over your rolling luggage handle. The handles don't seem to get caught on much, and they don't make the bag look sloppy, but they do provide adequate carrying features no matter how your bag is set down.

Inside the Pack

Overnight

Patagonia's Black Hole line of bags gets its name because the insides are quite barren, leaving the organization up to you. The main compartment is mostly one big space with a small mesh organization pocket inside. You can easily fit other organization bags for electronics, toiletries, and a compression cube for your travel clothing.

Urban/ EDC

Inside the Black Hole pack is enough space to carry your work items and gym materials, and it leaves space for most other items you might need throughout your day. The Black Hole doesn't waste any materials by offering pen holders and other specific features you may never use. Unlike some bags that are more aligned with micromanaging your gear, thus adding weight, this bag keeps things simple and light.

The Black Hole Pack does live up to its name. You won't find anything extra inside the pack apart from a simple mesh organization pocket and a lanyard strap for your keys. While some might not be a fan of the emptiness this pack provides, it's a benefit for those who enjoy pouches, tech organizers, and packing cubes.

The main compartment of the Black Hole Pack 32L takes on the black hole approach to backpacks. In some situations, this is great. In others, you might wish you had gone for a different bag. This bag is great for when you might want to grab an entire tech pouch while working at the coffee shop or to unload your clothing bag to lighten the load while you're out sightseeing. This style of compartment allows one to customize it to their liking without being tied down to any set organization that might already be included.

Here are some organization pouch recommendations:

Muji Mesh Case - For my electronics, I place it in the lid of the pack.
Peak Designs Packing Cube - Holds all of my clothing. Placed nicely lengthwise at the bottom of the pack.
Eagle Creek Packit - Hold all toiletries. Fits nicely anywhere in the pack.

Inside the main compartment, you'll only find a mesh pocket sizable enough to carry a bare tech kit. With its folded-over accordion style of construction, the rigid mesh pocket can expand to allow it to also store those small bits and bobs that you don't want to be lost from the rest of the pack.

The 32L volume seems like a fair measurement. With the right packing list, this size allows you to pack smartly for an entire day, or even weeks worth of travel. One common way of travelling is to get to your location and unpack all of your organization cubes, bags, and pouches. This bag allows you to efficiently get things in and out. Since the zipper access doesn't run along the entire length of the pack, you may want to store your less-needed items at the base of the pack.

The laptop compartment has an offset zipper where you can pull it the majority of the way down on the wearer's right side, allowing you to swing the pack on one shoulder and still access the laptop compartment. The other side of the laptop compartment ends just after the curve of the top of the bag. Even when the bag is packed full, I can swing it over my right shoulder and unzip the laptop compartment to get my laptop out without ever having to remove the pack entirely.

There is no hydration sleeve or hook for a bladder. Theoretically, you could store a bladder in the laptop compartment, but you'd have to find some way to keep the bladder standing upright.

Carry And Comfort

Overnight

The Black Hole pack is a one-size-fits-most bag. There isn't any way to adjust the way the bag fits on your back, so be sure to try it out with a similar load before committing to this pack. If you will only be wearing the bag for short walks from the hotel to the airport, from work to the gym, or a small hike, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Urban/ EDC

Wearing this pack for longer periods might leave something to be desired. While the pack is initially comfortable, if you intend to push the limits of how much weight you'll be carrying, you may wish to look elsewhere for a pack that has more carrying adjustment features.

Usage Timeline

Initial Usage
 Condition: Excellent.
  Simple features.
  Excellent dirt resistance.
2 Weeks of Use
 Condition: Excellent.
  The bag easily carries gear for EDC, gym, and overnight uses.
  Some pockets aren't used as much as others.
4 Months of Use
 Condition: Excellent
  Day hikes are fine, but leave something to be desired as a "one-bag".
Proven sturdiness and resistance to wear and tear.
Overnight packing is simple and efficient.

I'd love to hear from you!

Do you have any questions that I did not answer here? Anything you like or dislike about the bag? Any good substitutions?

Let me know in the comments below!