Ortlieb Duffle 85L waterproof travel bag and backpack

Ortlieb Duffle 85L — expedition volume, and a promise about water

Eighty-five litres is not a holiday bag. It is the size you buy when the kit list includes a sleeping bag, a tent, boots and three weeks of clothing, or when one bag has to hold what two people need for a fortnight. At this volume most manufacturers stop pretending about waterproofing and hand you a zip that leaks. Ortlieb does the opposite.

The Duffle 85 is rated IP67: dust-tight, and sealed against immersion in a metre of water for half an hour. That rating is the reason this bag turns up on river expeditions and in the back of pickups on gravel roads, and not only in airport halls.

Carrying eighty-five litres

The padded handles detach and become shoulder straps, so it travels on the back when there is no trolley and no road. Joined together they make a central grab handle. Be realistic though: fully loaded, this is a two-hands-and-a-knee bag. If you expect to move it far and often, the Duffle RG 85 L is the same bag on wheels with a telescopic handle.

Built to outlast the expedition

The body is PD620, a PVC-coated polyester Ortlieb has used for decades. The base is PS620C, a reinforced Cordura made for being dragged across gravel, loaded onto roof racks and thrown into boats. A wire loop at the zip pull takes a padlock, not included.

Inside

• One internal compression strap to pull the load into one block
• Two zipped interior pockets
• One exterior mesh pocket with zip — outside the sealed volume, not waterproof
• Two daisy chains along the top for lashing extra gear
• Volume marked on the side of the bag
• Wipe-clean interior

Waterproofing, precisely

IP67 means dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion, up to one metre for thirty minutes. The rating depends entirely on the TIZIP being closed to the end stop — a zip a centimetre short is an open bag. On a zip this long that is worth checking twice. The TIZIP wants its lubricant once or twice a year; we stock the Ortlieb stick (E134).

Specifications

• Volume: 85 litres
• Dimensions: 31 × 65 × 44 cm (H × W × D)
• Weight: approximately 1,360 g
• Material: PD620 PVC-coated polyester, with a PS620C reinforced Cordura base
• Closure: full-length waterproof TIZIP zip, with wire loop for a padlock
• Waterproofing: IP67, dust-tight and immersion-proof to 1 m for 30 minutes
• One internal compression strap
• Padded removable shoulder straps, also usable as handles
• Colours: black, olive, sunny yellow
• Country of manufacture: Germany
• Warranty: 5 years

Frequently asked questions

Is 85 litres too much?
For most trips, yes. This is the size for expeditions, long overland travel, or one bag serving two people. If you are packing for yourself for a week or two, the 60 L is the better bag and considerably easier to move when full.

How heavy does it get?
The bag is 1,360 g empty. Filled, eighty-five litres of clothing and camping kit runs well past twenty kilos, which is beyond comfortable one-person carrying. The wheeled Duffle RG 85 L exists for exactly this reason.

What does IP67 actually mean?
Dust-tight, and protected against immersion in one metre of water for thirty minutes. That is a genuine step above the IP64 on our roll-top bags, which covers splashing only. It is not rated for prolonged submersion or diving.

Is the outer pocket waterproof?
No. The mesh pocket sits outside the sealed volume. Documents and electronics belong inside the main compartment.

Will an airline take it?
As hold luggage, yes, but check the size limits: at 65 × 44 × 31 cm it is a large piece and some carriers charge for oversize. It is not remotely cabin-sized.

Can it be repaired?
Yes. Ortlieb supplies replacement straps, buckles and TIZIP lubricant, and the bag carries a five-year warranty. Our workshop at L'Hirondelle Bike Shop in Meppel handles repairs and orders parts.