PRoductreviews
Wolfman Overland Duffl e An “everything bag” for adventurers
By Ron Davis #111820
SINCE ITS STARTUP IN 1992, WOLF- man has steadily earned a worldwide reputation for its American-made soft luggage for motorcycles. With a focus on producing versatile and tough stowage for dual-purpose and adven- ture riding, the Colorado manufac- turer offers an extensive line of tailbags, saddle bags, tank bags and tank panniers. Among their new and updated products for 2016 is the Over- land Duffel, a large tail/rack bag that may become one of their most suc- cessful designs yet. A permanent part of my everyday
gear, my Wolfman Backhawk tank bag seems almost custom made for bikes like my BMW F 700 GS. The Overland Duffel also has an innovative, rider- sensitive design, spurning the usual cylindrical shape for more of a pillow profile, 20 inches wide, 15 inches long, and 9 inches high. Wolfman rates the duffel’s storage capacity at 45 liters, but
in real world terms, I was able to easily pack in the follow- ing: a pair of Darien pants, an armored summer jacket, a jacket liner, rain pants, gloves, a complete change of clothing, a water bottle and a toiletries kit, not to mention a bunch of doodads stored in a detachable, zippered pouch that lies across the top of all of this. That see-through, clear mesh pouch in
the Overland measures about 10 by 10 inches and clips to two internal compres- sion straps, but despite the obsession motorcycle clothing and luggage designers seem to have with pockets, the pouch is the only separate compartment in this duffel. Frankly, with a lot of compartments and pockets, I often have trouble remembering where I put things, so I like the one-bag- holds-all approach. Riders more fond of orderliness could of course use stuff sacks
The new Overland Duffle from Wolfman Luggage is a tough, attractive solution for holding about 45 liters of gear.
to sort their gear. The zipper for the cover of the duffel winds around in a full “U,” making it easy to survey all the contents of the bag, and the brawny, two-way zipper is covered by a wide flap. Wolfman always seems to come up with
novel answers to the question, “How do I carry this bag when it’s off the bike?” The Overland includes two wide, clip-on straps that convert the bag to a backpack. True, it’s not a backpack with a frame and waist or chest belt, but I found it comfortable and could easily see wearing it around as I drool my way through the vendor area at Das Rally! or to and from a campsite or motel room. A third strap is included that clips to two D-rings on the duffel, so it can be car- ried over the shoulder through an airport, where it conforms to carry-on restrictions. Suitcase? Carry handles are featured at both ends and on the middle of the top. As with much of its line, the construction
Two internal compression straps are featured in the Overland duffle and buckle to a clear mesh pouch for small, quickly accessible items.
30 BMW OWNERS NEWS May 2016
of Wolfman’s Overland Duffel features heavy duty, 1680 denier ballistic vinyl fabric with substantial vinyl side panels. Though tough and good looking, it’s not waterproof, so Wolfman offers an optional rip-stop nylon rain cover with a cord-lock to keep it secure ($18.99). I didn’t get caught in any rain with the bag on my bike, but the rain
member tested
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140