Bubba Goose Large Duffel Bag ($160)
Originally intended for the sails of America’s Cup racing boats, VX21 is a white nylon triple laminate reinforced with Kevlar. When veteran soft good designer Delian Scudder discovered a forgotten supply of the stuff in a warehouse, he knew he had to give the fabric a second life as something awesome. The result is these handmade duffel bags. Featuring zero stretch and incredibly high tear strength, the material works as well for a bag as a sail. Scudder reinforced the floor with two layers of 1,000 denier Cordura to add some structure, which helps hold the bag open while empty. I’ve been carrying a 34-liter size, which works for a weekend carry on—big enough to hold several changes of clothes, a laptop, and a second pair of shoes, but small enough to easily fit under a seat, or potentially scrape by as a personal item on top of a wheeled carry-on. The material might be rugged and technical, but it also turns heads at the airport. — Wes Siler, contributing editor
