The 10 Best Deployment Bags

For the uniforms, boots and bedding of a long deployment, the Mercury Tactical Gear Monster holds a huge 178 liters. Three inline wheels sit in a plastic base at one end, so you tip it and pull it by a padded end handle. The front pocket zips off as a separate kit bag. It's oversize for most airlines' checked-bag limits, so check your orders and the airline first, and the plastic base can be flimsy.

Built for hard use, the 5.11 SOMS 3.0 is a 126-liter rolling duffel of water-resistant nylon, with heavier ballistic nylon where it wears hardest. A molded base with skid rails takes the scraping, a telescoping handle lets you pull it upright, and dividers help it hold its shape. Outside are name-tape and patch holders and a document pocket. It's very durable, but it's heavy empty, which eats into a checked-bag allowance, and it's expensive.

The Condor Colossus is a 52-liter nylon duffel you carry rather than roll, with stowable backpack straps for a flight line or barracks stairs and side drag handles for tight spots. Separate boot pockets keep dirt away from clean uniforms, and a side window holds a name card. The stitching is strong, and the bottom panel is a darker, heavier fabric. It works as a second bag or a short-trip bag, not a whole deployment.

A civilian wheeled duffel, the Osprey Transporter 120 suits a deployment well because it's light for its 120 liters, leaving more of a checked-bag allowance for gear. The recycled nylon resists water, and big wheels on a high-clearance chassis roll over gravel. A telescoping handle and a wide U-shaped zip help with loading, and lash points let you tie it down in a truck bed. It's oversize for many airlines and has no pouch webbing or name-tape holder.

Opening flat like a suitcase, the Maxpedition Doppelduffel lets you see everything without digging. Its coated ballistic nylon resists water and scuffs and is built to last. You can carry it on backpack straps, a shoulder strap or a single hidden strap across your back. At roughly 52 to 57 liters it's a short-trip or second bag, not a main deployment bag, and it costs a lot for its size.

Staying inside the standard checked-bag size is the point of the Highland Tactical Squad, a 100-liter rolling duffel that fits under the usual 62-inch airline limit. A telescoping handle and two wheels roll it through terminals, and there's a side pocket for boots. It's light empty, leaving more of the allowance for gear. The shell is polyester rather than nylon, and it has few internal organizers, so packing cubes help.

At 111 liters and exactly 62 linear inches, the Mercury Code Alpha Mini Monster is about as big as a standard checked bag can be. Inline wheels sit at one end, a front accessory bag zips off for a day trip, and it can be carried as a backpack. It rolls smoothly and fits about two weeks of clothes, but with no telescoping handle you tilt it and pull it by an end handle, which gets tiring on long walks.

The Sandpiper Rolling Loadout XL is a long-running loadout bag from Sandpiper of California that rolls on three inline wheels at one end. The poly-canvas main compartment unzips to expand when you need extra room on the way home, backpack straps help on stairs, and a combination lock is included. The stated capacity figures contradict each other, so go by the outside size, which is oversize for most airlines. The black version costs more than coyote brown.

Turning from a duffel into a backpack, the Red Rock Traveler holds 55 liters and has padded shoulder and sternum straps that tuck away when you don't need them. The polyester shell has a moisture-blocking lining, and padded dividers split the inside. The maker backs it with a two-year warranty. It's a second bag or a weekend bag, not room for a whole deployment, and its stated dimensions vary.

Old-school sea bag fans get a tall tube of heavy cotton canvas in the Rothco Heavyweight Canvas top-load duffle. A strap lets you sling it over a shoulder. It costs very little, it's tough, and it folds flat when empty. There are no pockets, zipper or wheels, so what you need sits at the bottom, and it's hard to carry once full. Canvas soaks up rain, so line it with a dry bag for wet trips.