The 10 Best Deployment Bags

For the uniforms, boots and bedding of a long deployment, the Mercury Tactical Gear Monster holds roughly 170 liters in one padded compartment with an adjustable divider. Three big tractor wheels sit at one end, but there's no telescoping handle, so you tip it and pull it by a grab handle. A side pouch zips off as a kit bag. It's too big for a standard checked bag on a personal ticket, so check your orders and airline first.

Built for hard use, the 5.11 SOMS 3.0 is a 126-liter rolling duffel of water-resistant nylon, with tougher ballistic nylon in the mix. A molded base with skid rails takes the scraping, a telescoping handle lets you pull it upright, and removable rods let it stand on end while you pack. 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 carry duffel its maker now rates at 60 liters, with padded backpack straps that hide away for a flight line or barracks stairs, a detachable sling strap and side drag handles for tight spots. A separate boot compartment keeps dirt away from clean uniforms, and a vinyl window holds a name card. The textured plastic bottom wipes clean. It works as a second or short-trip bag, not a whole deployment, and it has no wheels.

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 main opening help with loading, and lash points let you tie it to a roof rack. It's oversize for many airlines and has no pouch webbing or name-tape patch.

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, and padded dividers split the inside. At 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 rolling duffel that fits under the usual 62-inch airline limit; listings put it at 80 to 100 liters. 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, the Mercury Code Alpha Mini Monster sits just over the 62-inch limit for a standard checked bag, so ask the airline before flying on a personal ticket. Its maker still sells it as the Mini Monster. Three tractor wheels sit at one end, and an outside pouch zips off to keep essentials at hand. With no telescoping handle you tilt it and pull it by a grab handle, which gets tiring on long walks.

The Sandpiper Rolling Loadout XL is a long-running loadout bag that rolls on three big wheels at one end, with skid rails underneath. Its poly-canvas main compartment unzips to grow from about 122 to 169 liters when you need extra room on the way home, and the carry straps double as backpack straps for stairs. A lifetime warranty backs it. It's heavy empty, though, and oversize for most airlines' checked-bag limits.

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. Its maker's limited lifetime warranty covers defects. It's a second bag or a weekend bag, not room for a whole deployment, and its stated dimensions vary from one listing to the next.

Old-school sea bag fans get a tall tube of heavy cotton canvas in the Rothco Heavyweight Canvas top-load duffle. A strap slings it over a shoulder, and the hook-and-eyelet closure takes a padlock. It costs very little and 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 only resists water, so line it with a dry bag for wet trips.