Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway 70L Duffel review: durable, sustainable and packed with features

In the world of outdoor gear, duffel bags are the workhorses. These hardwearing haulers don’t get to experience the glitz and praise that their hiking backpack cousins enjoy. While daypacks and mountaineering packs are carried off onto the trails and into the mountains, the duffel is left at basecamp. They’re a bit like the expedition doctor – an essential part of the adventure but doomed to never receive the glory of those who make it to the top.

Well, I thought I’d set the record straight and shower some praise where praise is due because the Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway 70L Duffel is magnificent. I recently tested the excellent Patagonia Black Hole 70L Duffel and I found it difficult to fault. However, this offering from Cotopaxi is even better. It’s hard to fall in love with a duffel bag but I just might have in this case. Let’s get into it.

First impressions

I tested the Blue Spruce and Abyss colorway and was almost instantly enamored with the duffel's striking good looks. It has a timeless aesthetic that’s at once modern and classic – it wouldn’t look out of place in the passenger seat of a 1970s Aston Martin swerving along the Amalfi Coast. It’s got class, is what I’m trying to say.

Duffel bags don’t tend to be complicated and I quickly got my head around all the features on offer here. It’s a case of everything you need and nothing you don’t. The fabrics are obviously hardwearing, the main compartment is cavernous and there are a couple of zippered pockets for organization, plus quick-access side pockets. So far, so good.

The material facts

Cotopaxi is known for both its environmental leadership and the good it does for communities. I highlighted this in my review of the Tarak 20L backpack, a piece of the Del Día Collection that uses offcuts from other companies’ production runs. While the Allpa Getaway isn’t part of the Del Día family, it is crafted at the same factory in the Philippines, which Cotopaxi says is “committed to fair labor and environmentally sound practices”.

All the materials used to created the shell and lining fabrics here are 100% recycled. The shell is woven from rugged 840 denier TPU-coated nylon, and the TPU coating provides additional protection against water ingress and abrasion. The other shell fabric is a ripstop nlyon, also 840 denier. You can expect this protective shell to be as tough and nails, very much the requirement of any duffel bag worth its salt. Finally, the lining is made from ripstop polyester.

Carry on

The ability to haul a heavy duffel bag in whatever way you see fit is obviously important. The Allpa has side grab handles, useful for when you’re pulling it across the mountain refuge floor to grab your guidebook, or for a two-person carry. For a traditional one-person carry, there are carry straps that stow neatly into the side pockets (more on this in a moment). These can be clipped together with a reinforced sleeve to provide cushioning for your hand while carrying.

The shoulder harness straps are removable and can also be stowed in the side pockets. Fully adjustable and nicely padded, they’re adorned with a daisy chain of gear loops for affixing items on the go.

Thoughtful features and storage

The Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway provides a nice and not overwhelming range of storage options. There’s the huge main compartment, accessible via the big U-shaped zipper (complete with chunky YKK beasts). This is where the lion’s share of the bag’s 70-liter capacity is found. There’s nothing fancy in here – no key clips, emergency whistles, hidden pockets. It’s just a big ol’ loada space, which is what a duffel bag is all about, no?

Having said that, the underside of the lid does contain a large, zippered mesh pocket, ideal for securely storing important items, like guidebooks and packets of Oreos (non-ultra processed food snacks are available). I mentioned the lack of a key clip in the main compartment – well, those key clippers among you can rejoice! There’s one in the zippered pocket at the far end of the pack. This little compartment is another option for stashing bits and bobs.

The large side pockets are a great, yet simple, innovation. Rather than zippered compartments, these are closed using small Velcro tabs and can stow either the carry straps or the shoulder straps, depending on which ones you’re using. Now, I say ‘closed’, but the Velcro actually leaves the pockets semi-open, which is great for storing additional items you might want to have quickly to hand, such as headlamps.

There are 20 individual lash points on either side of the side handles. This allowed me to attach items like carabiners or dry bags packed with stuff I didn’t want to stink out the inner sanctum.

When the duffel is not in use it packs away into a small mesh stuff sack with a drawcord closure, for easy transportation and storage. It’s got a handy little loop for popping on a coat hanger or pegboard. The stuff sack also doubles up as a packing cube for whatever you’d like to store separately within the bag. If the mesh was a bit finer, I could have even used it as a midge net in the Scottish Highlands but, alas, the holes are too big.

In the field

I’ve been testing the Cotopaxi Allpa Getaway through spring and summer, using it for both outdoor adventures and weekend trips with the family. It’s been hauled into all weathers, from blazing, unseasonal springtime heat to ferocious downpours in the notoriously wet Welsh countryside. I can confirm that it both likes it hot, and it sings in the rain.

Let’s deal with its ability to repel the elements first, as it was very much put through the wringer on a recent trip to the Bannau Brycheniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. It kept my contents dry and protected throughout – I took a certain amount of pleasure seeing beads of rain collect and then run off its surface. Top stuff.

One of the features I think elevates the Allpa Getaway above even the excellent Patagonia Black Hole is its side pockets, which I mentioned earlier. One downside of their design is that their semi-open nature means the contents will get wet when a downpour ensues. Fortunately, I had this in mind when the heavens opened and I quickly squirreled the contents into the main compartment. Whether or not you think this overrides the benefit of quick access will be a personal thing. Me, I like them and I think it’s worth the compromise. I found them to be great places to quickly stash items like binoculars, so that I could still have them to hand should a golden eagle swoop into view.

I managed to fit plenty of gear into its 70-liters, and the big U-shaped zipper was ideal for pulling out of the way while I loaded or unloaded. It’s nicely balanced to carry and the padding on the shoulder straps is enough to make backpack style carrying a vaguely pleasant experience, though obviously not as comfortable as a dedicated hiking backpack.

I’ve subjected it to plenty of toing and froing, tugging and dropping and thus far it’s stood up to any abuse. The main zippers are obviously durable, as I’ve occasionally filled it to the point where zipping the thing up is an effort. At no point did it feel as though the zippers would break. They’re also easy to grab while wearing hiking gloves thanks to their ample pulls.

All in all, this is a product that I find it difficult to fault, one that I feel good about when using and that simply performs its function without too much of a fuss.

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