Let me start by saying this isn’t a sponsored post. I’ve been wanting to replace my old duffel and backpack for a while, and always admired the Herschel Supply line of bags. I even recommended Herschel in a larger post about travel gear. With an eye toward traveling more in 2024 I thought the time was right to upgrade both before taking off for Colombia.
So I sought out the Herschel Supply Co. Store on Amazon. While I was at it I decided to throw in a matching toiletry kit and a spare wallet as well. Both are items I’m counting on getting a lot of use from as I’m away from home more often. I paid full retail for everything and I’m here to let you know how they performed on an extended trip through several cities.
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The Herschel Supply Little America
At the time I ordered I didn’t think I would get a ton of use out of the Little America Backpack. The duffel was the main thing, and I got the backpack along with it thinking I would use it as necessary if I ever wanted to pack heavier than usual. It didn’t take long to realize this bag provides a lot of utility, and that I’ll be using it almost constantly both for work travel and leisure. If I were forced to give one bag back, it would be the duffel because this one is indispensable.
Herschel Supply lists this bag as having a capacity of 25 liters. If you’re like me that means absolutely nothing to you. So when it shows up on your doorstep the first thing you notice is that it is extra medium.
It isn’t as large as the pro outdoor packs you see being toted through foreign cities by people who make backpacking a lifestyle. But it’s not too much smaller than that. It’s big enough to be your only bag on many trips even a full week or longer. That’s a neat trick since it’s also small enough to fit below an airplane seat even when full.
Practical Utility
The laptop sleeve is large, and is like a big furry hug for your device. It’s advertised as 15″ but you could probably fit two 15″ devices in here. My Mac Air and iPad both fit with loads of room to spare. The Little America has a rectangular shape that’s ideal for stacking items from bottom top in either the order you’ll want them or according to weight. On this trip I used it mostly for outerwear and small items, and also stowed the Herschel Supply Chapter Travel Kit inside, along with my hair clippers and tech accessories in zippered pouches. Stacking these items was very convenient and kept a lot of weight out of the duffel.
Ready to Go? The Little America starts at $75 on Amazon.
A slight drawback is that you will never blend in while wearing this bag. It’s meant for long distance travel and it looks very much the part, so wherever you are you’re unlikely to be taken for a local just ferrying your everyday gear across town.
On the other hand the Little America is a champion grocery-getter. If you need to stock your hotel with food, bottled water, or even beer wine and liquor this pack will carry a lot of provisions as far as you need to go very comfortably. Owing to its size it’s easy to make it heavy if you were to carry say, 24 beers inside. But the shoulder straps and vented padding make even that much weight very manageable.
Construction and Durability
When receiving it new you’ll find the shell is very thick and stiff. It holds the same shape whether it’s full or empty. It bodes well for future durability even if it makes you look like a full time backpacker everywhere you go.
The straps are closed by means of magnetized snaps, meaning the buckles are just for show. This arrangement is easy to use and the small outer pouch also fastens with a zipper under the flap for added security. My only (small) complaint is that I wish the handle at the top were larger or maybe even somehow reinforced. If you pack the bag with significant weight it can be difficult to hand carry if you can only fit three fingers into the loop.
Being polyester, it provides decent water resistance. While it’s not the least expensive, I’m wishing I had purchased this backpack a lot sooner. I haven’t had the chance to try out the Herschel Supply Retreat backpack. The Retreat is 20% smaller and significantly less expensive. But I think that model would also work well for most travelers. It’s rare that I’ll be filling the Little America to full capacity.
Herschel Supply’s Novel Duffel
There’s no ambiguity about the size of the Novel Duffel. It’s big. It’s as large as it can be without crossing into the territory of being comically oversized. Its size is listed as 42.5 liters. That might not mean much on its own but the Herschel Supply Heritage Large Carry-on is 43 liters. So this bag can easily replace a large roller bag by itself.
Whether you should replace your roller bag with a Novel Duffel depends on the type of traveling you’re doing. Being so large it’s possible to overload this bag. If you stick to just clothing it shouldn’t be too heavy. If you toss in your laptop, umbrella, toiletry kit, and water bottle those weights can add up quickly.
While you’re walking through the airport there’s no question a roller bag is superior. But if you have to negotiate a city street for any length of time, or you’re planning to ride trains and buses you’ll appreciate the more casual nature of a duffel.
Herschel Supply’s duffel has two more advantages built into it, and some would say they’re huge advantages. Even though this is the same size as a carry-on, it’s unlikely an airline would ever make you gate-check it. In the event of a full flight without adequate overhead space, airline employees zero in on any bags with wheels. You might find yourself boarding in group 7 with more luggage than people ahead of you. But you’ll walk right past a collection of tagged roller bags at the plane door. The other advantage with a duffel is obvious. If you pack lightly you can force it into a bag sizer on a low-cost carrier.
Construction and Durability
The bag itself is a match to the Little America, having the same materials and construction. It gives the impression of being well made and durable but the finishing could be better. It’s hard to say how well the faux-leather handles will hold up over time, although they look and feel good when new. The bag features plastic connections where steel could have been used for a negligible cost difference. But the worst part is the shoulder strap which is just a thin little ribbon of nylon, again with plastic hooks at the end.
The strap is bad enough that I immediately went back to Amazon and ordered a replacement leather strap, which is what you see pictured. It’s a much better quality item and matches in color very closely. I’m also pleased with the white stitching matching the Novel’s zipper.
I also ordered a pair of Jack and Chris luggage handle wraps. These are good quality leather and comfortable to hold. It was difficult to make this fit at first but trimming a bit of leather with scissors made it easier to snap around the handles. It started to take the handle’s shape after a few days and made me wonder why Herschel Supply couldn’t include this as a feature. This bag is not so expensive that you couldn’t raise the price if the quality increased.
The Novel Duffel- Practical Carrying
On a multi-week trip through five cities I found this bag to be an excellent performer. It’s probably going to replace my roller bag going forward on most trips. It’s a lot easier to swing around getting in and out of Ubers or other ground transportation. Perhaps the main consideration with such a large duffel is that you can’t fold it open and live out of it for a week the way you can with a roller bag. You’re almost forced to unpack it when you reach the hotel. For most travelers this shouldn’t be a problem. It’s only a consideration if you’re staying in a hostel or a small room where there isn’t a closet or drawers.
Don’t Overpay: Novel Duffel starts as low as $54 on Amazon.
The shoe pouch is an interesting feature. It’s quite large and could accommodate basketball sneakers up to size 13 or 14. If you’re not carrying shoes it can be used in a few different ways. I found it handy as a pocket for holding everything that can’t pass through TSA. Honestly I would have appreciated a slot pocket on the other end for this purpose. The shoe pouch can also be an ideal place to store dirty clothes or bathing suits. Alternately you can load it with a book, snacks, headphones, and anything else you’ll want to access in-flight. It provides great access to the bag without removing it from the overhead compartment.
Herschel Supply’s Chapter Travel Kit
If we’re being honest toiletry kits are mostly all the same. There’s a lot less variation in this category than you’ll find among backpacks, duffels and suitcases. Perhaps for women there’s more to consider with makeup and skincare but for men as long as it holds a toothbrush, a razor, and a few 3 oz bottles you’re good to go.
Herschel Supply makes the Chapter Kit in two sizes. The regular (3 liter) is pictured and is what you would think of as the “normal” size for a toiletry kit. The larger version is 5 liters and measures almost ten inches wide, which is larger than most people strictly need.
The smaller 3 liter size is easily large enough to carry a few full size products like deodorant, sunscreen and shaving cream. I was able to carry everything I needed inside with a very tight fit, although removing my hair clippers to a separate pouch meant this kit had room to spare with everything else packed into it.
Shop Now: Chapter Kits Starting from $21 at Amazon.
I really liked that it can sit open on a countertop, but also not necessarily advertise its contents to anyone who might lay eyes on it. The kit stacks easily inside the Little America Backpack or can fit in the Novel’s shoe compartment with room to spare. Overall it’s a great item that does exactly what you want it to do.
Herschel Supply Hank II Wallet
It’s a good idea to always have a spare wallet handy when traveling. It’s great to have something tucked away in the hotel safe holding your lesser-used cards and emergency cash. If something were to go wrong a spare wallet will have you up and running faster than anything else. I went ahead and ordered the Hank II Wallet with the idea of in for a penny, in for a pound.
As a spare wallet the Hank II is pretty good. It matches the rest of the luggage and it holds a good assortment of cards and bills. You can even overstuff it a bit and keep it closed with an included rubber band similar to a Livestrong bracelet. If you had to start carrying it in an emergency it would be ready to go.
Find Yours: Herschel Wallets from $15 on Amazon.
But it’s not the highest quality or best-made bifold wallet out there and at $40 for this color combination it’s really more expensive than it should be.
Herschel Supply’s Charlie Card Case is a much better choice for a primary wallet, particularly for traveling. I would have bought one of these as well but they are very similar to the Johnston and Murphy weekender I already own. I love the design as it’s easy to slide credit cards and hotel keys in and out of the outer pockets, and it easily holds a few large bills for emergencies, or a moderate amount of cash for general spending. For traveling in cities where crime may be a concern a small, front-pocket design is crucial.
