Get Carried Away

It's rare that I buy something pricey for myself when I don't desperately need it. But, when I do buy something with a hefty price tag, I do the economical, ecological and sensible thing and make sure it's going to last me for a long long long time. Tonight, I did exactly that as I was searching for a tasteful duffel bag that would satisfy airline requirements for carry-on luggage (does anybody check a bag anymore?) and would stand the test of time.

So, I searched and I searched and I read review after review. Some of the pretty bags got poor reviews, and some of the well-reviewed bags were not so lovely (and that's putting it politely), some were too masculine, some were too frilly and feminine, but there was no happy medium. That is, until I found the Orvis Battenkill duffel bag.


The reviews were terrific! One after another satisfied customer went on and on about the quality of the Battenkill duffel. One man bought his in 1984 and has since added more than 10 additional Battenkill pieces to his collection. Another woman has taken hers to a number of different countries and the bag still looks new. There were tales of the bag's trips through airports near and far, on the back of motorcycles, on business trips and camping trips, on treks through the wide open and to the neighbor's house for a sleepover. I decided that if one bag can do all of that then THAT is the bag I wanted.

I got the smaller of the two, which is still pretty roomy. The large bag seemed like it would be too overwhelming once I put my things in it. My new treasure is on its way from Brookings out of North Carolina. I did some searching and Brookings had the lowest price on the duffel. They also offer free shipping! On everything in their store!!! Orvis offers personalization of the bag on their site, so if you buy it from another Orvis dealer (like Brookings), you're on your own with the monogramming. I do think that small subtle block initials might be a nice touch on the bag.

One last note: Both duffle and duffel are correct. After consulting three dictionaries and an English major, I can finally rest easier knowing that neither is the more appropriate spelling.

Now, to monogram or not to monogram? That is the question.