Practical Hacks Finds PR4 Duffel “Practical”

“Practical” Tips on Packing Duffels with Pockets Rule

The Travel Bloggers at PracticalHacks.com have praised our gear before, but this is the first time they’ve reviewed a bag and demonstrated their favorite packing technique for a duffel style bag on a video. In this blog, the Hacks tackle our popular Beano’s PR4, the maximum carry on size in our Safari Travel Luggage lineup.  Here’s a few excerpts from the article…

A Duffel Bag with plenty of Pockets

We’ll start with their overall review synopsis.

The Highs: Over the top Red Oxx materials & build quality; multiple pockets; rugged good looks.

The Lows: Still searching… no apostrophe in Beanos? Seriously, the bag’s a gem.

The Verdict: A studly quick trip or gear bag that also happens to be a solid value.

Skipping to the punchline:

“This is a tough, remarkable, quick trip (1-3 nights) gear bag. Despite the fact that the tagline on Red Oxx’s PR4 page is Graduate to Minimalism, this bag has a bunch of pockets (7 in all) and is minimalist only in respect to its lack of internal padding. The pockets don’t add a lot of weight, and they’re handy for small items and compressible articles of clothing…”

“The PR4 is the smallest in a series of four Safari bags – the PR4, PR5, PR5.5, and PR6. The PR6 is nearly a yard long (31 inches) and can carry 70 pounds…Right up front is a 10½” wide, 6″ tall pocket that’s perfect for small items such as your passport, boarding passes, and even your car keys…you can use a wire tie to secure the sliders, and the metal pulls don’t protrude at all. Each (end pocket) measures 8½”H x 9″W x 3¼”D, perfect for underwear, socks, and lightweight tee shirts.”

“On the front is a zippered pocket that measures 8″ x 7″ and is fine for an iPod, ear buds, chap stick, and the like…Main compartment: Twin zippers and quarter turn stainless steel latches secure everything inside. Also of note is the triangular stainless V ring; your ID/luggage tag can be attached to the lower section, so your shoulder strap’s snap hook won’t rub against its cord.”

One other important note

“Unlike the Air Boss and some other Red Oxx bags, the PR4 does not feature any padding; if you were thinking that this might make a great camera bag, look elsewhere. Red Oxx’s Sun Chaser is a better option…

The super-tough version of the Quake Industries Claw strap included with the PR4 is a great strap for this bag, as loads shouldn’t get much above 13 pounds or so…the materials and workmanship on all Red Oxx bags are simply beyond belief – these things will likely outlast you!”

One awesome aspect of Kevin’s blog was that he took the time to create a packing video. While Red Oxx is working on creating a useful packing video, Practical Hacks beat us to the punch. You can view the video below.

It turns out that a medium packing cube, placed on end, fits the PR4 very well…The PR4, like all Red Oxx products, is made in Montana and is backed by a lifetime warranty…it’s a solid value. Also, consider what it’s not: it’s not made offshore; it’s not made from recycled soda bottles; it’s not overpriced.

Oh yeah: what or who is Beano? Beano is apparently a neighbor of one of the principals of Red Oxx, and is a guy who likes pockets on his bags.”

Several readers threw their weight in with the bag. Here’s what they had to say:

“After my beloved ORIGINAL Patagonia MLC died, I replaced it with a Red Oxx Sky Train and at the same time purchased a Red Oxx PR 5. The quality of the Red Oxx items is second to none, and it is absolutely amazing how much stuff can be crammed into their bags. The design, materials and workmanship offered by Red Oxx is outstanding, and I attribute this to these items being made in Montana“.

“I think you should consider hijacking some of the minimalist fabric zipper pulls from your recent Patagonia sample bags and using them to replace both monkey paws and for that matter the metal pulls too, on the bottom only of the pass through panel.”

GASP!

That would be blasphemy! Frankly we’re so glad the Hacks heartily agree. Their reply:

“As for the monkey’s fist pulls/metal pulls on the bottom zipper… I’d have to think hard about it, as modding this particular bag strikes me as a singularly unholy act, but… long term I think I might snip off the metal pulls and use a black wire/zip tie to secure/join the two sliders.”

Try our Cable Locks! Then you won’t need a scissors or knife to cut it open.”

And Michael, really, do you think I’d put something from Patagonia on a Red Oxx product?? A pox on you!

Other commentators asked about other uses for the bag. Kevin agreed it’d work well as an athletic gear duffel or gym bag. We’re most appreciative of all the high praise PracticalHacks has given us over the years. Thanks again. Be sure to read the entire blog at PracticalHacks.com.
~Cheers, Minister of Information for the Department of Red Oxx Affairs (D.O.R.A.)