Berghaus Expedition Mule 100 review
RRP: £100
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First impressions
Berghaus’s Expedition Mule arrives in its compact carry bag; pull out the contents and the pouch inverts to become a handy pocket inside the much larger holdall. With a capacity of 100L, this is a huge bag, perfect for carrying equipment, sports kit or camping gear.
It feels well-made, with thick fabric and sturdy buckles, zips and clips, and we liked the smart design, which is mostly navy with red accents.
Handles and carrying options
You get three carrying options with the Expedition Mule: central handles, backpack straps and large handles on each end of the holdall. The middle carry handles come with a wraparound hook-and-loop closure to lash them together.
While the removable, backpack-style straps aren’t the most padded we’ve seen, they’re streamlined to pack away easily inside the holdall, and they’ll do for short journeys. Four handy red tabs show where to attach the straps, and it’s fairly easy to fix the clips, although it takes a bit of hand strength.
Depending on how you fill the holdall, the huge 100L capacity might make it too heavy and bulky to carry using the backpack straps, so while they are a useful extra feature, they’re probably better suited to the smaller 40L and 60L versions.
If you do use the backpack straps, you get an adjustable chest buckle to connect them together for extra support. There are four sewn-in loops to fix the chest straps at different heights, plus the option to attach other items like keys and carabiners.
You can even adjust the depth of the holdall using the side buckles – ideal if you only want to fill it halfway. The straps keep everything in place and minimise loose excess fabric.
Storage compartments
The Expedition Mule keeps storage fairly simple with just a couple of internal compartments – plus 12 external sewn-in loops on each side of the bag, which you could use to attach tools, keys or carabiners for camping mugs, water bottles and other supplies.
The storage bag folds in on itself to become an internal zipped compartment inside the weekender, and it’s big enough to hold one or two pairs of shoes.
The only other internal pocket is a mesh zipped compartment stretching along the entire length of the underside of the lid flap. This section is well-suited to flatter items like phones, power banks and cables or any travel documents you have.
Value for money
With an RRP of just over £100, the Expedition Mule is fairly reasonably priced compared to other holdalls we’ve tested. What it might lack in aesthetics, it more than makes up for in storage capacity, quality of construction and versatility.
If we had to find fault here, we’d mention the underside of the holdall. As it needs to fold into the carry pouch, it’s soft rather than rigid, and doesn’t come with any strips or studs to protect the bag from damp or muddy ground.
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Also consider...
Osprey Daylite Duffel
RRP: £70
For a similar option, try Osprey's Daylite Duffel; a neat, well-designed weekend bag that’s easy to pack, carry and store. It offers great value for money, especially given we awarded it the full five stars in our test.
While we tried the 30L version, and were impressed with its deceptively spacious interior, you can also get larger 45L and 60L models for greater capacity. We also loved the three different carry methods: handles, rucksack straps and over-shoulder straps.
To find out more, see our full review of the Osprey Daylite Duffel.
