Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L Travel Duffel Review

The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L travel duffel bag offers durable materials, solid construction, and ample space for up to a week on the road. We put it to the test for a winter trip to Whistler, British Columbia.

I've tried a lot of luggage while traveling the globe for work and pleasure, from hard-shell suitcases to expedition duffels. Sitting right in the middle of my luggage Venn diagram is the wheeled travel duffel. I like wheeled duffels because they can be both spacious and easy to haul. The Osprey Sojourn is one of the best 100L wheeled duffels I've tested, offering a robust build quality we've come to expect from Osprey along with numerous user-friendly features.

Over the past year I've taken the Sojourn Shuttle 100L through countless airports, on road trips, and even a week in the camper. Other than scuffs on the fabric (and few at that), it has performed nearly flawlessly. Here is everything I like and a couple of things I don't.

Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L

MSRP: $395

Comparing the best prices on the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L:

Storage Capacity & Pockets

Size and Volume

Think of 100L duffels as equivalent to medium-sized luggage. They are not carry-on compliant, but they're easier to manage than 130L and larger bags. You can easily pack for a week with a 100L bag like the Sojourn, and can go even longer if you're a minimalist. I tend to overpack (whether I'm headed on a road trip, vacation, camping trip, or work travel) and even I can get everything I need for a week into the Sojourn.

At 31 inches (79 cm) tall, it's manageable for most people to grab the top and bottom handles simultaneously. The chassis is 19 inches (48 cm) in depth, which means this duffle doesn't pack flat when empty. 

The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L weighs 8.6 pounds, which is lighter than some other models I would consider.

Pockets

On the interior of the Sojourn Shuttle are two full-length zippered side pockets. One is mesh and one is nylon. There are also two large mesh pockets on the underside of the lid.

On the outside of the bag are two additional large storage pockets. The first is on the top, by the handle. This zippered pocket has a soft brushed interior and is large enough for your Dopp kit (aka toiletries bag). It's also great for anything you may want to keep handy without digging through the main compartment. The second pocket is a floating boot bin for keeping dirty, stinky, or even wet items separated from the rest of your gear.

One important consideration is that these two pockets take up interior space. If you stuff the main compartment full, these outer pockets are useless. The boot bin is of course intended for transferring items from the inside of your bag as your trip progresses. 

On the rear of the Sojourn Shuttle 100L is a zippered compartment with an ID pocket as well as another zippered mesh pocket to stash more easy-access items (think thin items like a passport, magazine, USB cord, etc.). Remember: the Sojourn isn't a carry-on, and I don't find myself needing this storage on road trips. I supposed if you don't have a daypack these additional small-item storage pockets could be useful.

Materials & Construction

Fabrics

The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is constructed with bluesign® approved, 100% recycled, 460D high-tenacity nylon fabric on the main body and 500D fabrics on the duffel's bottom.  Osprey also uses a PFAS-free DWR treatment to provide some water resistance. A second benefit of a DWR coating is that it helps prevent stains. My Sojourn has been thrown in the bowels of a long-haul bus, tossed around by airlines, and used as a makeshift seat at a campground. Even so, it has surprisingly few scuffs and marks on the fabric. I have a hard-shell suitcase of about the same age that looks like it's been through Fight Club.

The one place I notice wear is on the bottom of the duffel, at the base of the telescoping handle (you can see it in one of the images above). It doesn't seem like these spots will wear through, but the plastic protection pads could benefit from being just a touch taller.

While the Sojourn's fabrics are indeed burly, there are heavier-duty options out there. If hauling gear for adventures is your primary use, absolutely consider the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel with 900-denier recycled polyester or the North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder, which uses a 1000-denier recycled poly.

Zippers

There are a few features of wheeled duffels that make a difference every time you travel. Zippers are the most important. Osprey got it right with the Sojourn Shuttle 100L by using a large #10 YKK zipper on the main compartment, a #8 YKK on the boot bin, and a #5.5 YKK on the top pocket. I haven't had any issues with zippers popping open, even when I have stuffed the duffel's main compartment to the max.

After its first year in use, all zippers are snag free and working great. The zippers on the main compartment and top pocket feature fabric loops to ensure they don't come open during travel. The main zipper is luggage lock-compatible.

Chassis and Wheels

Next on the list of important features of a wheeled duffel is how it stands up and rolls. I've given up on otherwise great bags because they would easily tip over when standing on the kickstand. The HighRoad Chassis on the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is 16 inches (41cm) wide at the base and covers the entire foot of the duffel. It provides a huge platform for stability when the bag is stood on its end. The rails running the length of the Sojourn are 6061 aluminum.

To aid with stability, the bottom of this travel duffel is slightly curved, which I find helpful when I've packed a heavy load. The curvature also keeps the bottom fabric from getting hammered when the bag is laid flat. But most important: the Sojourn Shuttle stays upright even when fully loaded.

Osprey also nailed the wheels on the Sojourn. The oversized 4.25-inch (11 cm) wheels competently roll over gravel and other rough surfaces, and they're soft enough that they don't make a lot of noise when cruising pavement or sidewalks. The wheels are attached with a simple hex bolt and are replaceable should one break. My bag has been pulled through gravel, on dirt trails and along cobbled alleys, and they continue to perform great and spin easily.

Telescoping handle

I have mixed feelings about the patent-pending buttonless telescoping handle on the Sojourn Shuttle 100L. First, the good: it has fewer parts to break compared to a handle with a button. It has also been dependable; I haven't had any problems with it getting stuck. Even when the bag is stuffed full, the handle extends and retracts smoothly. The handle on some bags (like my Monos hard shell) don't fully extend if I overpack. 

My issue with the handle on the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is that it is a little too hard to press with just my thumb. It's easy enough if I press down with the palm of my hand, but it takes all my might to press it with my thumb. This is admittedly a small complaint, but there have been numerous times when I want to quickly pop the handle and move. Each time I find that I want it to operate easier than it does. 

Grab handles

There are grab handles on the sides and ends of the Sojourn that make it easy to lift or huck into a roof-top cargo box (check out our coverage of the Thule Motion vs Force XT). The kickstand at the foot of the duffel includes a plastic handle. On the top and sides are EVA foam-filled handles that are soft and easy to hold. I appreciate that I don't end up with rope burn on my palms when carrying a heavy load, as can happen with bags that use webbing straps.

Features

Wingjacket padded sidewalls

The Wingjacket padded sidewalls protect the contents of your Sojourn from rough handling (ahem, airlines) and being piled upon. The wings are foam wrapped in 460D ballistic nylon and are very burly. They give this travel duffel a unique look and are effective at protecting your gear. It's impressive that Osprey can include this extra layer of protection and keep the Sojourn's overall weight under 9 pounds.

Compression system

On the inside of the Sojourn are three compressions straps to keep items in place and stabilize the load. As a nice detail, Osprey includes webbing loops at the opening of the main compartment through which you can thread the compression straps. I use the compression straps with these loops to pull the top of the duffle tight across my gear when I have the bag full. I use a lot of packing cubes and these straps are a great complement to them.

On the outside of the Sojourn are more compressions straps. As a unique feature to this wheeled duffel, Osprey includes two locations where you can clip these compressions straps, depending on how full the duffel is packed. One clip is on the Wingjacket padding, which is how I attach the compression almost all of the time (as seen in the Wingjacket image above). There are also clips low on one side of the duffel, allowing you to tuck one wing under the other and keep the duffel nice and tight when less than full. I've only needed this a couple of times, but it is useful. 

Another gripe about the Sojourn Shuttle 100L: the exterior compression straps need more management to keep from flapping around. If you're using the second set of clips, the ends of the compressions straps are held nicely by the webbing loops on each strap. In the more common configuration, however, the ends of the webbing straps dangle loosely. I have a strong dislike for loose straps on any bag or pack, and especially on a travel duffel. Loose straps are simply another point that can get caught in a luggage belt. In the Wingjacket image above you can see the straps dangling - and I don't even have them pulled tight.

Travel Sentry™ luggage ID

To help get your lost duffel returned, Osprey includes a Travel Sentry™ luggage ID (TSID). This is simply a metal tag with both an alphanumeric code and a QR code. You register this code on the TSID website along with your contact information. If someone finds your bag they can scan the QR code and contact you. The tag itself is attached by webbing and isn't going to fall off the bag. 

Add-a-bag strap

Many travel backpacks have either a sleeve or strap to attach to the telescoping handle on your travel duffel. Check out our article on best Osprey travel backpacks.  I've had a few Thule packs that I loved for this reason. The Thule Aion travel pack is a good example. For any bags that don't have a way to attach to the handle, Osprey has hidden buckled straps under the top handle to connect your pack or additional bag. For comparison, the Patagonia Black Hole Wheeled Duffel is more oriented towards hauling gear and is missing this travel feature.

I've had really good luck with the standard (non-wheeled) Patagonia Black Hole Duffel. Check out my in-depth review of all sizes of the Black Hole Duffel.

Where are the backpack straps? 

A glaring omission on this travel duffel in my opinion are backpack straps. At 30 inches, the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L could still be hauled on my back. There have been countless times where I've been moving a bunch of bags and found myself wishing for backpack straps. Given the lightweight frame it feels like an easy add to include straps, like much of the competition. If backpack straps are a must-have for you, check out the Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler XT.

The final word

The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is a standout travel duffel. It offers enough room for a week yet weighs less than smaller options. This wheeled duffel uses quality fabrics and hardware throughout. Importantly, the zippers and wheels have performed flawlessly in over a year of travel and camping. I'm not in love with the telescoping handle, but it has been dependable. I wish they included backpack straps and found a way to secure loose webbing on the exterior, but this still ranks as one of my favorite travel duffels. Unless I am opting for a carryon, the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is my go-to for adventure travel.

Comparing the best prices on the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L: