Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L vs. Waterfield Bolt
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L
| Capacity | 32 L |
| Weight | 0.8 kg |
| Dimensions | 52×28×21 cm |
| Airline fit | 71% |
| Price | $169 |
Feature by feature
| Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L | Feature | Waterfield Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 4 |
| top | Passport | front |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| N | Hip Belt | N |
| Y | Sternum Strap | N |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 5 | Main Compartments | 3 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2, side | Water Bottle Holder | 2, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 8.7-oz 300-denier 100% postconsumer recycled polyester ripstop with a TPU-film laminate | Durable waxed canvas OR 1050 Denier Ballistic nylon |
Waterfield Bolt
| Capacity | 17 L |
| Weight | 1.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 41×32×13 cm |
| Airline fit | 95% |
| Price | $370 |
Key differences between the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L and Waterfield Bolt
- Passport pocket: Top on the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L; Front on the Waterfield Bolt.
- Sternum strap: Yes on the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L; No on the Waterfield Bolt.
- Main compartments: 5 on the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L; 3 on the Waterfield Bolt.
Both have: luggage passthrough, backpack straps, laptop sleeve, water bottle pockets, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 134 accept both. 1 accept only the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L, and 45 accept only the Waterfield Bolt.
Only the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L fits
Great Lakes Airlines.
Only the Waterfield Bolt fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti, American Eagle, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Etihad Airways, flybe, Gulf Air, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Australia, Volotea, Xiamen.
Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L vs. Waterfield Bolt: which should you pack?
The Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L carries 15L more than the Waterfield Bolt (32L vs. 17L), while the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L is the lighter pack at 0.8kg (vs. 1.5kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Waterfield Bolt fits 95% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L; if you want to travel lighter, the Patagonia Black Hole® Pack 32L is the better call.