Venture Duffel Bag vs ToughSack Assorted Colors: which is safer?
Granite Gear ToughSack Assorted Colors is the clear pick. ALPS Mountaineering Venture Duffel Bag carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
ALPS Mountaineering
Venture Duffel Bag
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and particle shedding
PossibleChemical off-gassing from coating
LikelyPFAS in water-resistant finish (unconfirmed)
Our pick
Granite Gear
ToughSack Assorted Colors
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleHeavy metals in zippers or hardware
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating degradation and particle shedding, Chemical off-gassing from coating and PFAS in water-resistant finish (unconfirmed) on the ALPS Mountaineering and not on the Granite Gear.
- We flag Heavy metals in zippers or hardware on the Granite Gear and not on the ALPS Mountaineering.
- The ALPS Mountaineering is Nylon with water-resistant coating where the Granite Gear is Cordura nylon fabric, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Granite Gear is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the ALPS Mountaineering grade, at 35% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More waterproof bags & luggage: see the full ranking