Review: The North Face Rolling Thunder luggage – discover your spirit of adventure

I like to think of myself as an adventurous spirit. The sort of girl who might paddle my kayak up a creek in Canada or climb a Via Ferrara to the top of a mountain. I’d throw my luggage in the back of the floatplane flying across the water to some remote island.

And of course I’d need luggage to match my adventurous lifestyle. Something with rugged good looks, lots of zips and plenty of room for all my travel gear. Luggage to turn heads and get admiring glances from other adventurers.

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North Face Rolling Thunder Review

But wait, I am that adventurous girl! I have paddled my kayak and climbed a Via Ferrata in Canada! OK, the flight in a float plane is still on my bucket list. But, I did see quite a few on my recent trip to Victoria in Canada. And fortunately on that trip to Canada I was able to test out a rather rugged looking piece of The North Face luggage that I was sent by Millets.

First Impressions from The North Face Rolling Thunder review

My The North Face Rolling Thunder luggage from Millets certainly scored on rugged good looks. Made of tough black material with a bright red lining I totally felt the part of an outdoor adventurer. There were zips-a-plenty.

On the top of the case was a handy compartment to pop my passport and boarding card. There’s two additional zipped compartments at the front for books and magazines. On one side was a slot to put my business card or address in case the bag went missing.

I also used my own small padlock to lock the bag’s zips together for extra security. The tough carry handles on the top, side and bottom made it easy to lift into the airline’s overhead storage. This case can take all the luggage handlers can throw at it and more.

The solid extendable handle in bright red told me encouragingly “never stop exploring” – as if! The bright red wheels were similarly tough. Their reinforced plastic corners protect against scuffs on the pavement or perhaps some rough track.

What’s going on inside The North Face Rolling Thunder luggage?

On opening the case revealed the red lined interior with metal frame, rigid plastic mesh and metal braces to give some structure to the soft body. On the back of the lid was a useful mesh compartment for all those small items you want to keep to hand.

With the open style inside, there was plenty of space to make full use of your carry-on allowance if you’re travelling light. There weren’t too many pockets inside – but I normally use packing cubes in this style of case to keep everything well organised.

On my return flight from Canada I travelled with just The North Face Rolling Thunder bag as checked luggage and a daysack for my laptop and camera. I managed to fit in everything pretty easily, even though the case is carry-on size. Handy if you’re taking one of those small float planes into the Canadian wilderness for a spot of bear-watching and your luggage allowance is limited.

So how did the North Face Rolling Thunder luggage perform?

I really enjoyed using this case on my trip to Canada. It looked the part for the adventure girl I’d like to be (or maybe I am?) and it was tough and practical too. I really appreciated the solid extendable handle and chunky wheels which made it very easy to wheel along, even on uneven ground.

The bag was solid enough to use as checked baggage on shorter trips. With the soft side construction I probably wouldn’t do so on long haul trips. There was plenty of space inside to make the most of my baggage allowance when travelling light. This is certainly a bag that will suit any traveller looking for something light, durable and stylish for their outdoor or urban adventures.

Vital Statistics: The North Face Rolling Thunder 22 inch luggage

• You can buy The North Face products from the Millets Website
• The Rolling Thunder range includes luggage in 19 inch, 22 inch (reviewed), 30 inch and 36 inch size
• Colour: Black only
• Volume: 40 Litres
• Size: 38 x 58.5 x 25.5cm
• Weight: 3.33Kg

Some activities in Canada to bring out your adventurous spirit!

Go snorkeling with seals in Nanaimo, Canada with Sundown Diving. The trip lasts around 3 hours and you are taken by boat to the islands where seals like to swim around the rocks. A cosy wetsuit and snorkel equipment is provided and you get to snorkel and swim among the seals in shallow water. Can you see them in the water behind me? Read about it here.

Go hiking with Hike Victoria in the Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. This is a 30 minute drive north of Victoria on Vancouver Island, Canada. The park is close to Victoria and the hiking fairly easy.

You’ll get amazing views over the fjord and some great photography opportunities. Your guide, Mark Vukobrat is also a professional photographer who takes pictures of his guests (he took this one). This will provide a lasting memory of your afternoon hike. Read about it here.

Go cycling on the trails outside Victoria with tasting and lunch at several of the local wineries. Our tour took us out to the Saanach Peninsula cycling on the Colquitz river trail.

We reached the vineyards around lunchtime. Taste quality local wine, cider with gourmet pizza and cheese platters – now that’s my kind of cycling adventure! Read about it here.

Read Next

Explore Nanaimo: food, fun and adventure on Vancouver Island

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Thanks to Millets who provided* me with The North Face Rolling Thunder case for this review. I was in Canada as a guest* of Destination Canada and Canadian Affair

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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