I have that seadoo dry bag backpack with the clear window and I love it. The back pack straps make for a nice place to attach it to the yak in case I end up dumping.
I recycled a nylon case from an old "portable" PC. Shoulder strap removed and reworked so the bag snaps onto deck bungee hardwear. Holds 2 large plastic boxes plus a pocket inside and out. If I wasn't such a cheapskate I would have bought one of those zippered net bags you can strap across the deck and use assorted watertight plastic boxes.
Jim
I bought Patagonia's Stormfront backpack. Ever the deal finder, I bought one on sale on the Patagonia website for $110. My bro and I even made a little pocket cash selling some of the packs on eBay with a slight positive margin.
It is pricey but I am planning on using it as a flats pack (it holds a hydration bladder (sold separately) and as a deck bag for my kayak. I plan on outfitting the chest/sternum strap with a holder for a fly box so that I can minimize the need to get stuff out of the pack.
When I fish I always wade too deeply and get all of the junk in my William Joseph bandolier wet. With the waterproof Patagonia pack I can dip it in the water and the stuff in the bag will not get wet. Therefore I will not have to worry about corrosion on all of the stuff in the bag. I am trying to minimize the amount of rinsing and clean up after a saltwater outing. Soak the bag in water after use, rinse it, and I am done.
The pack will also make a great deck bag given proper rigging on the deck of my yak. So, it is a 2 for 1 pack in my world - that is how I justified the price.
The waterproof zipper is a wee bit tough to open and close and I will keep you posted as to how it holds up over time.
Slapped that bad boy on there this weekend!! Not the sexiest looking deck bag but it'll do the job!! Great idea - thanks.
Others:
FYI - a deck bag is lashed to the "deck" of your yak, in front of the cockpit for organizing all those little things you just can't live without: GPS, cell phone, Palm Pilot, CD player, DVD player, satellite dish, water bottles, fly boxes, maps, compass, strobe, flares, 12 gauge hog leg, poisoned dart gun for drugging well dressed fly fishermen so you can steal their Abel reels and T&T fly rods...
Well Roop,
I'm sure you were more clever than me and kept the shoulder strap intact so you could just take it off the yak and use it wading. I had already destroyed the strap customizing the sucker to snap on to the deck.
Jim
Send me a private message with your address & I'll mail you a shoulder strap. I will continue to use my chest pack. It kind of depresses me to think of wading with a briefcase!
Thanks for the offer Roop, but not worth it. I almost never get out of the yak to fish anymore. You could send me your chest pack, though.
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