Customer Reviews

Seattle Sports Omni-Dry Backpack (Green)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just got this and I have to say it seems very well constructed.

It's essentially a standard roll-top dry bag with fairly comfortable backpack straps.

All of the points on the bag that have straps attached are heavily reinforced.

The main thing I noticed when it arrived though is that this bag is BIG.

I had glossed over the dimensions when ordering, but take a close look.

The pack I use for backpacking trips is less than half the internal volume that this bag has.

Suspension sucks, but capacity and price can't be beat. For short portages or in-boat dry storage this is a must. If it had a waist belt and more comfortable shoulder straps it would be 5 stars. Two of these held gear and food for 3 men for a 5 day trip to the boundary waters canoe area wilderness.

This is essentially a giant dry bag. I visit the Boundary Waters often, and had not been able to find a suitable portage pack for a reasonable (i.e., cheap!) price. I purchased this bag because it was huge and because it seems like it would keep things pretty safe if it were to get dumped in the water. (Which has not happened to me up there, but one storm we ran into made me think it might.) I have used the bag on one weekend canoe trip on a river, and it worked fine for that purpose. Several reviews have said the shoulder straps are not securely enough attached to the bag, and I have found this to be a concern. I am considering reinforcing that area. In all, a fine value.

I used this bag on a four-day canoe trip. It was big enough to keep a sleeping bag, bed roll, pillow, and clothes inside. Everything stayed completely dry.

I purchased this backpack for my son to take on a five-day canoeing trip with the Boy Scouts. It easily held his sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and all his clothing and gear for the trip. (The bag is huge!) The bag kept everything dry despite sitting in pooled water at the bottom of the canoe. The closure system is easy to use and the buckles keep the bag securely closed. The opening is large enough that one can easily reach in and access the contents. (This was not the case with some other packs we had considered.) The only drawback we found is that without a frame the bag's size makes it sit a little awkwardly on one's back. It was fine for hiking a couple miles but for longer treks you'd probably want better support.

I purchased this bag for a 6-day boundary waters trip.

As noted in other reviews, the bag is huge. It held all personal gear for me and my son plus some group gear: 2-person tent, 2 full-size pads, 2 summer sleeping bags, 2 9"x17" stuff sacks of cloths, 2 pair of camp shoes, 2 sets bowl/spoon/cup, 2 Hennessy Hammocks (yes, we took both tent and hammocks), 1 10x10 tarp and ropes, 1 100ft bear-bag rope.

The pack was comfortable on the back but the shoulder straps are attached too far apart at the top so they hit at the outside of the shoulders. I added a sternum strap and that helped a lot. Id guess the pack weighed in at about 40lbs. We traveled each day but had all short portages so it was manageable. A waist belt would have really helped.

My biggest concern with the pack was that the strap attachments would not hold up. We treated the bag just like any other; lifting it by whatever strap we could get a hold of, tossing on and sometimes even dragging it across the rocks. The bag held up great. It has some scuffs but no major abrasions, no holes and no separated or separating strap attachments.

The other three people in my group used two of these same bags, loaded with similar gear (but for 3 people) and treated the bags the same. They also had zero damage or failures.

The top closure of the pack is good. The tops of the front/back are brought together and held with a couple short strips of hook/loop. Then a flap folds down over the entire opening. The bag is rolled down, trapping the flap inside the roll. Finally the ends of the roll are buckled down to the sides of the bag and a pair of straps comes over the top, perpendicular to the roll, and buckles.


What I dont like about the bag....
The top of the bag is not completely open. Basically it is a tube that is squished flat at the top and sealed closed. Then it is cut open an inch or so down from the seal. But the cut does not go all the way to the edge. The result is that it is difficult to roll the top down like a cuff which would give it some structure and keep the bag open as you load it. This is really a minor annoyance.

The only big issue I have is the thing is so narrow and deep that it is hard to rummage around in the bag. You pretty much have to unload things because you can not easily see or reach into the depths.


Overall, the bag is large and held up very well but I will probably not take it on another extended canoe trip because it is more difficult to pack and is not as comfortable to carry as a traditional portage pack.

Bought one of these for my last BWCA trip. One thing to consider (that I didn't) when buying a waterproof pack is: How will the pack dimensions jive up with the canoe. I rented a Bell Magic from Piragis in Ely and the pack was a real pain to get in and out of the canoe, because it was too big. Not the pack's fault, but next time I'll get the next size smaller. I'd rate the pack at medium durability at best... probably correspondent with the cost.

For those who have no experience, "Dry Bags" are really more like damp bags. As such don't be surprised at the documentation that comes with the bags saying they will not keep things dry if submersed. I bought two of these bags and they are HUGE. My son and I used one for all our camping gear for a 50 mile canoe trip with no problem. I'll reiterate, "Dry Bags" should be called damp bags and this is not a short coming of this bag in particular. Anything that must be kept completely dry in the event of submersion should be double bagged. These were great and an absolute value. I would be a little concerned about the strips if you have long portages with heavy loads. Not an issue for me.

I purchased this pack before my last trip to the BWCA. It worked exactly as advertised, completely waterproof. This is a very large bag, bigger than I expected. It works extremely well for keeping some of the lighter gear in and laying in the bottom of the canoe. If we would have filled it with food, it would be too heavy to carry. The straps held-up fine and the bag was comfortable to portage with. I would recommend this as a very good purchase.

Was on river for 8 days. All gear stayed dry. I packed light, bag was bigger than I needed, but good to know how much gear (alot) could be taken, and shoulder straps a must for carrying more than 10 feet.