Last winter’s record snowfall (literally off the chart in much of the West) has now provided those of us lucky enough to be near mountains and water with epic runoff. Rivers are raging, reservoirs are filling – it’s Bizarro World from where we were a year ago. A trip down a section of the Payette last Monday (12th of June) that usually takes close to four hours was over in 90 minutes. The scenery was beautiful, the rapids immensely powerful and, thanks to experienced guides and the right gear, the trip was awesome. What’s more, the photography equipment used to capture the moments remained perfectly intact and bone dry thanks to our 65L Watertight Duffel.
There’s an adage, commonly used in communities like the military and alpine climbing where lives depend on gear working as intended: Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you. It’s commonly used because it’s true. The follow-on axiom is equally true and unequivocal: you get what you inspect, not what you expect from your gear. At the risk of over-emphasizing the point: It is crucial to: i. Have the right equipment; ii. Take care of it when using and maintaining it; and iii. Understand its intended use, condition and limitations.
Our 65L Watertight Duffel dry bag will take care of you in wet conditions. It’s perfect for any use where contact with water is imminent and likely to be sustained. Throw it in your truck bed and drive through a monsoon, clip it into the bow of your boat and cut through heavy seas (or even just big wakes on those refilling reservoirs – we’ll see you soon, Lake Powell!), or do what we did on Monday and trust your prized photographic equipment to it through Class IV rapids.
The main compartment is protected by a best and beefiest-in-class watertight zipper. We’ve tested it extensively, even filled the bag up with helium and tested it as a balloon. It didn’t float, the material is too dense, but there’s a sweet Reel on our Instagram of it being dropped alongside an identical bag filled with air and you can clearly see the difference. (Link to that?)
A separately zippered bottom compartment keeps already, or don’t care if it gets, wet gear separate from the dry section. Tiedown handles are welded to each end and Fastek loops allow for quickly securing the bag to any line or clip. For carrying, welded barrel handles let you grab and go, or a detachable, padded, shoulder strap allows for hands free cross-body hauling in rough conditions.
The shell is black ballistic waterproof coated nylon and the whole esthetic is understated but unmistakably capable.
Final point: it’s made to last for years. Buy it once, buy it right, use it, take care of it, let it take care of you, pass it on. This is not a “fast fashion” piece of equipment. It’s made responsibly to work well and provide protection. It’s a piece of kit, and a modest investment, not a status symbol, but we’ve made it responsibly so use it right and it’ll serve you well.