20 Best Waterproof Fishing Backpack (2022 Updated)

Just got back from 6 days of bank and drift fishing trip in Alaska. Rained all day on the first 2 days and the pack was waterproof. Internal pockets are useful for small valuables. Ample storage and comfortable room n the back.

Only difficulty was the stiff zipper. I suspect with ongoing use this will resolve.

Product is really top quality, looks great and with the nicely padded shoulder and waist strap is very comfortable to wear. Bit pricey but hey ho I am not planning to buy another. Perhaps could do with 1 or 2 more pockets but I knew about this before I bought it.

I look forward to using it for many fishing years to come.

Lets just start it out with the color of this Pack!! Completely waterproof and love how it fits to my body. Also cool how I can attach other fishpond packs and pouches to it.

Lots of space for everything plus auxiliary items. Convenient spots for pliers, scale, etc. Only complaint is the tackle boxes it comes with doesn’t keep hooks from jumping compartments but that’s pretty normal for most of them.

Nothing that can’t be fixed with some safety pins.

I bought this pack for a bunch of lakes that I like to hike into. It’s perfect. Holds just the right amount of gear and is comfortable enough for the journey.

Got this a week or so ago , loved the idea of it and the quality. Until I went to fo pack it and noticed the stitching coming undone already. now we will probaby have to drive across the city to return it.

Everything is good quality and durable except the straps. Shimano dropped the ball on the straps. There is no reinforcement in the way they are attached. These will rip out in no time at all. The handle for carrying it is very strong because it’s reinforced! I like everything else about it and recommend it.

I will be looking for a way to reinforce the straps myself. I bought another brand of fishing backpack for less and the straps will never rip out. Good thing I will be carrying it more than backpacking in until I can reinforce it.

This is perfect fishing backpack! It fits all my gear that I ever bought (both spinning and bottom fishing gear)!!! The quality is perfect, and it’s a very sturdy! The included Plano tackle boxes are perfect, and they will fit almost anything you need! They are also modular so you can divide the compartments as you choose.

The size is quite big, so that might surprise you a bit when it arrives. Highly recommended product! Haven’t found any flaws to it so far.

The Bag: This bag is made extremely well! All the buckles and hooks are metal. The stitching and material are excellent. The zippers have great movement and haven’t caught or jammed on me yet. The bag is very spacious I was able to fit 8 3600 size utility boxes between the 2 main compartments and the ability to add MOLLE pouches is a huge plus.

I would of really liked to see a couple of nylon “loops” on the exterior to put pliers in and none of the zip up compartments have any nylon loops either to organize tools such as pliers, scissors, etc.

This was a big miss. I will say all in all this is a very well made bag and I would think will be able to see many years of service. The Service: Unfortunately this is where a 5 star product gets a severe deduction due to a companies inability to follow up with their customers.

I ordered this bag 4 days before leaving on a weeks long fishing trip (added one star for my procrastination). During checkout they were running a shipping special that was free ground shipping. Living in Illinois and this coming from Idaho I knew if I did the free ground shipping it wouldn’t get to me in time so I paid extra for “Flat Rate Shipping”.

There is only one shipping provider that offers “Flat Rate” shipping which is 2-3 day shipping turn so I was quite confident I would receive it in time for my trip. The next day I received shipping confirmation but to my horror they shipped it standard ground and the expected delivery was to be while I was gone.

I mean it’s on me I waited so long before I ordered but for me to pay for one shipping service and get their free option really upset me. I instantly emailed Ego to see what happened. I write this review 12 days after my email to Ego and have received ZERO response from them.

I would rate this product 5 stars if it wasn’t for the poor service so buyer beware.

What does shipping have to do with quality of this bag. I have used this bag pier fishing for over a year. Awesome bag. Holds everything I need for a night/weekend of fishing off the piers in LA (lower Alabama).

Plenty of pockets, quality materials, have withstood the weather as well as hot storage in my truck. Would absolutely recommend.

I’m a charter captain/professional fisherman from the central Outer Banks of NC/Harkers Island and Cape Lookout area. In my line of work, I need extremely versatile equipment that this bag (and all of the EGO fishing gear line of products) offers! I can use this backpack tackle bag either on the boat all day or I can take it off to hike the dunes to get to a fishing spot.

it is extremely comfortable to wear and when hiking distances, it allows me to put all my gear into one bag to carry. As far as durability is concerned, it’s an extremely well made bag with stainless steel clasps, which are so much superior to plastic ones.

It holds up well in the saltwater environment and it’s definitely a bag for the avid outdoorsman! You get what you pay for, and this is a bag that will give you the best quality for your money. It’s the best tackle backpack I’ve ever used for both comfort, durability, and usability!.

In a recent adventure race in Floridawe used the Plano Z-series as food and stove storage. Everything was soaked even though the bag was never submerged. Very poor for such a heavy bag. No other bag has ever failed us.

This is a great alternative to a table box, at the same time its better than the other styles of tackle back packs. Its waterproof and having one big compartment is great for carrying much more than plastic cases.

I carry my cases, a worm bag, a case for my power bait as well as my go pro stuff and much more. Having the external pole holder is and added bonus, very handy!!!.

I bought this bag because I am an avid outdoors girl and a photographer living in the PNW. Some of my favorite days to explore are the early mornings in the spring and fall. Here, when it rains, it RAINS.

I needed something to keep my camera gear safe and dry both during rain and also during those stream crossings and near lakes and rivers (you never know when an accident will happen)…and the Panga has never let me down!! It is hands down, the best bag on the market.

I load it up with no less than 20 pounds of gear and hiking essentials and it feels SO NICE on my small frame. The weight is distributed so well due to its shape and it keeps my expensive gear dry during those WA rainstorms.

No matter where I adventure—rain, snow, waterfalls—I know the Panga has got my back. Thank you for a product that allows me to adventure to my hearts content. Yeti has nailed it with this product.

Got this bag two years ago. Historically, I went through work backpacks at a rate of about 2 a year. This bag will likely last longer than I will. Some may not like that it’s just a big opening without many organizers.

Get a yeti packing cube or two. It holds more than a traditional backpack and looks as good today as the day I bought it. I like the new backpacks but there’s no way it will last like the Panga. I get a lot of comments and questions – opportunities to share my love of this bag.

I used this bag while riding and hiking through monsoonal weather and floodwaters in Vietnam and it carried all of my essentials without them once getting wet. It’s so watertight, that it’s even somewhat airtight and will seemingly float indefinitely if rolled up even half properly.

Learning how to pack it and source good organiser bags for keeping it neat was a challenge but worth it for the robustness, simplicity, and quality of this bag. One of the benefits of the bag having no internal pockets or dividers is that it is super light, and it can be folded up to be extremely compact for storage, or kept inside normal luggage when not needed.

There are more comfortable and practical hiking bags, but for extreme weather it’s really nice to have.

Good quality and good looking. I use mine daily while driving my motorcycle to work. I have an hour one way drive to work and Ive had my laptop in it through pooring rain. No problem at all. Even when my gore-tex gear lets water through I know that my laptop stays dry.

Only thing I could wish for is a laptop compartment inside the bag.

Can’t believe how good this bag actually is as it was cheaper than others from overseas. Thick water proof materials, with properly welded seams. Using for kayaking and riding to work in rain, nothing will get wet.

Small pockets on side for bottles are okay but the shock cord front is well made and very useful.

The bag is very good but the zippers suck. Used not even 5 time and one fell off. I was closing the bag after a fishing journey then the zipper snapped in two pieces.

Very comfortable backpack. I’m able to keep all of my gear inside. It has enough room for the tackle boxes that come with the pack and also 2 others I had purchased plus room for extra line, bags of soft plastics, and a camelbak.

Doesn’t hurt the back while bank fishing for hours. Overall a great buy!.

I’ve had this pack for a number of months and have used it several times for both bass fishing on a boat and stream fishing for trout. This pack is large and can hold a ton of gear. The bottom zipper section is made to fit (4) standard 3600 size tackle boxes.

Which, if you’re familiar with tackle boxes is a lot of storage. The top is huge and I use it to pack lures that don’t fit in 3600 boxes like swimbaits or craws that come in molded packaging. I also keep a complete set of rain gear (bibs and jacket) in it.

Add a fish scale, pliers, nippers, several spools of line and I’ve got everything I need to hike in or just bring on the boat. I don’t have any travel rods, so I can’t really comment on the functionality of the rod storage.

But in all you can use this pack for fishing, hiking, photography or any application where you need a large capacity, comfortable storage pack.

Omg i so happy with this product. I got the pond hopper which is awesome and with how well it works and has lastest this last year i am very hopeful for this tackle backpack. If it only came in purple I would buy the whole set.

So the size is definitely a plus it has so many pockets it will definitely be a very well organized tackle backpack. Surprisingly it is very comfortable I love the extra padding all over the straps and the back of it itself.

Lots of room to have additional items in the top half with your tackle boxes. There are also a lot of additional hook areas along the entire outside and straps to hook on additional items. I would recommend this to any angler on the go.

This is a great ” all in one bag” !! Tons of storage space and included lure storage to keep everything organized. Plenty of room to store extra reels and spools and convenient holes to dispense line or leader material.

Comfortable straps for carrying and quality zippers for easy access. Great bag!!.

To be used as a boat bag for which it is perfect. Simply the largest bang for the buck I could find. The inner boxes are like water sealed drawers and there are more than enough slots for lures and jigs etc.

to keep 3 or 4 men fishing all day. AMENDMENT to initial review | The connection between the shoulder strap and the bag are WEAK – in my case one failed and the bag dropped into the water as I hopped from boat to dock.

It’s a plastic socket assembly which I have popped back together and reinforced permanently with a loop of heavy duty accessory cord tied to just the right size to assist with the carry load of my moderately full tackle bag.

Seemed really well built when I first received it, but some of the seams are starting to spread a bit. I’ve got it packed FULL of tackle so maybe I just have exceeded the weight in places, but it’s so big it’s so easy to fill with loads of stuff.

Adjustable left or right side. Lots of useful pockets with secure latches/closures. Nicely made with excellent workmanship. Plastic trays are made to fit 😊

Love this tackle bag. Has tons of room and still lightweight to carry. My favorite to date for tackle storage.

I bought the Googan Squad Backpack about 6 weeks ago, and it’s been on several pond bank fishing trips with me. This bag holds 4x 3700 boxes (comes with 2). I also purchased a Bass Mafia Briefcase, which is the size of 2x 3700s.

With tons of gear loaded into tons of pockets, and easy to find/access things, this bag is a winner! It stands up on its own really well, even on uneven ground. It’s made of very durable material, with equally durable zippers.

It holds two big water/sports drink bottles for those long dog days of summer sessions. There are tons of places to put things, and they are all easy to access. If there’s anything that could be better: The zippers on the side pockets next to the drink holders are a little wonky.

The straps and back of the pack that rests against your back when carrying could use slightly more padding The straps could use a clip that allows the straps to be clipped to each other giving a more stable carrying fit for those long hikes with a heavy bag.

I’ve used this bag for bank fishing for over a month now. I love how I can put so much tackle in the bag. Rather than the two 3700 trays that come with the bag, I pack five 3600 trays in the bag sideways.

Unfortunately, if you load the bag up full it will be too heavy for the shoulder straps to function properly. The bridge across the top of the shoulder straps prevents the bag from resting flush against your shoulders and feels very top heavy compared to backpacks that do not have the bridging fabric.

I want to give this bag 5 stars but it’s just too uncomfortable on my shoulders to carry more than a half-block from my car.

I use a ton of Googan products from baits to clothing to rods and was excited to try the backpack. I wish it had a chest strap or a better fit because it becomes uncomfortable quickly and causes sore spots on the front of my shoulders.

Maybe even a belt system would help out. Other than that, it is awesome. Tons of room and easy access to the large compartment. The included tackle boxes were great as well since all I use is 3700 size boxes.

Keep up the innovation and I look forward to grabbing one of your reels soon.

Been doing a lot more saltwater kayak fishing, so I finally put aside my old Patagonia Sweet Fish Bag. This backpack is spacious, almost cavernous. There’s a single flap on the interior that can hold items and three mesh pockets on the exterior.

This bag isn’t for compartmentalizing gear, it’s to hold lots of stuff and to keep it dry. Feels sturdy and well-made. Time will tell but so far it’s doing the job.

I had been using it as my grab and go bag. Feel like high quality waterproof material and beautifully constructed. No leak so far after some hard abuse. I like the two side pouch witch I can carry extra water or two different drinks.

Well, it’s Grundens, so you know the quality is there to start with. Compared to other “waterproof” packs, this one appears to be much more robustly built. The roll top closure is simple and effective, ensuring your gear stays dry.

The size is perfect for a day on the water, and the fabric is thick and fully coated. It is also less than half the price of any serious competitors product. You can buy cheaper, and you can buy much more expensive, but you won’t get a better value than the Grundens Gage.

The only thing I would like to see, and this is strictly personal preference, would be removeable pack straps. It’s a 10, highly recommended.

I have looked all over online and in other stores for an extremely lightweight backpack for my professional camera with no success. When all the padding is added to the conventional camera backpack it makes it very difficult for me to carry for any long distances and difficult hikes.

I went into Orvis looking for a backpack but not really expecting to find just what I was looking for, thankfully I was wrong. For all those photographers gasping that I didn’t “protect” my camera, think again! I have padded sleeves for my camera and all of my lenses.

I put a small towel in the bottom of the backpack just for a little added cushion and also so I have it to use to kneel or sit in a dirty/muddy area. This backpack is the bomb! Not only is it as light as a feather, it has many zipper compartments to hold all my accessories I might need and it is WATERPROOF!!!.

My first trip out using this backpack was in Hawaii and it came with me on a sail trip around the coast of Kauai and this time I didn’t have to hide my camera bag inside the cabin so as not to get drenched but had it out on deck the entire time and it was perfect! I also hiked a grueling 5 miles along the Kalalau Trail on the Nepali coast in Kauai and the backpack did not weigh me down whatsoever and I never had to worry about any pop-up rain showers! Did I say I love this backpack.

I LOVE THIS BACKPACK! Orris, I get that it is a fishing backpack but for me it is the perfect lightweight WATERPROOF camera bag! Headed to Thailand with it next, cain’t wait! Thank you!.

All the bells and whistles for this pack are accurately described. Top zipper is super burly, but maybe a little stiff. Potential 5 star improvements include modifying water bottle/rod tube sleeve to extend downward, like on the other non-waterproof Orvis pack, to better accommodate spey rod tubes.

Also would nice to have a pocket that could be accessed quickly when taking off one shoulder strap.

Took this pack on canoe fly fishing trips. Truly waterproof, no issues with the zipper. Side rode tube pockets could be a bit more durable. Main issue for me is the size and fit of the shoulder straps/waist belt.

I am 6’3” and the shoulder straps cannot accommodate properly my frame. The sternum strap becomes a throat strap and the waist belt a belly belt rending them useless and impossible to use for me. Would love for this pack to come in tall size.

The inside compartment could be a little roomier. But all in all, it’s a great pack that performs well in wet environment.

About time Simms came back with this phenomenal bag design! I used this bag most recently on a two week salmon sampling project for work in SE Alaska, hiking up and down streams all day, every day The bag itself is great.

The main compartment is waterproof and features interior pockets to help keep one’s smaller items located and bag contents organized. The roll top feature is amazing as it allows for capacity to pack everything one might need for an extended trip, while also allowing the bag to be compact when not as much gear is required.

The outside pocket also has multiple smaller pockets which makes it great for organization of fishing and other frequently accessed supplies. The outside pocket is merely water resistant — not a problem, just something to be aware of.

My favorite part about this bag is that it has two water bottle pockets! It is hard to find a bag with water bottle holders, and having two of these is awesome for long, wet days where one doesn’t want to constantly dig through their bag looking for beverages.

In an improvement from the old design, the water bottle pockets also have sturdier material on the bottom so if one tears the pocket when hiking through brush, the water bottle won’t just fall out. This backpack has one major flaw.

The buckles, cinches, and straps feel chintzy and constantly slide. They are much smaller and feel weaker than the old version and one will notice this substantial design flaw if they do much hiking with this bag while carrying a bit of weight.

I constantly had to be retightening the straps and am worried they won’t last very long. With the price tag this bag commands, I would have expected a more in terms of clips and cinches for a bag Simms self-styles as a backpack.

The strapping material should have been more heavy duty and the buckles and cinches should have been burlier. I initially wanted to give this bag a 3-star review due to my disappointment with the strapping system, but upgraded my review to a 4-star due to the quality of bag itself and all of the handy, well designed pockets.

I like everything about this pack except how it sits on my back, which is probably the most important aspect of a good pack. The waist straps are incredibly too high, so the pack sits around my belly instead of my waist.

Additionally, when the weight of the pack is resting on the waist straps, the pack leans way back making for a super awkward hike. If you are smaller person, this may not matter as much. Though their other packs don’t have this issue.

A little more R+D should have gone into this pack for the price point.

Had to return the dry creek after the shoulder strap tore away from the main pack. So i upgraded to the guide pack. Seems to be well built and functional. My only complaint is with the waist belt. Its up way to high to be useful and the zipper pouch on the waist strap is on the bottom of the pocket so everything falls out when unzipped.

I may just return this pack too. Hoping Simms will actually field test their stuff before its released for retail. Mildly Disappointed for this packs’ price point.

I was trying to downsize from a larger backpack that I seemed to always overfill. I wouldn’t use it because it was so heavy. I decided to just take a few baits and bags of plastics for a trip around a pond.

This works great for that. Quality AFTCO construction as you would expect. I don’t use the hydration bladder so I’m not sure how heavy it would be with it. Only issue I have would be true for any backpack vs sling pack.

You have to take the pack completely off to get to the contents. Sling packs, on the other hand, allow you to just move the pack to your front for easy access. I prefer the balanced carry comfort of a backpack though.

Took this on a recent fishing trip and it did not disappoint. Great construction, nice and light and plenty of storage space for my tackle. The water pouch was an excellent bonus. One that didn’t live up was the Velcro rod holder.

Started unthreading a bit but a quick couple stitches fixed that. AFTCO doesn’t disappoint quality products that are worth the money.

I just finished using this pack for a week plus in remote Alaska. This pack stood up to hard rain, wet boats, being tossed around, and never leaked. Its got plenty of room for extra gear and clothing and the side waterbottle/Rod tube holders are excellent.

The net holder is very handy and well placed. There are plenty of attachment points for extras as well. The zippers work well and after a few uses open without a struggle but seal watertight. I also used this as a carry on when flying and it works just fine for that as well.

The outside pocket and inside pockets also help with organizing your gear. It will soon go with me to Belize for some salt water fishing and I have no concerns about its ability to handle that. My only negative is in my opinion in this price range this pack should have come with at least one buckle strap to attach the rod tube at the top part of the pack.

Those have to be purchased separately from Simms or another provider of your choice.

I have thrashed this pack around for the better part of a year, through all conditions, with absolutely zero issues. The refreshing thing about this pack, when compared to a traditional dry bag with a shoulder harness, is its flexibility and body-hugging design, which I find to be solid and supportive up to about 30 pounds (but I nearly always max the volume out before this.

The shoulder straps and waist webbing feel comfortable over waders and a wading jacket, with the added benefit that the waist strap acts as a secondary wading belt. One of my favorite features is the quick-release buckles at the shoulder straps – they make it fast to drop it on the bank when I get to a new hole.

It’s easy to unfasten the shoulder harness in this way and drop the pack without trying to take the pack off traditionally over your arms, which could interfere with a neck lanyard or vest. These buckles also make it easy to turn the pack around for access to the main compartment while still keeping the waist strap attached – just unclip, flip the harness over your shoulders, and twist the pack body around: voila, easy access.

The pack fabric is durable and waterproof while still being lightweight – it doesn’t feel like my rafting dry bags, but that’s a good thing, since I’m usually wearing this pack only on long days on the water.

I opted for the orange color, which does stand out on the water, but it’s way easier to spot on the bank if you can’t remember what willow you stashed it by. Added bonus points for safety when fishing in combined fish/hunt areas in deer season.

I’ve lost a rod strap, but the attachment point is perfect for a Voile ski strap, which works wonders (and is also longer, so I can add more bulky items like a tripod on occasion; I’ve since replaced both original straps with these ski straps).

It’s great to use on float trips as a boat bag, too – plenty of lash points that make sense for a framed boat. Apart from fishing uses, it’s great for camera gear (I use a foam-padded insert), and winter bike commuting (the attachment points also work with bike lights).

I’ll admit that I have also used it as an impromptu cooler – it’ll hold a twelve-pack and plenty of ice, I’m happy to report! All in all, a solid piece of my kit.

I’m a field scientist that travels pretty much anywhere wet and marshy. At first, I was very hesitant to spend over $100 on a bag that has only one compartment, but I soon realized that this bag is worth every penny.

After owning this roll top for a little shy of a year, it’s safe to say that this bag is perfect for storing dry gear and comfortable carry. I did five transects last year, all were in coastal marshes, all were extremely muddy, all were in torrential downpours.

This bag kept everything dry and had a lot of room for our gear. Even the mud that coated the bag didn’t create a problem since it’s waterproof and I could just hose it down. Granted, our most expensive tech was put in pelican cases to ensure safety but my phone, clothes, other electronics and even 3 notebooks were bone dry at the end of each day.

I also slid on an oyster bed with the bag and a tear didn’t even occur. I’m very content with the comfort, size and durability of this bag and hopefully will have it for years to come.

I bought this pack for a field science survey trip (channel mapping) in Grand Canyon knowing that id have to be in the water constantly waist deep hiking downstream with all of my gear. So this pack just made sense.

I also needed a new guide pack for in Grand Canyon (river guide). I did not expect to love it as much as I do! Its comfortable, light enough to backpack with, and the tube body “no nonsense” design is perfect for just about any adventure.

I. E. Climbing, backpacking, rafting, kayaking, grocery shopping, terrestrial surveying and just a great everyday pack as well. I would like to see a variety of light colors just as a guide preference, its nice to be seen from far away.

So I just ended up tying colorful bandanas to the pack. Ive already convinced a handful of people that they need this pack in their lives and they love it as well!.

I purchased this backpack for carrying my tackle when I’m not in my boat or kayak. It allows me to carry what I need when I jump on someone else’s boat or go for a day of bank, surf or pier fishing. There is plenty of space for all of the necessities and even room for snacks.

The ability to switch out the types of tackle easily by switching out the boxes inside. I keep different types of tackle based on the types of fishing I want to do. I can switch over from one type of fishing to another just by switching out the boxes.

The material is durable and stitched together really well. Its comfortable to wear even fully loaded with gear. I recommend this for anyone looking for a versatile, durable tackle backpack.