The best backpacks, luggage, and waterproof cases should make transporting your gear easier while providing you with the features you need to pack for your adventures.
We tested dry bags, duffel bags, rod storage, and more in the last year to give you the best list of packs, luggage, and cases.
These are the best backpacks and storage options for 2020
| Yeti Panga Backpack 28 yeti.com  The Panga goes beyond waterproof. It is truly submersible. In fact while driving over a mountain pass our tester noticed it expanding like a balloon with the increase in altitude. It holds air so well, that if it’s fully zipped closed, it will float even with a lot of stuff inside. That is thanks to the Hydrolok zipper. Panga gear, while not legal for this use, could be used as throwable flotation devices. If you want a small backpack that will absolutely keep your gear dry, this is the one for you–making it one of our picks for best backpacks and storage. You can leave it out in a Situk rainforest torrential 3-day downpour and rest assured, your stuff will be dry. It comes with DryHaul shoulder straps for comfort, and removable waist and chest straps. It has a carry handle on top and numerous lash points on the back and sides. Inside, it is one big compartment with a stowaway mesh pocket and an interior sleeve to house small items. It is 20” tall by 12.5” wide by 7” from front to back.
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| SealLine Pro Dry Pack 120L seallinegear.com  Totally waterproof, built tough, with lots of capacity; this is an ideal pack for transporting your gear to Alaska and then to use it in all weather conditions on any adventure. We especially like using these bags on float trips, since they are bulletproof, waterproof and float, and over the years we have learned how to easily fit 50 pounds of gear into a bag this size. Testers still remember watching one of these packs float down the Kisaralik River and disappear, only to be found floating downriver several miles later.
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| SealLine Bigfork Dry Daypack seallinegear.com  This 30L pack is a good size for a day on the water. The shoulder straps are comfortable and the bag is big enough for plenty of gear, but not so big that it becomes difficult to find items without emptying the bag. The roll-top closure is watertight. We appreciated the integrated bungee system for attaching other items to the pack as well as securing the pack to the boat.
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| Yakima Products TopWater Rooftop Fishing Rod Box yakima.com  The TopWater is a fully enclosed rooftop rod box that will hold up to eight fully-rigged rods with protective foam pads, retention straps and individual rod slots to keep your rods suspended in place, safe, and it prevents the dreaded “rod mating” that happens when rods are transported haphazardly. It is 102” long, 9” deep, and 18” wide. It will hold one-piece rods up to 8 feet long; longer rods can be broken down to fit in the box. There is additional space below where the rods hang to store small items like low profile tackle boxes. No more placing rods in the truck bed and hoping they make it to the destination intact!
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| Tilley ADO6-Intrepid VI Travel Bag tilley.com  This waxed-cotton travel bag features five pockets and plenty of internal space. Our tester got several compliments when toting the bag around Alaska in 2019. The front flap secures with two leather straps, and the bag has a zipper top and a detachable leather shoulder strap. It’s made well.
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| Plano Double-Sided Adjustable Tackle Organizer Large planomolding.com  This box provides storage on two sides and comes with a variety of removable dividers so that you can customize the size of the compartments. On one trip we used large compartments to transport a variety of saltwater jigs. On another, we shrunk the average compartment size and used it to carry spinners for coho and a variety of beads for trout. The adjustability makes this a very useful storage system.
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| Nanuk 918 Medium Series Case nanuk.com  With interior dimensions of 14.9” x 9.8” x 8.6”, we used this case to transport camera and audio gear. It works well. The PowerClaw latching system functions smoothly, and the case keeps out water and debris, which are critical aspects when transporting sensitive electronic equipment into the bush. We like that it is built with stainless-steel hardware and that it accepts a padlock.
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| Plano XL ProLatch StowAway planomolding.com  The XL ProLatch StowAway features a large, open compartment that is 14” long by 14.375” wide by 3.25” deep. What we really like about it is it’s a great container to house hard-to-store gear for specific fisheries. Need a box to hold bags of halibut grubs? How about another to house your flashers and bumpers? This box is a great solution for these kind of situations. What’s more, they fit in boat seat boxes. Organize fishing gear for specific fisheries in the boxes, store them on a shelf in the garage, then grab the ones you need for the specific fishery you’re hitting. |