Outdoor Research Dry Peak Bagger

The Dry Peak Bagger is an excellent 'extra' pack to bring along on those long winter hikes where your main pack is heavy — filled with all the necessary emergency gear. I use this ultralight waterproof pack to stuff with essential gear at the base of a summit resulting with a much lighter pack for the steep push to the top.

This pack has been a little 'gem' in both winter and summer. In the winter it is a must to keep your extra gear dry and using this as a 'summit' pack works perfectly. It is constructed well and has a comfortable fit.  The roll top closure makes access quick and easy.  The emergency whistle on the sternum strap is an added plus.

When paddling in the summer this pack is extremely handy especially on portages giving you free hands to carry your canoe/kayak.  The exterior pocket works well to hold small items such as gloves, sunglasses, etc. 

I have used this pack for several years now and it has far succeeded my expectations.

It's kind of a specialized pack, but if you need these features, it's a great product.

Firstly, it's waterproof. Fully waterproof, that is, with a roll-top closing system just like the kind used in dry bags for kayaking, canoeing, etc. It's not just water resistant. This thing will keep your stuff dry in a total downpour; or submerged in a stream/lake/ocean.

Secondly, it's light. Feather light. By itself, it weighs almost nothing.

Thirdly, it actually has some nice, thoughtful features. The people who designed it thought it through. It has one main pocket, and a double-duty exterior pocket - with a tube/strap setup designed to secure an ice axe.

On the down side, its lightness is due to the fact that it is made from very light fabric. So, I would not expect this pack to last a long time. I would certainly worry about subjecting it to a lot of abuse. I doubt it would hold up to prolonged scraping against rock faces. So I'm going to be careful with it. It will only be waterproof as long as I keep if from getting ripped/punctured.

And, it has no suspension system to speak of. The shoulder straps are pretty comfortable as long as you are not carrying anything heavy. There's nothing in the way of a back-pad. There's no waist strap. We're definitely talking minimalist here.

I've only used it a little bit so far; and so far I love it. Keep in mind its limitations; use it for specialized situations and it's superb. It's even relatively inexpensive. Small, light loads (15 lbs or so)? wet conditions? Little chance of sharp, rough contact? Great!