Looking for a bag that suits water sports hiking and more? In this Review of Overboard Dry Daysack for kayaking and walking I look at whether this multipurpose bag does what it says on the tin.
Walking with the Overboard Dry daysack
The route a friend and I chose was from Shaugh Bridge to Hexworthy. It is about 11 miles in total with a few detours for the tors and old tin works of Dartmouth.
With the steep start out of the way, and us up onto the moor and out of the forest, we opened up the pace a little. I found that the day sack was both comfortable and easy to carry. Although it was a little small to hold all the kit I’d normally be carrying for a days walking.
Now after so much paddling I think I’ve forgotten how to use my legs effectively for the climbing of hills. 250 meters in and an ascent of around 150m was a wake up my lungs and legs have not had for quite a few years. I made a mental note to add more hiking to my new year’s resolutions!!!
Review of Overboard Dry Daysack
I like the fold-over top for the weather tight closing of the Overboard bags. The individual interior and exterior pockets are great to separate out what you’re carrying, or to keep things to hand, such as your flask, water and food.
It did a really good job of keeping the wet on the outside even though we were exposed to some quite horrendous showers and sleet. Regular rucksacks, can’t always protect against heavy waterfall so it was good to see this bit of kayaking gear doing this before it even got close to the real test.
Also, the extra load capabilities of the daysack came in handy for picking up a souvenir on the way. The bungee cross-string on the back is able to take a large awkward load if not being used for a map and compass.
After a good day’s walking, the daysack was still a pleasure to walk with. The only disappointment of the day was the pub at Hexworthy being closed after much time being spent thinking of a pint to finish the walk.
Kayaking with the Overboard Dry Daysack
After the success I had using the dry daysack on land, I thought I’d put it to test in its main environment. So, on New Year’s Day I decided a quick paddle in my canoe and later in my kayak would let me test the capabilities of it as a dry bag.
Once again I wasn’t disappointed, the dry bag has a removable back support system that makes it more versatile as a dry bag. As it takes up less space with it removed, the bag will flex through the small hatch that I have on my kayak. This also makes it easy to stow and use in the canoe. Best of all you can clip it to the inwale or to the seat.
Because of the wind and chop, there was quite a bit of water inside my open canoe. But throughout this review of Overboard Dry Daysack for kayaking it kept my gear dry.
I think the size is just right for this type of dry bag/day sack. Having used it in some testing conditions, I’d definitely recommend it as essential winter kayaking gear.
