Looking at getting a new way to haul gear in the BW. I have a couple OLD Boundary SealLine 70L bags. The straps SUCK, and there isn't a waist belt. I have done tons of looking and review reading but can't seem to come to a conclusion.

I want to make the portaging easier on myself and my partner (her first trip this year was great) except the crappy pack on long portages... I remembered what it felt like last year.. again

What are you using and why? What would you want if you don't like your current system?

Cooke Custom Sewing (CCS) bags are really good and a fair deal. I travel solo, so I have a smaller one for my food. In this pack, I have an appropriately sized plastic container with lid that I bought at Farm and Fleet. It has a chest and waist strap. It also has a large zippered area/pouch on top that is great for storing things like bug dope and other things. Since the food pack is not that heavy, I usually wear the food pack when I portage the solo canoe, which is a Wenonah Prism.

For my main gear pack, I have a Granite Gear Superior One, which is a great pack that has both a chest and waist strap. It is a big pack, so as I get older, I cram more stuff in it, and it gets heavier most years. Mine is about 25 years old or so and is a canvas type material. Virtually no wear after 25+ trips. Newer ones are a bit lighter with a different construction.

CCS has really good main gear pack bags as well as other gear handling solutions. I believe that Piragis sells CCS products, and I think you can also buy them direct.

Tom

Granite Gear Quetico
CCS Pioneer

Because they work well.

Granite Gear Quetico has the same suspension system as GG’s Meridian family of backpacks. Very comfortable, and interchangeable shoulder straps and hip belts to get the fit right. The Superior One canoe pack is in the same family so I think the same is true, but I’ve never used one because it’s so big, and I have a GG#4 pack for the rare occasions I need a big one. Get a Quetico for your girlfriend and get it fit right, she will notice the difference on portages!

If you liked the drybag style of backpack but want better straps and a padded hip belt you might want to consider the Eureka 75L . It holds plenty of gear, is comfortable to portage, doesn’t get soaked in bilge water, is easier to clean and doesn’t require a liner bag. Mine has held up perfectly but should I ever poke a hole in it, it is easy to fix these bags.

Canoe packs are beloved by many but I wanted more versatility out of my pack. Back home in Alaska I like to use it for more whitewater trips etc.

Cooke Custom Sewing
We have a Wanderer, Rucksack, Pioneer, and Guide. We keep getting them because they are great packs. Made by a canoeist for canoeists.

I use an internal frame backpack that is similar to the CCS Bush Craft Hybrid portage pack.

CCS Food Pack. Stands up by itself (extremely helpful), easy to pack (doesn't bulge), grab things, and very comfortable. These are the only packs I take now.

I am surprised no one said Sealline drybags and packs. They are the standard for wilderness tripping and will guarantee everything stays dry. Sealline Boundary Packs

ockycamper: "I am surprised no one said Sealline drybags and packs. They are the standard for wilderness tripping and will guarantee everything stays dry. Sealline Boundary Packs "

I have found that the Sealine Boundary Packs don't fit as well in a canoe compared to dedicated portage packs. Most folks here love CCS Hybrid packs.

ockycamper: "I am surprised no one said Sealline drybags and packs. They are the standard for wilderness tripping and will guarantee everything stays dry. Sealline Boundary Packs "

Well dry, they are very uncomfortable on your back, imo.

Our teams operate with the idea that we "plan to get wet". In other words, we have turned enough canoes over during the 16 years of bringing 10-20 men up each fall that we now bring packs that are water tight. While the CCS packs may fit in a canoe easier, they will not keep things dry in a capsize or pouring rain without liners.

And to compare apples to apples, if you are spending the amoung of money on a CCS hybrid pack, the link below is the comparable Sealline pack. . . very comfortable and with lots of support. Sealline Pro Dry Pack

I have a Seal Line Black Canyon, the harness system is quite comfy. It's not my primary pack but I use when there's two or more of us in the group and I need the extra room.

I generally use a CCS Pioneer with a Duluth Pack liner and it's pretty much water proof. " Dry Bag"... no, but dry bags can be overkill unless you're on whitewater.

plander: "Granite Gear Quetico
CCS Pioneer

Because they work well."

+1

We used external frame, Internal frame ,and dry bags because its what we had or could borrow when we started BWCA trips. Rented a GG once and liked it, so I bought a used one from an outfitter. Wanted a 2nd but smaller pack so got the CCS. As far keeping stuff dry goes; anything that needs to stay dry goes in its own dry bag inside the pack.

I have nothing novel to add. My CCS Pioneer packs are exactly the right size for my BWCA trips. I usually stay a week or less and move everyday. Inside I use a full size pack liner then also have my sleeping gear and clothing in dry bags for additional insurance. If solo, it is all I need. If traveling with a partner, I bring a second Pioneer pack.

CCS Hybrid packs (Guide, Pioneer, and Explorer) because they are designed for canoeing and portaging. They load into the canoe well, and they ride on your torso well while distributing the load evenly and close to your body for balance. They are as rugged as pack come. I line mine with a Duluth Pack brand thick liner (around $5-7). I place the liner in the pack, fill it, then roll the top over before securing the 3 layer closure on the top of the pack. No moisture penetration and I don't worry about puncturing the pack because it's very tough. Every 5-7 years I may replace the clear plastic liner if needed. I also find that I don't need everything in a water-proof pack. My kitchen gear, tarps, cordage, fuel, wood processing stuff, etc. goes in a pack without a liner. My clothes and sleeping bag are all I'm worried about generally.

ockycamper: "Our teams operate with the idea that we "plan to get wet". In other words, we have turned enough canoes over during the 16 years of bringing 10-20 men up each fall that we now bring packs that are water tight. While the CCS packs may fit in a canoe easier, they will not keep things dry in a capsize or pouring rain without liners.

And to compare apples to apples, if you are spending the amoung of money on a CCS hybrid pack, the link below is the comparable Sealline pack. . . very comfortable and with lots of support. Sealline Pro Dry Pack "

Inside my CCS food pack, is lined with a RBW nylon dry bag. Its gets rolled and then buckled, similar to a Sealine bag, but with the comfort and durability of a CCS product.

I use an old traditional style pack made by the now defunct Portage Pack Co. It’s bare bones and made of a rugged cordura type fabric rather than canvas. It cost me just over $20 and weighs just over 1.5 lb.

The RBW looks like a great value:

https://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/rbw-expedition-canoe-pack.html?region_id=111555¤cy=USD&sku=628504077139&gad=1

Sealline bags have worked fine for me, but I don't do big portages. I also have a basic Granite Gear #4 and it also works fine. Portages better than the Seallines, but I don't really like liners.

I have heard good things about MEC Slogg bags too, and are actually a good value, particularly if you catch a sale. Not sure what customs fees add to the price tag.

shouldertripper: "I have heard good things about MEC Slogg bags too, and are actually a good value, particularly if you catch a sale. Not sure what customs fees add to the price tag. "

I have both the 70 L and 115 L. A lot of Canadians have made the switch to them. They are solid. The 115 litre comes with a reinforced frame. Priced about $200 in US$ but not sure about delivery stateside.

Sealine are ridiculously priced.

Are any of you using Watershed dry bags?
I believe they are superior to a roll-down style dry bag. A roll down is not considered "submersible", and it seems like we always try to stuff more volume in a roll down to the point we really can't get adequate number of rolls to make it even semi-water resistant.
Watershed bags use an impressive, industrial strength zip-lock to seal the bag. We can pack our bags all the way to the top without worrying if we have enough material to execute a roll down, but you can still give it a roll or 2 if desired.
They are available with an optional purge/inflate valve in case you want to manipulate the amount of trapped air in the bag.
The shoulder straps are adequate. I would say the waist belt works but I think they could improve upon it.
The bag material itself is very durable but it is a bit stiff. IMO, it's the zip closure that puts these bags in a class of their own. They come in a duffle style bag, too. Which are nice for non-portage trips.
https://www.drybags.com/bags/waterproof-bags-and-packs/waterproof-backpacks/

TAS58: "Are any of you using Watershed dry bags?
I believe they are superior to a roll-down style dry bag. A roll down is not considered "submersible", and it seems like we always try to stuff more volume in a roll down to the point we really can't get adequate number of rolls to make it even semi-water resistant.
Watershed bags use an impressive, industrial strength zip-lock to seal the bag. We can pack our bags all the way to the top without worrying if we have enough material to execute a roll down, but you can still give it a roll or 2 if desired.
They are available with an optional purge/inflate valve in case you want to manipulate the amount of trapped air in the bag.
The shoulder straps are adequate. I would say the waist belt works but I think they could improve upon it.
The bag material itself is very durable but it is a bit stiff. IMO, it's the zip closure that puts these bags in a class of their own. They come in a duffle style bag, too. Which are nice for ynon-portage trips.
https://www.drybags.com/bags/waterproof-bags-and-packs/waterproof-backpacks/"

Those zip closures work good? Is the pack comfortable on your back? Looks like there is zero padding.

Lawnchair107: "

TAS58: "Are any of you using Watershed dry bags?
I believe they are superior to a roll-down style dry bag. A roll down is not considered "submersible", and it seems like we always try to stuff more volume in a roll down to the point we really can't get adequate number of rolls to make it even semi-water resistant.
Watershed bags use an impressive, industrial strength zip-lock to seal the bag. We can pack our bags all the way to the top without worrying if we have enough material to execute a roll down, but you can still give it a roll or 2 if desired.
They are available with an optional purge/inflate valve in case you want to manipulate the amount of trapped air in the bag.
The shoulder straps are adequate. I would say the waist belt works but I think they could improve upon it.
The bag material itself is very durable but it is a bit stiff. IMO, it's the zip closure that puts these bags in a class of their own. They come in a duffle style bag, too. Which are nice for ynon-portage trips.
https://www.drybags.com/bags/waterproof-bags-and-packs/waterproof-backpacks/"

Those zip closures work good? Is the pack comfortable on your back? Looks like there is zero padding."

The closures are really impressive. We've whitewater canoed and rafted in class 4+ water and never had a single drop of water penetrate. I will say that we've never had a bag submerged or had one in a pinned boat. The closures actually take a technique to open them. You can't just pull them apart because you'll never get them to open...that's how well they seal. The way to open them is to kinda put them in an "S" shape and then pull them apart. When sealed with the cross straps, and side straps buckled, there's no way the seal could develop that "S" shape. I cannot fathom the seal failing. For critical items like sleeping bags, or other things that could be essential in a survival situation, I just don't trust conventional roll closures.

Yeah, there is no paddling in the bag so we are a bit strategic about what we put where in the bags. My tiny 110 pound wife carried them (double portage) and the heavier pack was at least 50 pounds, with no complaints. We double portaged the Cherokee to Sitka route to and from a few weeks ago and she carried them well.
I obviously have not tried/tested all the packs on the market, and I assume there are ones out there with a better suspension system (although the Watersheds are by no means "bad" in that department), but for a truly dry closure, I can't imagine that there is a better bag.

Side note:
The customer service is pretty good too.
Several years ago we bought one of the duffle style bags and we really liked it so we ordered an identical one. They slightly redesigned the 2nd bag and they eliminated a couple of the heavy duty D rings. I messaged them to voice my opinion on their decision. Within a day, they contacted me to discuss it and they insisted on sending us a new (~$200) bag free of charge, and they also insisted we keep the other bag(s)!! Their gesture has made me a loyal customer. We own 5 of their bags.

I move camp often which can require me to set and break camp in the rain. I prefer a non-waterproof backpack that drains and I only waterproof my critical equipment. This allows the water from my wet tarp, tent, chair, camp shoes and such to drain out of the pack and prevents my critical equipment from becoming wet from contact with the wet equipment .

A couple thoughts on drybags and padding. Built in pads certainly add comfort but they also get soggy in the bottom of a canoe and discharge like a sponge on your back. On my packs without built in padding I simply pack them with the softer gear towards my back. I pack my gear the same way each time and have an arrangement that fits me well.

I haven’t used canoe packs, do they typically have added paddling?

Another vote for the CCS Hybrid pack. I have the Pioneer and the Explorer. I will never buy another brand of pack. Just use a construction grade trash bag for a liner.

Most of the comments in this thread center around the CCS packs and how they fit in a canoe, or feel on portages.

We are base campers and don't do much portaging. Our groups use the Sealline type bags because they don't have to be kept under a tarp in camp. When you have 7 men in your camp, that is a lot of packs. We are also mainly hammock campers. If we had CCS type packs they would have to be kept out of the rain under the hammock tarps or the group tarp, which takes up the room dedicated to just allowing the guys to sit and hang out during the rain.

All my gear is in waterproof packs, and the packs are set near the group area but don't have to be under the tarp, taking up seating space.

And as how they sit in a canoe, we find that the Sealline style packs allow for more "shoving" under seats and thwarts then traditional canoe packs do.

^I'll just say I've never had an issue tucking a medium sized portage pack or two under the vestibules of my tent or hammock tarp. Makes it easier to pack away clothes or sleeping gear on wet mornings too.

Big of on the CCS hybrid packs. The Granite Gear versions are very nice too.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations, for the most part it's nice to not have to keep the bag underneath a tarp as mentioned, especially if I bring a hammock setup. I never saw and issue with putting the dry packs in the canoe. The canoe specific packs look nice for most features, the price compares to most dry packs with good shoulder straps and waist belts.

I have more than enough dry bags that I use to separate gear in my bag currently that would suffice in a portage pack. For myself one or two trips a year to the BWCA seems like it's not worth it. Especially is other such bags exists.

I like the idea of two bags. One main pack and a "boat" bag for daily needs. And in such case maybe I could split the gear and "dryness" capabilities between two.

Canoecopia will come and I'll get to see and feel more of the options in person. The only thing is MEC is Canadian and won't be there but Eureka won't either.

Time will tell,

Cheers