Storage: Backpacks, Coolers, Dry Bags, etc.

Backpacks

My husband and I are both big fans of Osprey Bags.  I have a Sirrus 36 which is good for about a two day camping trip – though I’m sure it could go longer depending on your packing.  I just purchased the Daylite in the Ruska Purple that matches (yay!).  It will be perfect as an airplane carry-on, short day hikes, trail runs, and if I need more storage, it attaches to the Sirrus.

My husband has the Osprey Kestrel 32.  He’s thinking about getting an Exos to have more pockets and a little more room.

Coolers

Every summer we’d get a new cooler, something you could buy easily and cheaply.  We ended up with three or four rotting coolers in our backyard that never seemed to get clean.  The worst was the cube one – it had wheels which we thought would be great for transporting, but it was taller than it was wide so the stuff on the bottom was very difficult to get to once you had ice in it.

So, we recently purchased a Yeti Tundra 65.  It was expensive, but man, it works.  Everything stays cold, access is easy, and while heavy when loaded, we’ve never had an issue picking it up to put it in the truck bed.  Ours is seafoam green to match my Yeti Colster and Coffee Mug.  The Tundra’s name is Yoda.

Note: The Colster and Coffee Mug are both outstanding.  Keeps my beers cold and my coffee hot (I often have to take the top off the coffee mug just to let it cool down first).  The Colster, though, keeps things so cold that you might find yourself drinking a few more than you expected.  Which isn’t always so bad.

Dry Bags

We keep a dry bag in our kayaks with a towel, sunscreen, and clothes.  Sometimes I don’t even need one if the run is quick, but other times chilling on the bank is part of the trip so I like to have a towel to sit on.

I use a 20L dry bag from Field & Stream, and it works great.  I swamped the other day in my kayak and everything was dry.

Dry Boxes

Pick up a dry box especially if you want easy access to your phone and don’t want it to get wet.  There are a variety of sizes, and you can get more than one if you have room in your boat.  These are cheap and can be found at Wal Mart, Dick’s, etc.

Carabiners

Put a ‘biner on it!  Get a bunch of carabiners to lock your dry bag, dry box, water bottle, etc. to your kayak, canoe, backpack, etc.  These are essential and useful!