Submersible means submersible
The HydroLok zipper with its U-Dock terminal seals watertight, and the ThickSkin shell — laminated high-density nylon, the same shell the Panga duffels are built from — shrugs off punctures, abrasion, and boat decks. Zip it shut and the pack can go under and come back up with everything inside still dry.
What changes versus the duffel is the carry: this is a backpack, with padded DryHaul shoulder straps and a top grab handle, so a full load rides on your back and your hands stay free. It holds 28 litres, measures about 20 × 12.5 × 7 inches, weighs 3.9 lbs empty, has QuickGrab lash points for clipping on gear like the Sidekick Dry, stowaway mesh pockets inside, and carries a 5-year warranty. I have put YETI bags through years of abuse, and the Panga line is the real thing.
What I like
- Truly waterproof — submersion-proof, not splash-proof.
- Bombproof materials and hardware.
- Real shoulder straps: the load rides on your back, hands free.
- Zippered access beats digging through a roll-top dry bag.
What I do not
- C$425 is serious money for a backpack.
- It weighs 3.9 lbs empty before you pack a thing.
- The waterproof zipper is stiff — the bag's one real caveat. It wants an occasional dab of lubricant and a firm final tug, and it never quite becomes a one-hand job.
- Total overkill if you just need a commuter pack.
The warranty is field-tested, too: my first one started fraying slightly, and YETI replaced it — no problem, no runaround.
The verdict
If your gear absolutely must stay dry — open boat, roof rack in a downpour, deluge country — and you want it on your back instead of in your hand, this is the standard everything else is judged against.
Price is C$425.00 at yeti.ca and may change.
Related reviews: YETI Camino Carryall 35 for the everyday carry · YETI Sidekick Dry for the small sealed kit · YETI Rambler 20 oz Tumbler — the cup that rides along on all of it.
Tested: Both — in the city and up north.
My rating: 9/10