North Water Expedition Deck Bag

This review is a comparison of the Northwater and the NRS expedition deck bags. The Northwater is tough Canadian designed stuff, built the same way. Simple, basic, foolproof, no frills. When you're gearing up for a heavy expedition, you want tough and reliable, even at the cost of a little extra weight. The Northwater is heavier than the NRS, but it's the kind of heaviness that builds confidence. Potentially, this bag will look better after two years of tough wear than it looks out of the box. It fit the deck of my CD Solstice GT more securely than the NRS, but the security straps at the cockpit-end of the bag were too short to reach the deck lines of my kayak, which has a 24" beam. It would be easy to extend the back two straps however, so as to correct this minor issue. The Northwater velcro attachment to the bungie lines is very secure and there would be few non-emergency circumstances in which you'd need better attachment than the velcro provides, without using the supplementary straps. In comparison to the lighter NRS which has a too-light vinyl sheet to give the bag shape, the vinyl here, like the bag, is a tank, capable of resisting abuse. There is a small "hood" that shields the main zipper from torrential rains, a nice touch. The NRS had a better mesh pocket and better zipper pulls than the Northwater, but you could buy those separately and change out the ones that come standard on the Northwater. The aesthetics and "feel" of the Northwater are those of the naked Northwest, overcast skies, rain, fog, rocky beaches, squirting clams at low tide, big swells, heavy winds and chop . . . This bag would be good for that. When you take out the vinyl shape sheet, the bag lays flat in the hold without taking up much space. I would use a 12" x 20" Opsak inside to waterproof sensitive stuff, but you could use small dry bags. The compartment itself isn't waterproof. My only criticism is that the front mesh pocket needs to be deeper.

Very roomy. wish it was a tad larger.

This deck bag is very roomy so was perfect for the week long Kayak trip in the San Juan Islands last week. It stays dry inside with light spray and splash. Waves breaking over the bow which covered the bag did let some water inside as expected but bag did not totally flood. velcro attachment system worked fine but I strapped the bag down on each side just in case of a capsize. Lots of attachment points make clipping on items easy. shock cord on top worked great for holding waterproof charts. Did not get in the way of paddle swing. A great bag if you are on a longer trip or have significant gear to store on deck.

The North Water Expedition Deck Bag is a great bag. I have tried others. It's easy to put on, holds a ton, including my big SLR, and is reasonably water resistant. I haven't soaked it yet! I have bought it for a few of my friends.

This bag is just what I was looking for. I have a current Designs 'Storm' and it fits very well. It provides ample storage for items that you need quick access to while paddling. Only draw back is that it is a little pricey, but it is the most functional and best fitting deck bag available.