Review on Earth Pak Waterproof Backpack Front Zippered Sports & Fitness in Boating & Sailing by Shane Minter

Bought this bag for my son's trip to Costa Rica. We planned on hiking a lot and wanted a bag to carry on the back, something waterproof and generally bug resistant. When it arrived I was very happy with the overall quality. My son, who was planning on bringing a canvas bag with a vintage look, decided to get an Earth Pak for our trip. These bags and their contents were all we had for two weeks of camping and hiking. Thanks to its size, we were able to take our Earth Pak on all our flights and stow it in a luggage rack. We traveled all over Costa Rica for our trip. From Monteverde down the coast to the more remote area of Drake/Corcovado Bay. During our Sierpe to Drake Bay journey you will spend 45 minutes through bumpy, windy and wet conditions on an open boat through the wetlands and around the bay. We sat down with tourists and locals. Most tourists were lugging large canvas bags on wheels, while locals carried essentials in packages LIKE this Earth Pak. In my first shot you can see my bag at my feet on the boat going to Drake Bay. During the 45-minute boat ride, all bags were dangling a few inches deep in the water. When we arrived there were no docks to drive to. You literally jump out of the boat into waist-deep water and the captains throw their bags at you. Some tourists on the boat with us were visibly upset when they were handed their large, wet and now extremely heavy canvas roll bags. My son and I grabbed our bags, put them on our backs, jumped out of the boat into the water and easily walked to our hostel. No more fighting canvas rollers on muddy dirt roads. When we arrived our contents were completely dry and we were able to pull out fresh dry towels and dry pajamas! Helpful Tips: 1) Since this bag is basically a large container, we were REALLY excited to get the packing cubes. The black mesh packing cubes separated my various packed items and made it easy to take out a single item without having to re-stack everything each time. 2) I carried a first aid kit which was kept in a waterproof hard plastic case. This was totally unnecessary as the bag was completely waterproof throughout our 2 week trip - I could have just used a plastic bag and saved weight and space. One minus point: we walked a lot with these bags and hiked with heavy loads. on our backs. I wish the bag had a waist belt system. The shoulder straps were soft enough for our liking and the straps were quite comfortable. The pockets are large enough to be heavy when loaded with our stuff, and a hip belt would be useful on those long hikes to redistribute some of that weight. The bag has held up beautifully throughout our trip! The best purchase we've made! It's been 9 months since our trip and we've been using these bags for hiking, camping, overnight stays and day trips ever since. It's a ridiculously useful size. Recently, a small seam came undone between the small pocket and the large compartment of our yellow bag. This in no way compromises the pack's integrity or waterproofing, which is why I did not contact EarthPak. I have no doubt they will take care of it as a small note in the bag when it arrived mentioned a lifetime warranty. Overall I am very happy with my purchase. Possibly my best Revain find to date. ADVANTAGES: low cost, good quality, durability, waterproof! (We test this over and over again!) - size (small enough to carry around) big enough to pack a lot CONS: - big enough to be heavy - no waist belt - one seam came undone but not a permanent part of the bag , IT'S WORTH IT ALL! BUY THIS BAG.