We love the new Simms Dry Creek Flats Pack
. It’s perfect for walking the flats of South Andros. Throw in your fly box, leaders and tippet, clip on your pliers, and you’re good to go.
What’s to like about the pack?
- Zippers on dry packs are hard to get right. This one keeps out rain and boat spray, is all plastic to avoid corrosion, and most importantly it actually pulls easily.
- The rounded shape makes it low-profile and comfortable.
- It’s not too big – you really don’t need to bring a lot with you when you’re walking a flat.
- The built-in water bottle / pliers holsters are really handy.
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Hi: I noticed a lot of people pushing the Simms Dry Creek Flats pack lately. I have a different opinion of them after using several over the last three years. Basically they are OK most of the time when (at most) one experiences rain showers. However during a two-week trip to Christmas Island last year, I fished for approximately 6 days in what could only be described as a torrential downpour. Even all of the roads were flooded. The pack leaked water every day and I had to pull everything out of the bag each day ….. And then pour up to 1/2 inch of water out. This was an extreme test and I’m afraid that pack failed miserably! I did see one Simms pack (one of the guides had it) with a zipper and rolled top….. The best pack that Simms doesn’t make anymore! I still use that pack, but only when “water-proof” isn’t necessary.
I did find a small one marketted by Jim Teeny that has the roll top. So far, it seems promising.
Best regards, Frank
Hi Frank, thanks a lot for stopping by and filling us in. I agreed with you on the roll top bags – that is the only way to have a bag that really winds up being waterproof. Almost any zipper is going to leak eventually. Zippers are great for ease of access, but roll tops are the way to definitely keep everything dry.
I use a waterproof flats pack made by Sagebrush Dry. They are located in Alaska. Their packs use the “T-Zip” waterproof zipper and I also use their backpack when in a flats boat to keep my camera dry. the zipper is a little stiffer, but it is waterproof. Most packs are water resistant, these are waterproof(submersible)
In the situation Frank described above, it seems difficult to distinguish between a leaky pack and rain entering the bag when opening and nosying around in there during a 6-day downpour. I’d take my stuff out of a roll-top at the end of a day like that just to be sure.