Several months ago, I bought myself a Watershed® Ocoee Dry Duffel Bag from Go Kayaking North West, and I honestly think it’s the best step forwards in equipment I’ve made since I moved from separates to a drysuit; here’s why:

Everything is Now in One Place*

Coaches say this all the time on Rescue courses, but it really does help to have all your emergency kit in one, easily accessible place – now if anything happens on the river, I can just grab my Ocoee and have my First Aid Kit, Small Group Shelter, Phone, Simple Repair Kit, Warm Hat, Survival Bag, Head Torch, Snacks, Warm Drink and Car Keys on me for whatever the situation is.

Better still, if I’m not near my boat or I’ve already got my hands full (metaphorically or literally), I can just ask someone else to ‘go grab the orange bag from the back of my boat’ – no long lists, no confusion, no faff.

(*My more ‘immediate’ rescue kit like a Knife, Whistle, Sling, Pin Kit and Throwline are usually even closer to hand in my BA pockets or elsewhere on my person.)

It’s INCREDIBLY Dry

During a canoeing trip on the Spey, I had my Ocoee under the seat with Waterproofs, Suncream, Lunch, Drinks, a Camera, Snacks and a few other bits in; despite plenty of splashes, some rain, being left outside overnight and a fair few hasty closures before hitting a bigger rapid and getting swamped, there wasn’t once a single hint of moisture inside the bag over the whole 3 days.

There’s a great story on Watershed’s blog about an Ocoee that was lost in a river for 3 months, you’ll be amazed at the ending…

The Build Quality is Reassuringly Reliable

The bag fits snugly under the seat in an open boat, and even though it’s been dragged in and out of there many times against the gritty bottom of the canoe, as well as regularly being stuffed in the back of my kayak and yanked out again by one of the straps, there isn’t even a hint of wear or weakness.

The US Military use these too, so I’m sure there’s plenty more than just canoeing and kayaking that it’ll withstand! Much better than worrying about your bag being plagued with miniature holes if you treat it roughly.

It’s Just the Right Size

Being duffel style, the opening of the bag (measuring around 33cm) is along it’s longest side, so it’s super easy to see exactly what’s inside and get to the bigger items without having to take everything else out too. The Ocoee is also an ideal size to carry all the essentials and still fit in the back of your kayak (it’s around 15L capacity and measures roughly 23 x 41 x 20cm), so you don’t have to fuss with lots of smaller bags or part-fill a bigger bag and then struggle with hundreds of folds on the closure and having to squeeze out loads of excess air.

Watershed also do a bigger Chattooga Dry Duffel, and an even bigger Yukon Dry Duffel, as well as loads of other cool things like Padded Dry Duffels for Cameras and Kayak Airbags that double as Storage Bags.

It’s Really Easy to Carry

The integrated carry handle feels strong and is super comfy to hold, which is great as the bag could get heavy if fully loaded with camera kit. The bag itself only weighs a little over half a kilogram, which isn’t unreasonable compared to other ‘heavy-duty’ duffels.

If you’re filling the Ocoee full of heavy equipment, carrying it for long distances or need your hands free, you can purchase a separate Shoulder Strap which is a great addition!

Plenty of attachment points on the bag mean you can easily mount the shoulder strap where you like, or attach the bag to something else you’re carrying, as well as being able to easily secure the bag in your boat so it won’t float off during a swim or if you get swamped.

It’s Highly Visible

Ok, this may not be an exclusive feature of Watershed bags alone, but it’s still good to know that if I put it down anywhere and forget where it is, the light fades or worse still it floats off, it won’t be too hard to find again thanks to the bright orange colour.

You can also get the Ocoee in Blue and Clear, or if you don’t want to be seen, it comes in Camo, Black or Brown too!

It’s Easy to Use

The ZipDry® Closure is really quick and simple to seal, but incredibly effective; it does need lubing regularly though to make sure it closes fully. This type of closure is much more reassuring than a fold closure, and you can fold it down too for extra peace of mind; it’s also easier to leave a little gap for squeezing air out.

Better still, you can get the Ocoee with an inflate/purge valve, so you can get all the air out to make fitting the bag in the back of a kayak easier, or so you can ensure you have enough air in the bag for it to float if you’re canoeing or rafting.

Also…

Another thing that really impressed me about Watershed’s products was the option to order them without packaging, which not only saves you money, but is also even more environmentally friendly than recycled packaging.

The Watershed Ocoee is absolutely amazing for canoeing, kayaking, rafting, general outdoors use or anything; it might look a little like a handbag, but with all the advantages it brings, I couldn’t care less!

Have you ever used one?