So I was trying to come up with a good way to carry my gear on “boating only” packrafting expeditions and day trips. I wanted it to stay dry and attach securely to my boat. I started thinking about a dry bag that contoured to the bow of my Yak and attached to all four grab loops on the front of my boat. So I designed a basic roll top dry bag that did exactly that. It fits the yak perfect and will hold enough gear and food for up to 4-5 days (more if you pack light, and depending on how many people you have to share the group gear and food with). It is not designed for trips that involve hiking, but it is not that heavy if you did have to carry it. I just got it finished, check out the pictures below.
The benefit that I see over the traditional “pack strapped to the boat” idea is that it is more stream lined and there are no straps to cause foot entrapment danger. It is also much more secure on the boat than a pack.
It is kind of a niche thing, but more and more I find myself going for my Alpacka instead of my hard shell boat for river only trips.
Let me know what you think.