Rockagator GEN3 RG-25 40 Liter Waterproof Dry Bag Backpack

I am very impressed with this bag. It is comfortable, packs well, and is definitely waterproof (It has spent numerous days in the rain since I purchased it). If I had one "recommendation" for the manufacturer, I would make the logo a bit less obtrusive. I certainly recommend the bag to others!*** 1 Year Update ***I originally bought and tested this bag with the intention of using it on my more extensive hiking/camping trips.. About 2 weeks after buying it I met a homeless man who quickly became a friend. I gave him this backpack as I knew he was going to need something that was waterproof outside in the elements 24x7. Besides, what better torture test for this pack. Over the last year the backpack has done very well. He is at our house tonight visiting and I decided to snap some pics and do a follow up to my original review. Overall the backpack still looks great. The side pouches are still doing well and he keeps a bottle of water in each one (refilled daily). The only "failures" he has seen is that the main belt buckle cracked and had to be replaced. Also, one of the mounting points for shoulder straps is starting to pull apart. I am going to use some epoxy to fix this mounting point which should keep it going for quite some time. Given that this backpack has seen 24x7 exposure to the elements for a year now, I am pretty impressed with what is sitting in front of me. I think it's important to note that we live in Florida where the Sun as much as the Rain will destroy most materials that are left outside 24x7.See for yourself in the pictures..

I went with the "covert" version because it blacks out all tags/reflective bits/etc and it is definitely well made. This is like most dry bags in that you roll the top down 3+ times, fold it around and use the clips to hold it in place. This particular bag also has a velcro strap that goes over the top, from back to front as another method to make sure that tightly rolled top doesn't come open/etc.Some things that may not be listed about the bag in the specs:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It's made from 600D waterproof material (PVC/Tarp like material). The Connection points are made from 1000D material. Inside there is another pocket that will fit large packs of batteries or other items.For those who may want to use an insert for the bag, I have a condor pack insert and it fits inside just fine with a good amount of space left over.Overall impressions:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It feels comfortable to wear, has a high chest strap and a lower strap so that it doesn't go bouncing all around/over as you walk/run/bike/etc and another reinforced rubber handled strap on top. The back pocket is closed via zipper and as on all of these types of bags, it is not totally waterproof (no zipper ever really is) but if you are familiar with the kind of bag then that should be no surprise; this is not a drawback or a negative part of this bag, simply the reality of what it is (and its like this on 99.9999% of all other dry bags with back zipper/pockets as well).The back has a literal ton of attachment points via the 16 loops on the back (you can see those along both sides of the elastic cord that zig/zags along the back of the bag). It also has 2 nylon/plastic rings at the top of those two lines of loops to attach things to as well.It has two mesh side pockets that will fit a water bottle or other items.When properly closed, this bag is definitely waterproof and unless you try to go diving with it to try to find Nemo, it will keep the things inside of it dry. There are a few videos on YouTube showing this bag in a shower, dunked in a stream/etc but again, if you are familiar with bags of this type (top rolling close type) then you know these bags do work, when you close them properly.What makes this bag different from others?* It's made from tougher material. Some other bags are made from 500d, and even some out of much cheaper 300-400d. This is 600D with 1000D connection points.* I contacted the company that made the bag and in about 10 minutes, I had a reply about a question about the bag, they are clearly passionate and care about their product.*It's blacked out. No bright reflectors, no huge logos, no crazy colors, no eye-catching patterns.*It has a very good feature set. Many of these bags don't have much in the way of external connectors and only one side pocket. This has ample places to connect gear to the bag, securely. The internal pocket is well placed, and the rest is just a big space for YOU to customize. Other bags have crazy pockets or dividers that make it hard to re-configure. This bag lets you set it up how you need it each time.Overall, a great bag and one I'll be recommending to friends/etc, though, I probably won't have to brag on it much, it really speaks for itself.

Update January 2016 - One of the side mesh pockets has broken after such a (in my opinion) short period of time. I did not even overstuff it, just a simple water bottle I put in there. Every other part of this bag is robust, I don't understand why the skimping on the mesh pockets. I would have been better off buying a bag from a big company than bothering with this. Quite disappointed.ORIGINAL REVIEW: I purchased this bag as I often find myself caught out in less than perfect weather on my travels and I normally carry everything around with me wherever I go. I was going to purchase an Ortlieb backpack but decided to go out on a limb and purchase this bag as it was a good price and seemed to have more features. I took this bag with me on my trip to Europe for the past month and it did not disappoint. It kept my electronics and clothing dry during the duration of time I spent in London out on a bike, and it also endured being checked in and being thrown around by baggage handlers at the airport. The reflective strip on the back of the bag was definitely a plus in terms of being extra visible to cars in urban areas (especially when cycling!). The padding is very well done as well, it almost feels effortless carrying this bag considering it isn't internal/external frame based.As a plus, I found that if I packed this bag to it's maximum capacity and strapped down the two side clips it fit perfectly within most airline carry on dimensions.I rated this bag 4 stars rather than 5 for a few minor problems that I had with it:1. I did not realize that the bag was smaller at the bottom and got wider towards the top before I purchased it, this is something that I am not used to and it was slightly annoying as I constantly felt it seemed deceptively smaller than it actually looked. Also, because of this the bag is less likely to be able to stand on it's own in my experience, it just kept on falling over when I would put it on the ground because of it's seemingly high center of gravity. Now that I own the bag I can see this is obvious from the picture but I couldn't tell before I purchased it. (Personal preference I guess).2. The exterior pocket is ridiculously deep and inaccessible if the bag is full to the brim like I have it packed normally. Since the bag is understandably tough to have access to anything in the main compartment, the zipper pocket is a nice touch but I found it useless since I had to squeeze my hand in there and get all the way to the bottom to grab anything I needed (e.g. Passport).3. I have two bottles that are always in the mesh pockets on either side of the bag, I'm not sure if it is a defect or they are just not so robust but these mesh pockets seem like they are going to become detached from the bag at any moment. I'm not sure if it's the way that they are attached to the bag but they seem flimsy. Time will tell if they hold up. On another note the bungee part of the bag seems extremely strong and robust.