It lies in the nature of fishing, that you are permanently exposed to water. The water not always stays below as in wading. Sometimes the water crashes into your boat as you are trying to tackle the next rapid, as you are battling the surf in hope for a GT, or as you get drenched by the rain that triggers the salmonrun.
It is no surprise, that waterproof bagpacks are becoming increasingly popular. Renown brands such as Patagonia, Simms and Fishpond have developped specialized products to suit the specific needs of fishermen worldwide.
The German brand Ortlieb is rather known for its biking- and kayaking equipment, but for some time now, they have also been producing waterproof bagpacks.
The quality of Ortlieb products is outstanding. I have been owning bags for cycling and kayaking for 20 years, and they still do their job as they did on their first day. All Ortlieb products are entirely manufactured in Germany, so if you ever need repair or replacement, they can easily be contacted. Needless to say, that environmental standards and work ethics are probably far above those brands, producing in the Far East.
For a few weeks now, I own an Atrack 25 bagback to use it in fishing.
The quality of Ortlieb products is to me beyond question, I did have some doubts though, if it would suit my needs in fishing, i.e. if it is suited to wear while casting, if the contents can be accessed quickly and if it has enough flexibility for various attachments such as lashes for a leader spool, nippers, asf. My trip to Papua New Guinea was to become the ultimative test under extreme tropical saltwater conditions.
Description
Colors and sizes
The Atrack comes in three colors and three sizes. I chose the 25L-variant, as I like to go light but still take an extra jacket along, as well as some snacks and plenty to drink. Regarding color, I chose “mayfly-yellow”, which Ortlieb calls “mustard” 😉
There are 25 L, 35 L and 45 L variants available, and they all come in signal red, black or mustard.
On the back
The shoulder straps can be adjusted according to the size of the wearer, a belt strap and a breast strap secure it tightly without squeeze. Two metal rods, probably aluminum, add stability and thereby aid the ventilation of your back.
Pockets
The inside of the Atrack has 4 zippered pockets as well as a key holder. All is well made and ideally suited for your fishing stuff. Small items and your money purse, phone, powerbank, batteries and documents all fit in there perfectly.
On the outside of the bagpack are two mesh pockets on either side. One on each side of the bagpack itself, and one each on the belt strap. I store my camera and my gorillapod tripod in the ones on the side of the bagpack, and these pockets would also take a small drinking bottle. The other mesh pockets on the belt strap have a zipper and are the fastest to access. So there go things you need fast or often… honestly I personaly rarely use these, but sometimes put my keys in there, a nipper or my suncreme.
Extras
The outside of the Atrack has many lashes in which you can hang, tie or clip whatever you want. They are completely flat and hardly visible when not in use, so that you don’t have to fear to tangle your line in these. Four blueish straps come with the Atrack, with these you can strap larger items to the outside of the bagpack. I used them so far only to hold by flipflops, but you could strap a rod tube in them (lower end in one of the meshbags). For my personal taste, these straps are a little too long, so in principle, when casting in heavy wind with the flyline flying around, it could tangle in these straps. So if you fear this, remove them, which is fast and easy to do. I left them in place though, because they look nice 🙂
The bagpack comes with a built-in port for a hydration pack, a great advantage over all other waterproof bagpacks from specialized fishing-brands. The port can be closed tightly when not in use, and the plug is secured to the inside so you cannot lose it.
In general, the Atrack showns many little details which are well thought-out and I promise, you will be surprised more than once if you ever have the chance to use one.
The watertight TIZIP zippers are highend zippers also made in Germany, and to my knowledge the only zippers worldwide which are completely watertight. Simms, Patagonia and Fishpond use them aswell in their products. Noteworthy is the positioning between the shoulder straps, which allows to open the bagpack almost like a travel bag on the complete length.
Testing the Atrack 25
I had already used the Atrack prior to my trip in my home region. Here I used it in ice and snow before taking it to the tropical heat of Papua New Guinea.
In every situation everything in the bagpack stayed completely dry, no matter if I threw it in the snow by my homewaters, fished in the surf on some tropical islands or when waves crashed over the sides of our dugout canoe. What a pleasure when you have a dry shirt or a towel in these cases!
The TIZIP zipper is surprisingly smooth to open, and the “travelbag-like” opening from the backside is something I do not want to miss anymore!
When you are wading and therefore cannot take off the bagpack, you simply let go of the shoulder straps, and while it is still sitting on your hip with the belt strap, pull it infront of you. You can even lay down your rod on it, and use both hands to tie on a new fly or open the bagpack and get your chocolate bar for an energy refill.
The entire carrying system with shoulder straps and all, is very comfortable even after hours. In fact you hardly feel the bagpack after some time, and it doesn’t hinder your casting in any way.
For me, and maybe for other fishermen as well, a grip on the topside of the bagpack is important, and this is something the Atrack has not! I need it so clip in my net and to throw the bagpack from one place to the other, lift it into my car asf.
To solve this, I used a grip from an old notebook-bag and clipped it to the upper side of the shoulder straps.
Especially for saltwater flyfishing, I added loops to secure a second rod, instructions on how to do this are available on Youtube.
The bagpack also proved to be a great carrion luggage for the flights, and for a stroll through Singapore on the layover.
Result
An outstanding waterproof backpack of superior quality, perfectly suited for fishing. With extraordinary configuration (hydration port, lashes, TIZIP) it stands out from other manufacturers and is even “made in Germany”! At a price of roughly 265US$ it is much cheaper than comparative products from other manufacturers.
Further informations from the manufacturer can be found here: https://ortliebusa.com/product/atrack/