This $300 waterproof backpack from Yeti pays for itself over time we tested it on land and sea,

• Yeti's 28-liter Panga is a compact little knapsack that can withstand it all.
• I've had it on boats and mountains, and in oceans and streams, over the course of the past year, and not a drop of water has passed through it.
• Here's who it's for, and why it, along with the SideKick Dry removable pouch ($50), which attaches to the Panga 28 as well as all other Yeti bags and soft coolers, is worth the relatively hefty ($300) price tag.

The Yeti Panga series, which includes this 28-liter backpack, isn't for everyone: It's a tad on the pricey side, and it exudes a highly utilitarian air that doesn't exactly scream "style." But for those of us who put our gear through its paces, I put forth that it's bordering on a bare necessity.

I've bought more affordable zippered and roll top dry bags that have worked perfectly well until they haven't. Whether they met their demise by usual wear and tear or things like sharp tools (e.g., pliers or fishing hooks) is no matter: None of them are with us anymore. While the sum of their exact price tags, along with my grammar school arithmetic, escapes me, I'm willing to put my bottom dollar on the likelihood that they ring somewhere to the tune of $300 or more.

Notes from afield

I've been using the Panga 28 backpack for about a year now — a year that has seen me fishing through fall nor'easters in an open (uncovered) boat, hunting and trekking through wind, rain, and snow, and jetting around the globe. My younger, even more ruthless brother took it camping (without permission) and seems to have dropped it into a fire (I don't know what else would explain the charcoal stains that were all over it for months afterward).

But I've primarily used it on my small fishing boat between the months of May and November, which means everything from arthritic wind and rain to oppressive heat, back to rain, freezing rain, and even the occasional bit of snow in late fall.

Again, not a drop of water has made its way past the zipper of the Panga or the magnetic strips that seal the SideKick Dry. I've sat on it (with the SideKick Dry detached), drenched it, and thrown it, though by looking at it, you probably couldn't tell.

On specs

One of the first things the designers of "waterproof" bags often miss focusing on is hardware. Our garage is a graveyard of maimed and/or obliterated backpacks (yes, we're pack rats). The zipper corrodes, the buckles and straps give way or seize up, and you end up having a lot of work to do between trips. Then within about two years, everything seems to give up its ghost one way or another.

The Panga 28 is a little heavy at 3.9 pounds, especially for a backpack that's only 20 inches wide, 12.5 inches tall, and 7 inches deep, but then, that's a small price to pay for absolute imperviability. That weight can be blamed on the high-density nylon and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is not only abrasion-resistant but grease- and oil-proof. I've found that no matter how bad the stain or mark (be it from charcoal, dirt, ink, and even fish blood), it eventually comes out.

The custom metal buckles on the straps are an outstanding touch, too, and where other backpacks often fall short. Even the best plastic wears brittle and cracks over time, which is an issue I've encountered on weeks-long treks in the High Sierra while using another top-dollar backpack. No, it wasn't a fun hike back down. The Panga 28 does come with optional chest and waist straps that include plastic buckles, but the bag itself is small enough that it won't bear enough weight to cause them to give way. I'd also argue that you probably don't need them all that much anyhow.

The "Hydrolok" zipper is the same jagged-toothed zipper that comes on Yeti's Hopper coolers, if you're familiar with those, and it's just as tough. Just be careful around it, it will scrape up your hands and arms a bit. The U-lock system, which is a pain in the neck to use until you start naturally giving it a swift pull, is the keystone to the whole operation though. Make sure that's sealed, and there's hardly a chance on earth any water is getting into this thing.

Other features are fairly spartan: There's a mesh pocket on the inside for quick-grab personal items, or whatever fits in there, an inner sleeve to fit folders or magazines (or a tablet or e-reader) and a hook and loop fastener area above that if you're into fastening things like your phone in place.

Lastly, there are lash points galore for things like water bottles, mess kits, the SideKick Dry, of course, and even a tent or sleeping bag, I suppose, along with equally sturdy handles on three sides of the bag. I've found these to all be exceptionally handy features, and I like that I can fasten and unfasten the SideKick Dry as I please, which makes the bag much slimmer.

The bottom line

As with anything you might consider to be "overbuilt," this backpack  isn't for everyone. If all you're worried about is a few drops of rain on your way across campus or while you're waiting for a city bus, you probably don't need something like this. Then again, if you're carrying thousands of dollars in electronics through the rain, it might be worth it.

But if you spend a good deal of time outdoors, especially with equipment that doesn't do so well with H2O, the Yeti Panga 28 (or any of the Panga Duffels, which I use for longer, even wetter outings involving dive gear, wetsuits, and waders) will probably pay for itself over time.

Pros: airtight, waterproof, submersible, and all-around disaster-proof

Cons: pricey, Yeti doesn't offer a slightly larger size (as of yet)

Buy the Yeti Panga 28 Backpack from Yeti for $299.99

Buy the Yeti Sidekick from Yeti for $49.99

Shop all bags (including the Panga line) at Yeti

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