Mustang Survival Highwater 22L Waterproof Pack

Andrew Piotrowski

Overview: At least a few times a week and even more during the warmer months I make the quarter-mile walk down to our local boat ramp with my SUP, PFD, Paddle, and usually an assortment of safety and weather gear. While the walk is short and it might not sound like a lot of gear it’s typically a production to get everything down to the river.

Most of the time I have things like old roll-top drybags (the kind with no carry handles), jackets, and my water bottle strewn over my shoulders and arms. I would be lying if I said I don’t often drop things on the way down.  However, I have found the solution to this issue with the Mustang Survival Highwater pack.

This versatile little pack has already saved me a lot of time and frustration when heading out on paddle adventures. The 22L pack is built like a backpack but is bomber when it comes to keeping things dry. The backpack format allows you to easily carry all of your gear. I now load all of my gear into it, walk down to the ramp, and then secure it to the front of my SUP.

Last week we had a very breezy day out on the Wye river and I wanted to paddle across open water to a local island with a nice beach for lunch. I loaded my lunch, a small camp chair, a light jacket, and safety gear into it. As I paddled the chop splashed up and soaked the pack for a solid hour until I reached the island.

Upon arrival, I was pleased to see dry land and even more pleased that everything in the pack was completely dry. This pack is perfect for any day adventure where your goals involve keeping things dry and easily carrying them. Here is a couple just to name a few:

• An open water fishing day – the best Rockfishing is during the colder months so its necessary to bring many layers. Load them up in the highwater pack and they will stay dry all day long. Plus it frees up your hands to carry rods and tackle when boarding the boat.
• Multi-day Canoe Trips – this pack is perfect for carrying all your personal comfort items like clothing and toiletries. Many times, I have had to camp pretty far from my loaded down canoe and this pack would make carrying your gear a breeze.
• A rainy day at the Zoo – ok this one is not as extreme but humor me here. How many times has your kids class trip to the zoo coincided with that 100% chance of rain forecast? Instead of putting everyone’s cloths, lunch, and phones in the plastic grocery bags load it all into the Highwater pack. Bonus you won’t be carrying around a water logged Jansport all day. 

Mustang Survival Highwater 22L Waterproof Pack Review

Function: as stated above this pack excels at what is suppose to do; keep things dry! I also really like how it carries a load. The straps are comfortable and dry very fast. The sternum strap adds extra security and can be easily adjusted for different body types. 

Weight: The pack feels very durable but does not weight much at all. It allows you to keep the weight down while also having piece of mind that your gear will stay dry.

What I love: There are two additional features that I love about this pack. There is an exterior mesh pocket that wraps around the entire sides and rear of the pack. I found this to be perfect for my water bottle and snacks as it allows for easy access even when its strapped to the front of a SUP. I also really enjoy the buckle system at the opening of the pack. Mustang has added an additional buckle so that the pack can be rolled and clipped above the pack or rolled and secured to the sides of the pack. I found that clipping it above the pack allowed me to add more gear.

What I would add/change: The only thing that I would add is an optional waist strap. However, it is really not needed for 22L and the pack carries very well with out it. 

Price: $109.99

Check it out: https://mustangsurvival.com/collections/waterproof-dry-bags/products/highwater-22l-waterproof-back-pack