Five New Deck Bags by Jonathan Hanson Deck bags can function as a secure repository for a two-way radio, a few extra meteor flares, sometimes a parachute flare, or even an EPIRB, along with things of much more frequent but less pressing need, such as snacks and water.

Another paddler - a complete stranger, in fact - once described me as "bristling" with safety gear. While I thought that was a bit much ("festooned," maybe, but hardly "bristling"), I certainly do consider myself to be safety-conscious - which is partly why I've always been a strong proponent of deck bags. Although I always keep several meteor flares, a strobe, a mirror, and knife on my PFD, I also insist on having my two-way radio, a few extra meteor flares, sometimes a parachute flare and even, depending on circumstances, an EPIRB, within easy reach. A deck bag functions as a single, secure repository for this stuff, along with things of much more frequent but less pressing need, such as snacks and water.

For years I used a simple and inexpensive nylon deck bag that kept my gear together and readily accessible, but did nothing to keep water out. Anything inside that could be damaged by moisture was in a ziplock bag or waterproof case. This worked okay, but it was awfully fussy at times. If I wanted, say, the bird guide to which I refer frequently, I had to open the deck bag, fish out the ziplock containing the book and open that, and stuff the ziplock back in the bag so it wouldn't blow away, by which time the black-browed albatross I swore I'd spotted was long gone. In addition, while the deck bag didn't do much to keep water out, it seemed remarkably efficient at keeping it in. One dumping wave early in the morning was sufficient to keep the contents of the bag damp all day.

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