Looking for a nice waterproof portage pack and came across the SealLine brand. Does anyone have any of these and what do you think of them?

I had a couple of them when we first started canoeing. They were the large 115 L ones. We used them for several years before finally getting rid of them. I got frustrated with them as they are a pain to load due to the length of the neck. You almost have to stick your whole head and upper body down in them to get anything packed in or out of the bag. Plus I alaways had to think about how to pack them so I had padding at the back of the pack so nothing was poking me when portaging and so I had some padding against my back. So we switched over to Kondos Portage packs. A lot easier to pack and unpack. Plus just easier to carry too. Although they may be somewhat waterproof they do develop holes over time and I had to patch the vinyl several times.

I have a brand new, in the box, blue SealLine pro pack 115L that I could maybe part with if interested. Never used, just went a different route. They seem to have overall good reviews, though I can't talk from personal experience.

How much are you looking to get for it?

I rented one ten years ago and partner bought one the next year. His has held up rock solid no leaks. The Seal line 115L Pro Pack. I opted for the Kondos Special and a contractor s garbage bag . Just liked the fit on me better for carrying. With a zip tie and a few spares for retying; I consider it just as waterproof for my needs.

For what it's worth, both my paddling partner and I have used the Sealline 115L for a few seasons, and we both like them. We rescued a few guys once who dumped their canoe on a windy day, and when we retrieved their Seallines several hours later, everything was bone dry. That sort of sold us on them. The size does get a bit cumbersome to load and unload on a long travel day, but that would be true of any pack that size. For me the harness is a good, comfortable fit.

Oldfingers is 100% right, you almost have to crawl in the damn thing to get items out. Not fun if you are setting up in the rain and can't access anything easily. Also the straps never seem to stay where they should on long portages... was constantly tightening them. I replaced mine with a 115 canoe pack from Eureka. Way better in my opinion.

SealLine is a good quality brand. The waterproof packs (not just SealLine) tend to be taller and not as wide, so those comments are true. That's especially bad with the 115 L, which is huge compared to smaller ones. The 115 L is probably useful if you have a bunch of soft, light, bulky stuff - pads, bags, clothes - to fill it up.

I have one and used it for two trips. I switched to a Granite Gear Queitco which is smaller but still big enough. The Seal Lines work but are super huge.

I head out for a week solo from LIS in a week from today and will be using the 115L for the first time. While I agree with OldFingers, packing can be a pain due to the height, but one can get a great deal of stuff into it as I have been practicing. I do also agree with jlong33, the straps seem like they could be an issue, I'll let you all know after the Lower Pawness to Shell portage, but when it was a gift (free) I feel like I need to give it a try!

SealLine does make smaller ones than the 115L, too, but they aren't exactly the same as the 115L Pro Pack as far as the suspension goes.

We started with one. Our experience with them too was they were a PITA to find stuff in. And there are way more comfy packs to portage ( the Seal Line wants to go to round, and your back may not like it)
Yet we used it for years.. If you find one at a good price there they are a good place to start

Remember.. dont overstuff. Four rolls is what you need..

SealLine Packs are great. The Pro Pack is definitely the way to go. Better shoulder and hip belts than their Boundary Packs. I prefer to pack softer items like clothing sleeping bags, tents, etc in them. Harder items can make it uncomfortable to carry.

LOVE our Seal Line Pro pack. Don't mess with the cheaper Seal Lines, you want the padding and quality hip belts on the Pro. They are very durable and waterproof. Not sure why they would be any less comfortable than other portage packs, they have the same backing and straps as others as long as you stay away from the Black Canyon or Boundary packs. Those are pretty miserable to use.

Because when filled they assume a round shape as they have no internal panel to keep them from becoming round. Like a filled paper grocery bag ( may be that is a rare thing now). Or a reusable grocery bag.. fill it and its not rectangular.

Took one last year for our group of 8. Worked great! We threw our clothes, sleeping bags and pads, and hammocks in to keep them dry. Worked like a charm.

quote yellowcanoe: "Because when filled they assume a round shape as they have no internal panel to keep them from becoming round. Like a filled paper grocery bag ( may be that is a rare thing now). Or a reusable grocery bag.. fill it and its not rectangular."

Our pro packs are built pretty much like our CCS and Kondos packs and do have a panel, just not internal. The other seal lines are definitely round and uncomfortable but for us the panel, padding, hip, and sternum straps on the pro series makes it carry like a standard canoe pack.

I have a seal line Pro. Great pack, great harness.
Great for keeping things dry.
Pain because there are no outer pockets for rain jackets, food, etc that you might want consistent access to during a travel day.
For that reason, I no longer use that pack on solo trips, but instead bring it on group trips as a group gear bag. I've had it for 15 years and it's in great shape.

love ours

it rides tall, so I cannot carry the canoe while wearing it.

We have Sealline in all sizes. The comments on hard to find things in them are true but due to the size of the packs. Any size 115 litre would have that problem.

That being said, we have had canoes capsize spilling the packs in the lake. . .and we have had trips where it rained hard for 3 solid days. The contents of the Sealline packs never got wet.

I never quite saw the point of packs that needed liners. The pack will still leak, get wet and really dirty. When we get back, we take the hose to the Sealline and just spray them off.

We are not big portagers. There are more comfortable packs to portage. But we trip with the motto "pack like you KNOW everything will fall in or get wet". We take 12-18 men up to BWCA every year (in 3 groups). All have Sealine type packs and we have yet to have anyone have wet clothes or sleeping bags.

PS: Sealline Pro are the way to go as noted in this thread.

I have used a SeaLine Black Canyon 75 the last few years.
It could be more comfortable.
But it is bulletproof.

We have used 115l Pro Packs for many years now. Regarding issues others have raised:

1) hard to dig stuff out...this can be true, and you should pack accordingly; but like others have said, every big pack is harder to dig stuff out of. Not a dealbraker.

2) round shape...this is variable. It depends on how you pack it. Even if it does end up being rounded, I'm not sure why anyone would find that negative.

3) sticks up too high to portage while wearing it...rubbish. I have done it hundreds of times.

4) uncomfortable...rubbish. One needs to know how to adjust the harness and make full use of the hip belt. I feel comfortable while hauling huge pack weights.

Like anything, it's a tool that has to be used the right way, for the right purpose.

The harness and bag may be too long for someone with a short torso, and in that case it could indeed prove uncomfortable, as it would not be properly adjustable.

The harness adjustability is excellent, if you know what you are doing you can dial it in very well. I have the hip belt carry the weight, and the shoulder straps just loose enough that there is good ventilation. This is where the rounded pack shape is advantageous, because it's more airy.

As others have said, a pack+liner is ridiculous for cleaning and wetting.

The lack of external pockets is a feature, not a bug--it is part of what makes the bag solid and reliable. This is a solid gear bag, not a "feature-laden", fluffy weekend warrior accessory. Ours are now easily 15 years old, but I think 20 now, and are in perfect condition.

Not good, not very good, but perfect. And we don't baby them--I throw them down in the bottom of an aluminum canoe, rivets and all. I throw them down on rocks. I bash them into trees and snapped branches. I hang them high, with food in them.

Nothing has ever gotten wet. I have never dumped with them, but I have tested them out fully packed, and they are watertight, even when submerged.

The color is excellent, that high-visibility yellow. Good for spotting in case of an emergency, and easy to spot if recovery is needed. The color never fades.

Thick nylon bathtub is a great feature, well worth the weight. One does not have to be particular about where to set the pack down on its bottom.

115l is big, and can get heavy if really packed. My wife likes to bring lots of heavy food, and guess who gets to carry it. I have stuffed ungodly amounts of weight into it, and it's still thriving--no seams have given way, and the harness is as new.

There is no tumpline, but you are free to attach one if you wish. Similarly, gear and pockets can be clipped to straps on the outside, if one wishes to do so. Rolls that are used frequently for seating and such can easily be accommodated under straps on both the sides and the top of the pack.

It is a great tool, if you know how to use it. Again, it may be physically too big for some people.