While the trend we’ve seen in deck bags has been for more capacity and more features, there are a lot of paddlers who would rather not add a lot of weight and clutter to the decks of their kayaks. The Turtle Back Deck Bag has bucked the trend and has a small but still useful capacity and cuts a low profile. It’s only three inches high, so it won’t get in the way of paddling. Its tapered forward end will punch through waves without much fuss and the smooth arched contour doesn’t appreciably slow the rotation of the kayak during a roll.
The bag has a single zipper and is anchored to the deck with four straps and buckles. Two strips of Velcro on the top of the bag provide a place for temporary storage, and a plastic strip gives the bag its shape and holds it open. Inside the bag is room for a VHF radio (even with the extra bulk of a waterproof bag for it), a GPS unit, tube of sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses. That load leaves a few nooks and crannies, but packing the Turtle Back completely full would make it harder to get things in and out. The bag’s zipper is an easy one-handed pull to open or close.
If you’re into making your gear do double duty, you can add a matching female buckle half to the end of one of the side anchoring straps, and you’ll have a first-rate fanny pack. The foam sewn into the bottom of the Turtle Back for flotation makes it quite comfortable when it’s worn around the waist.