Words by Kade Krichko
A lot of my gear explorations start with a specific problem and radiate outward. On this occasion, that problem was a soggy wetsuit on the subway. Sure, it's not a common problem, but bear with me here. As a new resident to New York City, I'd found the cheat code of Rockaway Beach, reverse commuting the urban masses every morning to head out of—rather than into—the city, surfboard in tow. Morning sessions kept me level headed, and as I got more comfortable with the commute, I started bringing my laptop, a change of clothes, and even a few snacks with me, surfing in the morning before working from a local coffee shop in the afternoon.
It all felt like a righteous alternative to inner city stagnation, but the plan unraveled quickly. After a surf or any dip into the ocean, a soaking wetsuit didn't pair well with my laptop, books, and dry clothes. That problem expanded when I started separating everything into separate bags, a walking coat hanger navigating his way across subway platforms at rush hour. There had to be a better way, right?
Surprisingly, there aren't many solutions. Lots of outdoors brands offer drybags with shoulder straps, but very few offer additional pockets for dry items. Even fewer build in the functionality of a normal commuter or traveler bag (padded straps, water bottle holder, sewn pockets, internal dry pockets, etc). Dakine tried for a minute, but even they let their foot off the gas.
But that's where the Moment Discovery Division Adventure Pack has come to the rescue. Designed by the folks at Moment Surf Co. in Pacific City, Oregon (an area that knows a thing or two about getting wet), the Discovery Division Adventure Pack is a true drybag backpack, integrating a roll-top drybag for wetsuits, bathing suits, or even wet laundry into 32L of storage. Just a little bigger than my old commuter backpack, the Discovery Division Adventure Pack has a protected sleeve for my laptop and two additional lined compartments for storing my towel, a dry set of clothes, and all my chargers and books. The bag's durable vinyl base and DWR-coated outer fabric provide additional protection against the elements, as well as harsh surfaces like subway stops or rocky beaches.
And yeah, I get that not everyone is surfing off the subway, but here's where the pack really starts to evolve for me. When I'm traveling, a backpack is essential for my daily wandering and short rang missions. Having a pack with a drybag built in opens up my options. Now if I head to the beach, I can do it all with a single pack, rather than grabbing a plastic grocery bag to store my wet trunks after a Mediterranean dip. Or, if I just have to get that load of laundry done before my next train connection, the pack is an easy way to haul sweaty underoos to the corner laundromat, alongside the book I'll be posted up with for the next hour or so.
It's crazy what a hybrid product like this can open up on the road, but it's even crazier when it's designed as well as the Discovery Division Adventure Pack. Priced fairly at $99.95, this pack has become and instant favorite, and an easy addition to the things we like over here at Ori camp.
Want to learn more about the Moment Discovery Division Adventure Pack? Check it out here.
