Patagonia Stormfront 28L Backpack reviews and deals for sale

Great bag, but didnt work out for my use

I’ve had the Patagonia Stormfront/Stormsurge for a year now. Its a pretty cool waterproof/submergible bag, but fell short for my use. I was using it for casual use, hiking, and work as a photographer. The straps are lightly padded and there is no back padding, which makes it easy to fold in half and pack in my luggage without taking too much space. It’s also fairly lightweight,… read more weighing around 1.8 lbs. Despite the lack of heavy padding, it was comfortable to carry around unless I was packing 30lbs of things (I’m about 140 lbs). The bag is spacious and works great for a weekend trip full of clothes and toiletries. It works great if I need to pack groceries and commute on my bicycle. However, it falls short when the bag is not full. Since there are no compression straps and the back of the backpack is soft, things inside tilt or eventually fall to the bottom. There are no compartments, so you would want to get packing organizers. There is no laptop compartment, so my laptop falls/tilts unless its fully packed. The TZIP is thick and requires a good pull to get the bag open/close, but i’m impressed how it can be submerged. The bag doesn't fully open up well once unzipped so its difficult to see/pull out contents. Sometimes it takes a while to get my camera out because the camera strap would get caught on the zippers. I think the Stormfront/Stormsurge 30L would be perfect for water/boating excursion. For hiking/casual use, a roll-down top would probably suffice. For everyday use, I find the bag too big and impractical as there are no compartments. I wish Patagonia would update the design on their Stormfront/Stormsurge line and perhaps offer a 20L backpack and 8L sling bag. Unfortunately, I parted ways with my Stormsurge and went with the Exped Torrent 20L instead.

I'm In Love

I've owned several Patagonia bags over the years. My favorite is going on 15 years old and, even with daily use, still looks like I purchased it yesterday. Overall, Patagonia bags seem to hold up and this one is no exception. I took this bag on a 5 day river trip and am so happy I did. It was an easy bag to reach for on the raft in order to have access to my fishing gear. The zipper… read more is burly and seems like it will withstand the elements. I even appreciated the patch kit that came in the little inner pocket (even though I didn't have to use it!). The straps are wide and comfortable enough to carry a bit of weight without bothering my shoulders. All in all, this bag is a win.

In it for the long haul

Bought this for my brother in law, this is from him: Needed a good sized day pack for small stream wading missions that gradually take you further and further from your car just to see what’s around the bend. This pack allows me to forget it’s on my back when I submerge the only dry jacket I have while crossing the river. It keeps everything safe and waterproof!

Fly Fishing Backpack

Purchased this so I can wade in the water/flats to fish with confidence that my phone and valuables won’t get soaked. The backpack kept all my stuff dry while partly submerged. Do note the backpack only has one small zipper pouch inside. So it is a perfect throw in bag, but not to stay organized - there are no compartments. Has a handy strap on the side for extra rods or whatever’s… read more you want to strap to the backpack. Picked this over the Yeti bag.

Day trip on the river

If you’re a OCD organizer where you prefer having a pocket for everything you might not care for this pack. It’s essentially one large storage area with one small organizer pocket on the inside (with a key fob) and the one thin pocket on the outside. For all the rest of your organizing you’ll have to rely on stuff sacks and clipping things onto the outside. That being said,… read more it comfortably holds everything I need for a day on the river and it keeps it dry. I actually wish the interior pocket was a tad larger; it barely fits a passport. I also would like to see the rod tube holders spaced a bit further apart. To keep the contents of the bag dry the big feature of this bag is a waterproof zipper instead of a roll-top style dry-bag opening. It is convenient but not to the extent that I thought it would be. Expect to lubricate it occasionally using the provided grease. It’s also stiffer than a normal zipper. In the end I’m not convinced it’s a slam dunk upgrade over a roll-top.

Good and Simple

I bought this bag for my wife after buying one for myself. This is the perfect commute bag if you are looking for simplicity. Large main body to throw gear it. Best part: it is waterproof. No need to worry about getting any gear soggy when you are out in the elements.

Well Designed Fishing/Watersports Pack

I bought this for those times when fishing access is a good hike from the car. At 28 liters, it's great for a full day on the river. It can hold an extra layer, food/water, first aid kit, Bugger Beast Jr fly box, and a camera. It's a pretty simple design, with the main pocket being one large space, so you really get all 28 liters of space. There is a nice mesh zipper pocket… read more to keep valuables seperated from the main pocket (keys, fishing license, etc). The rod tube holders are great for the hike in/out, but are a little difficult to get really snug against the tube. It's fine if you have a nylon covered rod tube with one of those webbing handles sewn on, but for an aluminum or CF rod tube, with no handle, it can slowly slide down and out of the tube holders over the course of a long hike. Not a huge issue, but something to think about. Those rod tube straps are movable to different spots on the pack, including underneath to allow for a horizontal tube orientation, which would eliminate this problem. I was hesitant to get this pack over the Simms version, bacause the zipper opening is smaller on this one. Because the waterproof zipper is stiff, and so is the waterproof material of the pack, these types of packs can be a little more difficult to access the interior if the zipper opening is too small. The Stormfront zipper goes about halfway down on each side of the pack, and is plenty easy to get into. So no need to worry about not being able to access your schtuff... As far a waterproofness, it's as good as anything you can expect from a zippered pack. I've tested it and it seems completely air/water tight. Just make sure the you firmly close the zipper! I had one instance, where I clipped the pack to the outside of a float tube and I floated a 10 mile stretch of the Snake River. So the pack was literally in the water for 10 miles and at the end there was a small amount of water inside the pack. I'm pretty sure I had it securely zipped, but then again, I've never had an issue any other time (even during submersion tests), so maybe that was user error. Overall, it's a great fishing pack that carries very well. You can wade with it, it carries everything you need, and it does so in a simple, functional manner. I would definitely recommend it.

What features does this pack have that the Patagonia Stormfront rolltop backpack does not?