Orvis & Simms Waterproof Pouches

Two different pouches from two different manufacturers. Let’s have a look at both and what I did to both to make them MOLLE compatible.

Let’s start with the first one I got, the Orvis pouch.

While at Wilson’s fly fishing shop in Toronto about 7 years ago, I was very intrigued by this pouch.

“Yeah it’s the last one we’ve got, they’ve stopped making it.”

I didn’t really have a direct need for it, I couldn’t immediately think of anything I could carry in it, but...it’s the last one...I may never be able to find anything like it again. I figured that at some point I might get a video camera, or someone I go on a  canoe trip with might have one and could use it.

So I got it.

The body is made of neoprene, that is seam taped, and the roll closure is made of PU coated pack cloth.

The outer dimensions are approximately 20 cm (8 in) high, 14 cm (5.5 in)  wide, and 8.5 cm (3.5 in) deep. When the top is unrolled, the height is 37 cm (14.5 in). 

Inside the neoprene pouch is a box made of glued together closed cell foam. The interior dimensions are approximately 17.5 cm (7 in) high, 11 cm (4.25 in) wide and 6 cm (2.25 in) deep. If the aim is just to keep things dry, and added padding isn’t really necessary, the interior box can be removed.

The pouch comes with D-rings on the sides that a shoulder strap can be clipped to. Originally there was also a means of mounting it to a belt. I removed it before thinking to take a photo, so I’ll have to try and explain it. Along the back, spaced approximately 50 cm (2 in) apart, ran two webbing straps, each about 260 cm (10 in) long. Each was sewn to the back of the pouch for about 130 cm (5 in), with a strip of reinforcing plastic behind it. On the face of the portion sewn to the back was a strip of loop velcro. On the corresponding flap was a piece of hook velcro. The idea being that you could put it over a belt and close the flaps and hold it in place that way. It was admittedly better thought out than some belt mounting systems I’ve seen, but I decided to replace it with PALS webbing.

This was still early in my efforts to make all my stuff MOLLE/PALS compatible, and this one was a particularly challenging task. I took the box out, and with a needle and thread, sewed webbing strips on. Tedious and time consuming. I should of course have sewn it 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, rather than 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, but that would have meant even more work, and I can make this arrangement work.

They look more crooked than they really are. Honest.

About three years later I was once again in Wilson’s fly fishing shop and saw a similar but different pouch.

I didn’t really have a direct need for it, I couldn’t immediately think of anything I could carry in it, but...I just had to have it anyway.

This one is made by Simms, and unlike the Orvis pouch, is still available. It’s called the Dry Creek Camera Bag. (If keeping things dry is important, they have a range of products. Not only are they well made and well thought out products, I appreciate the fact that they come in both a more subdued light grey or a slightly more visible warm orange, depending on your preference.) While similar in intent, the construction of this one is different. While both are similar to say a Sealine bag, in terms of the roll top closure, this one is more like a Sealine bag in terms of construction. Of the two, I far prefer this one. It’s a bit smaller, but the build quality just feels more solid.

The outer dimensions are approximately 16 cm (6.5 in) high, 15 cm (6 in)  wide, and 7 cm (2.75 in) deep. When the top is unrolled, the height is 28 cm (11 in).

Inside the pouch is another pouch, essentially a heavy duty zip lock bag for added protection from the elements. Inside of that is a padded insert (softer than the foam box of the Orvis) to add protection for delicate electronics from bumps and such.

The interior dimensions are approximately 13.5 cm (5.25 in) high, 12 cm (4.5 in) wide and 6 cm (2.25 in) deep. Like the Orvis pouch, the interior elements can be removed. If you feel the zip lock interior is over kill, take it out. If the added padding isn’t really necessary, the interior box can be removed.

Unlike the Orvis pouch, the Simms pouch doesn’t have a means of attaching a shoulder strap. I suppose you could clip something to the to the closure straps, but the shortcomings of that would be revealed as soon as you opened it.

The only real means of attaching it to oneself is to weave a belt through the straps on the back. I knew that wasn’t really very feasible for me, and that I wanted a more modular option. I could see myself possibly attaching it to the sides or face of a pack, or to a chest rig, or a pack belt. What I did was to cut two pieces of Cordura to size. On one I sewed on PALS webbing. I put that one aside.

On the other piece, I took two 1⁄2" pieces of webbing, and sewed them to the center of the piece of Cordura. Placing that over the back of the pouch, I wove the two 1⁄2" pieces of webbing through the small slots to the right and left of the centre line, and then back out through the slots on the furthest edges. These I then sewed to the outer edges of the piece of Cordura.  A 2" piece of seat belt webbing was woven behind the wide slots and sewn to the outer edges of the piece of Cordura. Smearing Barge Cement on the Cordura, I took the other piece and glued them together. This was then finished off with edge tape. It isn’t pretty, but it is strong, and since it sits behind the pouch, it really doesn’t matter.

Showing this again, mainly just to give a view of the side.

This pouch I have used on canoe trips to keep cameras dry. I just find this one more solid, and I have more confidence in this ones attachment system I created. Another thing that is cool about these pouches is that they add a bit of bouyancy to your stuff.