Four Wheel Drive, Gear

Field Tested: ARB Cargo Gear Storm Bag

/ April 5th, 2017
A beige and black duffel bag sits on the ground near a campfire. In the background, an Overlander chops wood beside a tent set up on a vehicle at a wooded outdoor campsite.

 

Keeping our equipment clean and dry in the field is an ongoing battle. If you store gear on a roof or rear rack, this issue moves front and center. I picked up an ARB Storm bag a few years ago and have lugged it to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America.

A close-up of a beige and black duffel bag with a mesh pocket and silver carabiner, perfect for any Overlanding adventure, resting outdoors on a stone surface scattered with pine needles and leaves in the background.

It is constructed of a PU Oxford weave with a PVC inner layer, seams are heat-sealed and taped, and rubberized panels cap each end. There are two zippered mesh pockets inside and a Velcro-secured pocket on the exterior. A semi-rigid plastic panel offers a stable platform for contents, and thick webbing around the closure is easy to grip when rolling it down. Four quick-release buckles, one on each end and two across the midsection, allow you to efficiently cinch the bag down to any size. When the closure is tightly rolled, Velcro strips line up and lock in place, reducing the possibility of snagging on other gear. There are two lashing hoops on either side, and the hand and shoulder straps have held up to heavy loads and numerous airports.

A close-up of a black and beige Overlander duffel bag with a black buckle strap, resting outdoors on a concrete surface with dry grass and pine needles nearby.

A close-up of a black plastic buckle fastened on a black strap, attached to a light beige fabric overlander backpack—perfect for your next overlanding adventure.Close-up of a beige and black Overlander bag with black mesh pockets and the words ARB CARGO GEAR embroidered on the front.

Although the Cargo Storm is not rated as a river bag, mine has endured downpours and being sprayed with oozy Central American mud, and I have yet to pull a pair of soggy socks from within. Available in 69- and 155-liter sizes, $94 and $120 respectively.

(CC) arbusa.com, 866-293-9078

Chris spent his formative years riding dirt bikes with his dad in the deserts of Southern California and Baja, Mexico, which led to a lifelong quest for adventure. He is handy behind a viewfinder and at the keyboard, and brings four decades of international travel experience to Overland Journal as Editor-in-Chief. His career, which includes work for National Geographic Adventure, Four Wheeler, Hot Rod, and Autoweek, has taken him through 50-plus countries and to every continent. He has also served as correspondent to magazines in a dozen countries and in as many languages. In 2013 he was part of the Expeditions7 team that crossed Antarctica and he has recently been inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame as a pioneering journalist. When not behind the camera Chris can be found on The Office (his sailboat), or undertaking meticulous “research” for upcoming articles in locales such as Tequila, Mexico.