I use a backpack of some sort almost every day. Whether it be packing up to go to work, a road trip, air travel, or military purposes. The Hex wet/dry pack is one of the more unique and quality bags I’ve encountered. The features of this bag are endless. For starters, it is a sleek looking bag perfectly suited for daily civilian use as it’s not covered in molle or Velcro or any tactical features.
At first glance, it appears to be a standard backpack but let me assure you it is anything but. The exterior is water shedding black nylon that has handled the ever-present rain and surprise snowstorm, that North Carolina seems to enjoy, with ease. The central pocket is standard nylon with an elastic document or laptop compartment. The pouch behind that is coated in waterproof material with taped seams. It was originally designed to carry a damp wetsuit from the beach but works just as well for nasty gym shoes, board shorts, or gym clothes from a workout session. Along the back of the bag is a smaller pocket with the same waterproof coating that would work well for a tablet or important papers. The front of the bag has a very unique feature I’ve never encountered until now; it’s a small cooler pouch perfect for your lunch, beers on the beach, or anything you need to keep cold. And finally, there is a small pouch, again waterproof, for wallet, keys, or other small pocket items.
Hex designed this bag for surfers and beach goers alike. Once it warms up I look forward to taking this bag surfing as it has all the features that one could need in a beach bag. You can even take a hose to the slip-resistant bottom and internal pouches to clean out sand and seawater. For now, I have been taking this bag as my daily carry to work. I usually have a set of gym clothes, gym shoes, lifting equipment such as knee sleeves etc., my lunch, a laptop with charger, and cell charger. Depending on the day I might swim prior to work and carry a towel, goggles, and trunks. This bag makes it super convenient to carry all that and more. My favorite feature is the wetsuit pocket as it allows me to toss dirty gym clothes or wet clothes into it to carry home without having to use a plastic grocery bag or risk other things getting wet/dirty in my bag. Humans haven’t found a way to control the weather and if you’re like me I can’t even control when I’m out in the weather so the waterproof design also allows me to carry electronics or other important items with confidence in bad conditions that I might find myself in on a daily basis.
This bag is something I would recommend to anyone who has no need for military-style features and that appreciates protection from the elements. It’s large enough to carry what you need for tourism, surfing, or just a day out. But is small enough to prevent overpacking just leaving room for the essentials. Inside and out this bag is solid quality and you can tell a lot of thought went into its design with many unique features.
Author – Tanner Hodges is an Active Duty Marine Infantryman currently serving as a Platoon Sergeant with 3dBn 2d Marines. He holds two infantry MOS’s (0351/0365) and has completed Infantry Small Unit Leader’s Course, and Advanced Infantryman Course. He has trained in Mountain Warfare, Desert Warfare, and Jungle Warfare all around the globe.
