When? Snowman brought new Kayo All-Weather BackpackAt ICAST last summer, I was quite interested, especially after it rained all day during the on-the-water portion of the show. A quality water resistant backpack is always beneficial for a person who is often caught in the rain while fishing or hunting. So, right after the show, I got my hands on a 15L YETI Kayo to test out in the water and in the woods, and I did. From the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the swamps of North Georgia, let’s see how well the YETI Kayo performs after 10 months of use.
Fishing coverage on All Outdoors
Specifications – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
- weather resistant dryhide shell
- Breathable and ergonomic ComfortComb mesh back panel
- quick access pockets
- internal organization
- hitchpoint grid
- 3 years warranty
- size – 15 liter, 25 liter, 35 liter
- Colour – olive, black
- weight – 2.4 pounds, 3.5 pounds, 4.4 pounds
- MSRP – $225, $250, $300
First impression and build quality – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
First impression of the backpack is that it is quite solid, the Dryhide shell feels quite thick and tough. My concern with any water resistant bag is that there may be holes in wear areas like the bottom of the bag. The bag itself is also quite sleek, with minimal webbing on the outside except for the front. One thing I did notice is that there is a bit of fraying of the fabric on some of the edges of the material. I believe this is from the internal webbing used in the dryshell, and although it is a little wonky, it doesn’t seem like it would cause any problems.
weather resistance – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
So, as the name implies, Kayos are not waterproof, just weather resistant. While it does a good job of keeping water and dirt out of the backpack, PU-coated zippers can let water into the bag under certain conditions. Additionally, there is a hole for the hydration tube at the top of the pack, which can be used for dousing even when covered. But that’s the main thing, unless you’re drenching the bag or getting water thrown on you from a heavy storm, I haven’t had any issues with water getting into the pack.
I found that the only time my bag got water was when I dropped water in a pond or stream and completely submerged it, or when I was rinsing the bag with a hose. When spraying the Kayo with a hose, I found that water could get through the PU-coated zipper, but it’s not something you’d expect to deal with during regular use.
internal organization – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
I would say that Kayo’s internal organization is fine; The main body of the pack has one large pocket. This will work for a hydration pouch, a few small pockets that can fit water bottles, and a small zipped pocket. Additionally, you get two large exterior pockets that have PU-coated zippers to keep water out.
I would say for my typical use, the 15L Kayo internal pouches are a bit small, the largest pouch is too small to fit my 14″ work laptop. Although this isn’t a deal breaker, it’s still something to be aware of. I was hoping this bag would be a solution to what happened at ICAST last year, where I had to put my rain jacket over my backpack to protect my work laptop.
Cleaning – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
Over the past 10 months, especially during waterfowl season, I have gotten my body dirty quite a bit. Luckily cleaning the Kayo is very easy, you can simply empty the pack and close it and it will be relatively clean. After which, I’ll scrub it down with some dish soap to get rid of any remaining mud and dirt stuck to the dried shell material. Even when I got the Comfortcomb on the back of the pack completely caked in mud while out of the duck hole, it cleaned up very easily.
The only thing I would say is to be careful when it comes in contact with dish soap. Fine-grained soils, like Georgia red clay, prefer to stick to the texture of dry rock material. So if you missed a spot, you’ll know once the pack dries.
Rest – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
The ComfortComb mesh back panel really does some of the heavy lifting with this backpack. Even when walking with a pack on the beach or bay while fishing, the mesh allows plenty of airflow to help dissipate heat and sweat. The shoulder straps are thick and made of dense material, which helps you on long trips. Even when packed with shotgun shells and duck hunting gear, tackle boxes and water, I found the Cayo to be quite comfortable.
final thoughts – YETI Kayo All-Weather Backpack
The YETI Kayo has been a great backpack for me for the past 10 months. I’ve used it for almost everything at this point, as a small light pack to hold hunting or fishing gear, or simply as a compact backpack to take with you on vacation that fits easily under airplane seats. I do need to mention the price at this point, though, as the Kayo 15L costs $225, this is not a cheap bag. But let’s be honest, all-season backpacks usually aren’t cheap. Depending on the size of the Kayo pack, the Kayo sits in the middle to upper end of the price range. So I think the pack is worth the price, especially with how it has been priced so far. My only real complaint about it is that the large pocket is a little small for my work laptop. Additionally, the 15L Kayo is a great size for those looking for a small day pack that can handle the outdoors and the weather.
