Review: Jackson & Cole Caiman 40 Large Waterproof Backpack
OUR VERDICT
The Caiman 40 is gloriously uncomplicated. It’s a large, bombproof-feeling waterproof sack with a proper load-carrying system, enough external attachment points to satisfy anyone who has ever looked at a piece of kit and thought “I could probably strap something to that” (i.e. most of us).
It will carry everything from hiking kit and kayaking gear to an overnight load in the wild, while shrugging off any damp or deluges. Being frank, it isn’t particularly light and the internal organisation is deliberately sparse, but that is rather the point. It prioritises one large, rugged, properly waterproof space over a faffy collection of pockets and dividers.
| Weight | 1.5kg / 3lb 5oz |
| Dimensions | 22cm x 30cm x 60cm (D x W x H, 1 roll) |
| Features | 500D PVC tarpaulin, fully welded seams, roll-top closure, MOLLE/PALS webbing, daisy chains, external elasticated webbing, water-resistant front pocket, padded shoulder straps, sternum strap, waist strap, airflow back panel |
Pros
- Properly waterproof main compartment
- Tough, reassuringly unfussy construction
- 40L capacity works for genuine overnight use
- Excellent external attachment options
- Superb value for a pack this rugged
- Solid carrying comfort when properly loaded
Cons
- 1.5kg is pretty substantial before you put anything in it
- Roll-top means rummaging is inevitably a thing (get the headtorch on for low light)
- Almost no internal organisation
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
With a waterproof pack, the first test is fairly binary, lets’s face it. Does your kit stay dry or not?
After that I’d say I’m after a big dry bag with shoulder straps that carries comfortably over a long day, doesn’t flop around when half-full or standing on the ground, gives you sensible ways of carrying wet or awkward kit, and remains tolerable when you’ve packed for an overnight trip.
For the Caiman 40, I was looking for something that could cope with the sometimes messy overlap between a multi-activity weekender – hiking, paddling and sleeping outside. So – coastal walking, changeable weather, kayaking and ideally an overnight camp in the dunes.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Caiman is a hefty, serious-looking thing. A little bit moody in a good way. The 500D PVC tarpaulin body has the demeanour of equipment that would be equally happy being thrown into a fishing boat, dragged through a rice paddy or bounced around the back of a transit van. It doesn’t have the refined, featherweight aesthetic of a modern fast-and-light pack. Nor does it seem remotely interested in acquiring one. Which is quite refreshing to be honest!
The construction is straightforward: that large welded waterproof compartment, a roll-top closure and a substantial harness. There are straps and attachment points everywhere, with MOLLE/PALS webbing across the front, daisy chains down the sides and elasticated webbing for things you don’t particularly want inside the bag in the first place. It looks like it expects you to have muddy things. It is correct.
THE TEST
The Caiman 40 spent a chunk of this shoulder season in North Devon being used for a mixture of cross-coast hiking, kayaking and that overnight stay in the dunes so it exposed the bag to three different jobs.
On the longer hikes, it carried enough clothing, food and overnight gear to justify the 40l capacity. Around the shoreline, the waterproof construction became the main attraction. You can’t submerge it completely but it easily kicks back surface water and substantial splashes. And on the overnight, the Caiman had to swallow the usual collection of camping paraphernalia that somehow occupies considerably more space than you think it will, and it did so easily.
The roll-top is tough, simple and effective. Roll it down, clip it, and you’ve effectively turned the main compartment into a giant dry bag. There are no irritatingly fiddly zips or complicated closures to operate while standing getting battered on a windswept beach or peak.
Pack it sensibly and it’s excellent. Pack it badly and you will spend five minutes looking for your washbag while taking a teaching in the rain.
WHO IS THIS ITEM FOR?
The Caiman 40 is aimed squarely at people on the harder core end of outdoor activities, prolonged exposure and if you don’t want to be returning to market every new autumn/winter season. This is supposed to be a keeper. It’s early days but it feels like it is.
It’s particularly well suited to multi-day hiking, paddling, fishing, coastal trips and general expedition-style use where waterproofing and durability matter more than shaving a few hundred grams from your load.
It’s also a useful option for anyone who likes their equipment to have more than one job. The external attachment system makes it straightforward to carry wet, bulky or awkward items outside the main compartment, while the 40-litre capacity is enough to make it a credible overnight pack or duffel alternative rather than merely a large day sack.
For lightweight fastpacking, it is not the one. Nor commuting – but there’s a smaller version for that. And if your jam is having a perfectly organised pocket for every conceivable small object, look elsewhere.
WHAT STANDS OUT?
– Proper waterproof construction rather than simply water-resistant fabric.
– A genuinely useful 40-litre capacity without making the pack feel like intimidating expedition luggage.
– It is refreshingly unconcerned with fashion whims.
– The amount of external real estate available for attaching stuff.
The MOLLE/PALS grid, daisy chains and elasticated webbing give you plenty of options for carrying equipment outside the main compartment. That’s particularly useful around water, where wet gear doesn’t necessarily belong next to your dry sleeping bag. It’s also the sort of feature that becomes more useful the longer you own the pack.§
– The roll-top: Roll the top down, clip it and go. No storm flap to wrestle with and no moment of wondering whether you’ve actually closed the thing properly. It also gives the bag some useful flexibility. Roll it tighter when you’re carrying less; give it more volume when you’ve got an overnight load.
The downside is equally obvious of course: access isn’t quick. The Caiman is not the bag you want if you are constantly scrambling for a camera, snack, phone, waterproof or other small object. The separate front pocket helps, but it is water-resistant rather than waterproof, so anything in there should be treated accordingly.
VALUE FOR MONEY
At £79.95, the Caiman 40 is mindblowingly good value.
There are certainly lighter and more technically sophisticated 40-litre packs available, and some will offer considerably more suspension and internal organisation but the Caiman isn’t really competing on those terms.
You’re buying a 40-litre waterproof pack made from heavy-duty PVC tarpaulin, with welded construction, a proper harness and a useful external carry system. For a sub-£100 backpack, that is quite the proposition.
BASE BOTTOM LINE
The Jackson & Cole Caiman 40 is not trying to be clever. It is, however, trying to be waterproof, durable and useful. Chuck it in a kayak, drag it through damp dunes, load it up for a peak-side overnight and walk it across the coast, and its no-nonsense approach feels just right.
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