WHAT IS IT?
BOTE Highwater Hitchhiker
WHAT SETS IT APART?
The BOTE Highwater Hitchhiker is a compact waterproof gear bag designed to keep your everyday essentials dry and within easy reach while you’re on the water. Built with a patented TRU Zip waterproof zipper, the bag is IP67-rated, making it waterproof, dustproof, airtight and submersible. It features BOTE’s MAGNEPOD compatibility, allowing it to attach securely to compatible BOTE watercraft, while two integrated hook-and-loop attachment straps make it easy to secure to the optional Travelink Carry Sling or other gear. An included adjustable shoulder strap also allows the Hitchhiker to be worn as a crossbody bag for hands-free carrying on or off the water.
HOW DO I USE IT?
The Highwater Hitchhiker is ideal for protecting valuables like your phone, wallet, keys, fishing license and other small essentials during a day on the water. Wear it as a crossbody while bank fishing or wading, attach it to a kayak or paddleboard, or mount it to compatible BOTE products using the MAGNEPOD system. Its waterproof construction gives anglers peace of mind when fishing in rain, launching a boat or navigating rough water where electronics and personal items are at risk of getting soaked.
HOW MUCH?
MSRP: $79.00
(Currently on sale for $49.00 at the time of writing.)
MORE INFORMATION:
ANGLER’S INSIGHT:
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that no matter how organized I try to be, my phone, keys and wallet always seem to end up rolling around the boat or stuffed in a compartment where I can’t find them. I like that the Highwater Hitchhiker gives those items a dedicated place while keeping them completely protected from the water.
Something I have really found to be a game changer is using this when I wade the rivers around Alabama to catch spotted bass. On these trips, I typically wear water shoes and hike upstream on foot without waders (since I usually go during the summer). I bring a backpack with some tackle and a life jacket so I can float back down the river. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to cast, walk and swim without getting my backpack wet.
This is a great solution because I can strap it to my life jacket and use it to carry a small amount of tackle along with my phone and keys. It’s much lighter and far more practical to carry with me.
As someone who fishes from everything from a bass boat to a bay boat — and even likes to wade a river from time to time — it’s one of those accessories that’s easy to overlook until you have it. Once you do, it’s hard to imagine heading to the water without it.
