Buck's Bags are built really well but you pay a price for the quality. I had one that lasted 10 hard years of fishing, some abuse by being left in the SUV on a warm day etc and it still floated my 230 pound carcass around just fine. My neglect finally started rot out the stitches and I had to replace it. Had I taken proper care of it I am sure it will still be with some 15 years later.
I replaced the Bucks Bag with a Creek Company U-boat. Weight capacity, triple stitching and comfort are big on my list of features and it met all of those standards just fine. It was considerably lighter then my Bucks since it had the vinyl bladder instead of the truck inner tube my Bucks used. I also was able to pick it up for $89 at the White Elephant in Spokane. I do believe it carries a lifetime warrenty. The only drawback (if you can call it one) that the Creek U-boat has is it uses nylon straps around the outside to provide a counter tension so the front of the U doesn't collapse when you sit down. It works great but it does take a little getting use to. Since it doesn't employ a bar there really isn't anything keeping you in the tube if you lean too far forward. The apron attaches firmly and is a nice reminder but it did creep me out the first couple of times I used it. I really like that feature now that I am used to it. Should I flip while getting in the water I immediately pop right out. No bar to undo while under water. There is an absolute abundance of tubes on the market today and the quality is significantly better then a few years ago. The only brand I would recommend staying away from is Browning. There quality and features are lower. Mike
