Lots of velcro in there Jax...good stuff, it is. 

I've found using some bungee cord equally well or better for securing stuff like fishing poles and paddles to the thwats and seats and tons of other uses.  I use some 1/8 inch shock cord (bungee) cut to the length desired (6, 12, 18 inch finished length), make a loop, tie an overhand knot in the two loose ends, then feed it through a cord lock.  Call it a poor man's Bungee Dealee Bob (sold by Piragis and others) without the little plastic cross bit.  At $3 a pop, I can make a handful for the same money.  Just loop it around your stuff, slip the loop over the cord lock and pull the knotted end till tight.  They are also great for bunching up poles, paddles and stuff to carry across a portage, securing a painter to the hand thwart, and just about anything you need to tie up tightly, quickly and securely.  I carry a fist full of the buggers on any canoe trip for anyone to use - as handy and useful as they are.

pd