We have an old, black Sealine dry bag (a big one) that we have used for many, many years now and will finally have to replace this year.  I would have to look up a lot of albums and go back to see how many years, but I am thinking probably 15-16 at least.  It has not been babied.  The bottom seams are finally starting to fray and we said this year that it is time to replace, but we will probably replace it with another dry bag because it has been comfortable to carry and has done exceptionally well at keeping sleeping bags and other such items dry.

It doesn't have a hip strap, and I know that a new one will.  That will be an improvement, but even without one, it was my favorite pack to carry.  It was packed with sleeping bags, clothing pack, paperback books, dry shoes, our medicine bags (which became substantial as years went by--severe arthritis pain issues for one of us, and diabetes, kidney disease, kidney transplant, etc. . .for the other), and a few miscellaneous items like the headlamps.

It is waterproof, floats, and I found having it right behind my seat when I am in the canoe makes for a nice "lean-back" for resting occasionally.  Far better than a canoeing seatback.     I love my big rubber bag!

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Bigfin mentioned the service from Ostrom - I would bet he was on the phone with the owner, Bill Ostrom. My wife and I have dealt with Bill for a number of years now and I can't say enough good about the time he takes with his customers to explain things (to say nothing of the quality of his products!). We live in Ottawa and Ostrom Outdoors is in Thunder Bay. A few years he actually hand delivered a canoe pack to my house (!) on his way through Ottawa to a trade show and, once here, made sure it fit properly when fully loaded- now that's service! His store (now in a new location in Thunder Bay) is a must stop every year on our way back from Quetico.

Bill is also on the board of directors of the Friends of Quetico Park so he has a keen interest in the goings-on at the park.

I have several portage packs - A very old duluth style pack I bought used at an outfitter, a Sealine pro with hipbelt, a granite gear- quetico I think, CCS Pioneer Hybrid (this one is my favorite) and a blue barrel with harness.   

I most often take my CCS (cookescustomsewing) pack because it does everything I need it to.

A lot of great ideas so far. Keep in mind the canoe that those packs have to fit into. I hate it when a pack has to be forcibly tucked into a canoe because going in is the "easy part." I choose from among my packs each trip so that the packs fit the jobs they have to do. I use a big Gregory internal frame backpacking pack for food on most trips. It is a top loader so I separate my food into different garbage bags. Each bag is for x number of days. No need to go deep in the pack until the previous bag is used up. The two big pouches on the back are great for getting at things during a portage. Rain gear is in the top pouch. I buckle the waist strap before pulling it out of the canoe. It makes for a good hand grip, the other hand is on the top hanging strap. This pack usually starts out at a dense 75 pounds. An important choice for me is the pack that I will tote when portaging the canoe. This is often times a Duluth style pack filled with lighter and bulkier items so my total load remains around 75 pounds at the start of a trip. After a week the items are shuffled around to keep the poundage equal on each trip across the portage. I do a lot of planning so I can still be smiling after a morning of portaging.

The bucket I carry is so controversial  that I did not want to go there, you have forced my hand. The bucket holds my complete kitchen plus the noon lunch so it is the only item I need to open for my noon meal. Most of my trips are about 30 days so the bucket is carried along with still another pack that completes my kit for 30 days. The big Gregory with food, duluth with bulky stuff and  another internal frame with more food and everything else. I carry the medium pack and bucket on the first pass across a portage. The saw is also in my hand on that first trip. By setting the bucket down I can cut any small trees and not worry about throwing them off the trail until the return pass across the portage.