How many times have you tried to fit all your snowmobiling essentials in your pants and jackets but felt a shortage of space even after having numerous pockets?
Have you ever wished that you could carry all your snowmobiling emergency essentials without worrying about the storage space? Worry no more, because we have just the right thing for you.
In times like this, snowmobile tunnel bags come in handy. It highly resembles a backpack but instead of carrying it on your back, you can attach it to the sled and hit the snow. As you read further, you will get an idea about snowmobile tunnel bags and their uses.
My Personal Recommendation
I’ll recommend a few different tunnel bags for you, and which one is perfect for you depends on your requirements.
So, let’s break it down.
If you don’t want to compromise with the standard, and just want a good quality tunnel bag for your snowmobile, then you should buy a bag according to your snowmobile.
For Polaris Snowmobiles
If you own a Polaris Snowmobile, then you should buy Polaris Snowmobile Traverse Tunnel Storage Bag. It fits with or without 1+1 seats installed. It’s a great tunnel bag, and that makes it a slightly costly bag, but it’s totally worth the price.
You can see the price of this Polaris Tunnel Bag here.
However, if you are looking for a Lock & Ride style tunnel bag, then you can go with this Polaris Lock & Ride Tunnel Bag.
For Ski-Doo Snowmobiles
If you have a Ski-Doo snowmobile, then you have more options. The Ski-Doo LinQ Slim Waterproof Tunnel Bag is a good option for you.
It’s a tried and tested tunnel bag which is being used by many Ski-Doo owners. It’s available in 16 to 26 liters capacity that can be easily installed on different snowmobiles.
I highly recommend that you should take a look at Ski-Doo LinQ Slim Tunnel Bag, before thinking about anything else.
However, this is not the only bag for Ski-Doo snowmobiles. Another high-quality bag is Ski-Doo New OEM LinQ Tunnel Bag.
This 40-liter capacity snowmobile storage bag has all the features that you may want in your tunnel bag.
For Other Snowmobiles
Now, what if you have a snowmobile of any other brand?
If you own an Arctic Cat Snowmobile, then Arctic Cat New OEM Shovel Pack Tunnel Bag can be a good option. This is a full-size tunnel bag that you can mount on your snowmobile. You can also check the compatibility of the Arctic Cat Tunnel Trial Pack Bag for your snowmobile.
Now, whether you have an Arctic Cat, Yamaha, or any other snowmobile, American Trails Bushwhacker Snowmobile Tunnel Bag can be a good option. The half-inch closed-cell foam gives protection to sensitive items, and the water-resistant fabric keeps your things dry.
It also has a dual-pull zipper design that helps you to access your items comfortably even while wearing your snowmobile gloves easily.
Best Snowmobile Tunnel Bags
Polaris Ultimate Shovel Bag
The Polaris Ultimate Shovel bag offers a whole upgraded storage solution for all your snowmobile rides. This snowmobile tunnel bag highlights its Ultimate Shovel pack that keeps a secondary shovel secure and ready to use whenever you need it.
It features Lock & Ride Technology to ensure the bag attaches easily, can be removed quickly, and keeps it securely in place while in the trail. This technology incorporates a rigid shell and an easy mounting function for an easy installation in your snowmobile while keeping it locked in all day.
It is constructed with molded Eva foam with polyurethane film coating to maximize durability. Inside the bag are adjustable Velcro dividers that allow you to organize your belongings inside to keep them safe and secure no matter how fast and aggressive you drive your snowmobiles. However, others observed that these Velcro dividers are not as sturdy and durable.
It has a storage capacity of 12” x 14” x 4” and a maximum weight capacity of 10 lbs. This spacious design and capacities guarantee to carry all your necessities along with a compartment for an extra shovel that you can access easily whenever you need to.
Ski-Doo LinQ Slim Waterproof Bag
The LinQ Slim bag is one of the best snowmobile tunnel bags that offers great functionality while keeping the design compact for easy mounting on your snowmobiles.
It has a rigid bottom and top design to provide maximum durability and structure. The LinQ cargo base kit allows you to easily and quickly mount the bag to your snowmobile using its soft strap feature keeping it tightly secured all day. It also features a top mount shovel pocket for easy and quick access when the need arises.
On the interior of the bag is a waterproof inner roll-top that has a capacity of 16 to 26 liters to fit all your necessities while protecting it from snow and water. It also has a removable snow flap for added protection against snow.
The LinQ bag can now be installed in the tunnel in positions 1 & 2 and 2 & 3 which is one of the upgraded features Ski-Doo. This allows for even distribution of the weight of the bag throughout your snowmobile while giving you more options on how you prefer to mount the bag for your comfort and convenience. However, the bag is a little heavy so take note of the weight when mounting the bag for optimal balance.
Ski-Doo MXZ Tunnel Bag
The MXZ tunnel bag offers a sleek look and rigid structure to fit your snowmobiles. It features an innovative thermoformed tunnel bag for durability.
The inner part of the bag has an expandable zippered compartment that can carry up to 25 liters. It also features Ski-Doo’s innovative Cleat and Bag retaining system which integrates the bag to the snowmobile’s cleat using the durable mounting straps and the included hardware to ensure the bag stays in place while providing a neat and polished look.
The bag includes a pre-marked chassis for easy installation to your snowmobile and ensures maximum security. The construction of this bag provides water resistance. However, it is not fully waterproof so it still can get wet in extreme snow conditions and rain.
Arctic Cat Black Large Tunnel Pack Bag
The Arctic Cat Black tunnel bag features large capacity bags for economical storage and convenience to carry all your necessities during an all-day ride. It has an enormous 33-liter capacity with a large center compartment to keep your belongings organized and easy to access.
The Cam-lock attachment with a quarter-turn system is installed on the inside of the bag that eliminates and replaces the need for straps and hooks for a more polished look and better function.
It includes mounting hardware to ensure the bag is securely attached and to provide a solid fit in your snowmobile. The mounting straps also allow for easy installation and quick removal of the bag.
The Arctic Cat Black tunnel bag is constructed with semi-rigid molded sides and a top to provide durability. However, this bag is not waterproof and the construction and design are not as structured to offer ample protection to your belongings.
Polaris Lock & Ride Tunnel Bag
Polaris presents its ultimate storage system for the Polaris INDY with its Lock & Ride tunnel bag. It has an increased storage capacity and an enhanced design to provide an improved fit and an updated style.
The semi-rigid panel design provides structure to the bag to retain its shape even when it’s empty which allows the bag to last longer and look nice and new for longer. This design also allows you to access and stow your stuff easily.
The Lock & Ride technology allows for easy installation and fast removal while keeping it tightly mounted on your snowmobile.
The large zippered opening delivers easy storage access to your belongings. The interior of the bag contains all-weather Velcro straps that attach your necessities in place and provides a secure fit even in your most aggressive snowmobile rides. However, others noted that the Velcro straps need to be sturdier for better protection of the items inside the bag especially when riding in extremely rugged terrain.
The Lock & Ride tunnel bag has a capacity of 15 liters perfect for your big and small items.
Difference between Snowmobile Tunnel Bags and Backpack
While you are on a quest to hit the snow and start your snowmobiling adventure, it’s essential to pack all the emergency essentials you might need as you never know where your future will lead to. Thus, it is significant to keep yourself prepared beforehand.
Earlier, before the introduction of the snowmobile tunnel bags, the riders used to pack all their essentials in a backpack and carry it around with them while riding a snowmobile. With the advancement in technology, the airbag vest, which is known as tunnel bags, was introduced, which are now must-haves for all adventure lovers worldwide.
The snowmobile tunnel bags mostly resemble the backpacks and do not have any significant difference between them. The only fundamental difference is that the backpacks need to be carried around on your back, which can be uncomfortable, whereas the snowmobile tunnel bags can be tied to the sled.
However, many snowmobile riders suggest carrying the probe and the shovel in the backpack rather than the snowmobile tunnel bags or under the hood of the sled because there are chances that you may get separated from your sled. Even there is a possibility that your sled might get buried in the snow.
In these situations, if you have your probe, shovel, emergency tool kit, GPS, and other essentials in your snowmobile backpack, then you can save yourself and survive the circumstances.
There is also a chance that you may lose your backpack while on your quest accidentally, then the snowmobile tunnel bags would help you out to and you can carry out an effective rescue.
Therefore, it is advisable to carry all your essentials both in your backpack as well as your snowmobile tunnel bag. If anyone of your backpack is lost, you can still survive the situation and protect yourself. You can carry the extras in your tunnel bag for your ease and keep the lightweights in the backpack for your comfort but always keep the emergency kits in both bags for safety purposes.
How to Choose a Snowmobile Tunnel Bag?
The Snowmobile Tunnel bag provides you with an ample amount of space and comfort for your snowmobile quest in the snow. With the numerous options available in the market, it has become a hell of a task to choose a good tunnel bag. In order to help you with your confusion, here are some essential features a tunnel bag comes with to provide you the best experience.
Water Resistance
The snowmobile tunnel bag needs to be waterproof as most of the riding is done in freezing snow conditions. The snow has the property to melt and thus can cause dampness. The snowmobile tunnel bags must be made up of waterproof fabric so that the water does not seep in.
If the water seeps in, then all your essentials will be ruined, and thus, surviving an accident would be impossible. Therefore, it is essential that the fabric prevents the bag from damping and keeps your essentials dried out and safe for further use.
Robustness
These bags are used in harsh, freezing cold climatic conditions. They need to be sturdy and durable so that they can bear the rough conditions. This is the essential feature to look at.
The material used for making a tunnel bag should be one of the most important aspects to be looked upon. There are a lot of materials available in town, but from personal experience and research, it is advisable to use nylon as it is robust, lightweight, and water-resistant as well.
Portability
The need of a person determines this factor and the number of essentials they need to carry with them; thus, the snowmobile tunnel bag can be light as well as bulky.
According to the weight of your essentials, you can decide the fabric you need. You should also make sure that the bag attaches to your machine properly or can be carried by hand with ease and comfort. It is better to look out for handles to carry and systems that can help to attach the bag to the sled.
Zipper Locker
While snowmobiling, it is important to keep your belongings secured to avoid further difficult issues and situations like stealing, etc. A locker in your zipper would help you with securing all your essentials in your backpack. You can then enjoy your ride without further worrying about your belongings.
Space
The tunnel bags should provide you with an ample amount of space to carry all your belongings. According to your number of essentials, you can choose the size of the bag you need as there are plenty of options available in the market. You can also look for compartmentalized bags if you need to organize your essentials.
The tunnel bags also come with the expanding characteristic which can be of great use for overnight trips and tours.
Padded Snowmobile Tunnel bags
The Snowmobile Tunnel bags come with padding on the sides and all over the bag. The padding on the sides or handles is to provide you with comfort and ease while carrying the bag. The padding all over the bag helps to prevent any damage to your belongings during an accident.
Final Words
Now that you have an idea about the tunnel bags, their uses, and most importantly the various features it provides, we hope you can now find the best snowmobile tunnel bag for you to carry your stuff around with you without any hesitation or worrying.
