13. Mesh Pockets
- Clam X-400 - 10 points
- Eskimo Outbreak 450XD - 9 points
- Otter Vortex Pro Lodge - 9 points
I’m going to give this category to Clam for a couple of reasons. First, they have three pockets to the other manufacturers’ two. More importantly, their pockets have Velcro closures to keep them closed. I don’t use these pockets for much normally when I’m out on the ice unless I tuck a small 10A Dakota Lithium in one to power my lights. But I run Otter Pro Universal LED light kits in all my hubs and I like to store the cables in the pockets when I put the tent away. For those who don’t know, when you fold a hub up, those pockets suddenly become upside down and everything in the Otter pockets falls out…sometimes right away if you're lucky, other times later on to be unknowing lost while packing up in the dark. Eskimos do the same. Being able to reliably store small items in those pockets and know they will still be there the next time I open the tent has a lot of value for me personally.
I don’t have a preference between the Otters and the Eskimos. I’ll give the nod to Otter for including rod holders which are useless when used as such, but can be useful to hold pliers or other small objects. The Otter is also bigger and pleated to hold more. The pictures below are the pockets on the X-400, the Outreach 450XD, and the Vortex Pro Lodge in order.
