[avar]

I've done most of my hiking in Iceland, weather's very erratic, just because it's pouring doesn't mean you need to seek shelter, it's just rain.

I found that everyone I hiked with who tried to waterproof their backpack would end up with things soaked anyway. Frequently having to open the bag in the rain means the insides inevitably get soaked, it's much harder to even semi-waterproof a much larger area than having a waterproof duffel bag for the small stuff.

Gives you a lot of flexibility too, e.g. I've crossed rivers and then just dragged the backpack over to the other side via rope.