The side rails are one of the things I love best on my Potter 15. My
Compac 16 did not have any. Yes, they are great for back rests and
tying things off, but here is the number 1 reason why I love them:
They give you something to hold onto when you are climbing up the
boarding ladder. I am a big guy (6'1" 250+ lbs) and would have trouble
climbing up the boarding ladder without them.
Jeff Goller
P-15 # 2068 "At Long Last"
Charleston, SC
-- "There are things a man will tell his bartender, that he would never tell his physician..." Quoted from Dr. Mark Piper