Sea to Summit Dry Bags - pack covers

[sapblatt]

Never ending frustrration with keeping things dry has made me sour on my latest pack cover, which I love because it fits so well, but it does not keep anything dry, even after seam sealing...
So - a couple of thoughts/questions...

I purchased a Sea to Summit 8 liter dry bag - these are supposed to be waterproof, but I must say I am not impressed with how the closure works - you basically fold it over. Do these things really work? I trust the people at Hiltons but this seemed hard to believe.

As for the pack cover - it is nylon - can I spray that with something to make it work the way it was supposed???

Recent purchase of a down bag has me concerned about keeping it dry when it is in my pack...

 

[lumberzac]

Try lining your pack with a plastic garbage bag. I do this and when it rains I’ll pull out the pack cover. If the cover fails for some reason, I still have the water protection of the garbage bag.

When canoeing I use a PVC dry bag that sounds like it closes the same way as the Sea to Summit bag you described. The key is not to fill the bag to full capacity. You want to leave enough room that you can make a few folds (rolls). Water will not get inside unless the bag becomes completely submerged.

 

[Jay H]

Hikethe115 pointed this out to me, but ZipLok makes these super huge garbage bag sized bags that would probably be a little more durable than the standard garbage bag. And they're also clear so if you had to somehow drag the whole bag out, you can see inside it. I tried to find a link and failed, but I've seen them before so they exist..

As far as the drybags, they are meant to be waterproof, but they aren't known to be completely waterproof over time and sand or other particles that get in the closure mechanism can induce some leakage. So it's good to have a backup and the garbage bags or stuff is a good thing for essential items like your sleeping bag and tent.

Jay

 

[Kevin]

I have bought a variety of the Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Sacks, and used them for my trip to Alaska. They preformed very well...

I had one for my sleeping gear, clothes, and electronics, and after being in rain and constant humidity for a better part of two weeks, I have no complaints about their effectiveness and reliability. I did use a rain cover as well with my main backpack, but I also used them in a smaller day pack that got soaked a lot, yet whatever I had in my dry sacks stayed dry.

I bought them at Campmor before I left, never did any additional seam sealing or coating to them. They are a little heavier then the Ultra-Sil version that Sea to Summit also sells, but I did not mind the extra bit of weight, they are a little more then the same sized normal stuff sack. The tops do need to be folded down to be water tight, I think the reccommended amount of times was three times.

For my experience, they worked very well, I was happy, I have no problems suggesting them either...

BTW, I also lined by main backpack with a trashbag as well, as others have noted... Cheap insurance.

 

[Jay H]

think the reccommended amount of times was three times.

Yup, that should be right, as most drybag mfgrs say three folds...

You might be interested in these reviews for the ultra-sil drybags:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Stuff Sacks/Dry Bags/Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack/

Jay

 

[sapblatt]

Yup, that should be right, as most drybag mfgrs say three folds...

You might be interested in these reviews for the ultra-sil drybags:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Stuff Sacks/Dry Bags/Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack/

Jay

thanks Jay -

It is actually the ultra-sil bag that I purchased...

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Get yourself down to Walmart and buy some trash compactor bags. They're light, cheap and nearly indestructible. Use it to line your pack, and just to certain - put your sleeping bag in a separate one. Keep a spare as an emergency shell.

Pack covers are good for the occasional shower, but fail in prolonged rain or if it's windy in my experience. Really tough to keep anything dry if you're above treeline in the wind & rain. But, if you're careful with the folds of the compactor bag stuff will stay mostly dry.

Now, to keep stuff in the lid dry - use HD gallon/2 gallon Ziplock bags.

 

[Grandaddy]

I have used a dry bag for about a year for sea-kaykaing.

I has not gone underwater but has held against splashed over water into the cockpit of the kayak with no problems. Mine also is folded 3 times to be sealed properly. I like to keep as much air in it as possible for kayaing for flotation, but you could sqeeze out the excess air for a pack, in which I think that it would work quite well.

If you are looking to keep a few important items dry, you could consider buying a hard case, such as an Otter Box. I do use an Otter Box for kayaking, and have submerged it once (I dumped ) and it worked. I think that it may be overkill for a pack though.

 

[rhihn]

I've used the construction bags and commercially made back covers, with mixed results. Related question (probably a dumb one): Why aren't packs made to be waterproof in the first place? My first reaction was cost, but given the cost of all the gear we often use, would waterproofed packs really be that much more of an expense? Failing that, are there sprays, etc. that one could apply? Given all we do and spend to "waterproof" ourselves, it seems that waterproofing a pack would be a no-brainer, though I'm probably missing something.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I've used the construction bags and commercially made back covers, with mixed results. Related question (probably a dumb one): Why aren't packs made to be waterproof in the first place? My first reaction was cost, but given the cost of all the gear we often use, would waterproofed packs really be that much more of an expense? Failing that, are there sprays, etc. that one could apply? Given all we do and spend to "waterproof" ourselves, it seems that waterproofing a pack would be a no-brainer, though I'm probably missing something.

I've seen that same question answered by Doug Gantenbein, the Gear Guy. According to him, the cost of labor related to seam-sealing, along with the change in fabrics, would drive the costs way up. Also, IIRC, the waterproofing in the fabric itself would tend to wear out rather quickly as packs get rather abused.

I agree with you though - it seems like an obvious question.

 

[DougPaul]

Why aren't packs made to be waterproof in the first place? My first reaction was cost, but given the cost of all the gear we often use, would waterproofed packs really be that much more of an expense?

IMO, abrasion, needle holes, and tension on seams.

Also, look at weight of truly abrasion resistant waterproof fabrics: think of the fabrics used in white water rafts. Given the current emphasis on light weght, the market would be rather small.

Doug

 

[cbcbd]

I've used the construction bags and commercially made back covers, with mixed results. Related question (probably a dumb one): Why aren't packs made to be waterproof in the first place? My first reaction was cost, but given the cost of all the gear we often use, would waterproofed packs really be that much more of an expense? Failing that, are there sprays, etc. that one could apply? Given all we do and spend to "waterproof" ourselves, it seems that waterproofing a pack would be a no-brainer, though I'm probably missing something.

Main issue with making packs waterproof is not the body or material, but the seams and zippers.

There are not many out there...
Check out the Arcteryx AC2 line - no zippers, heat fused seams (stronger than sewed seams), keep your stuff dryer than a "conventional dry bag":
http://www.arcteryx.com/packs.aspx?type=AC2

 

[rambler]

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/DryGear/index.html

 

[erugs]

Ever since my cell phone became a "bubble level" on a hike two years ago, I'm a convert -- I love my Sea to Summit bags. The fold-over is an excellent system. I also have a Sea to Summit pack cover. It is small and light weight and does the job of keeping my pack mostly dry. Driving rain and lifting the pack cover for access to something I need naturally let in some moisture. Before buying a pack cover I used the plastic bag inside the pack system, but found that rain really makes my pack heavy. The pack cover eliminates that problem.