I've never had a dry bag before - we've just used multi-layered garbage bags packed away in our packs. Anyhow, we're looking at getting some dry bags this year and I need some advise.

We had been looking at the 'lite' mec ones, but the package notes that they're not waterproof - only splash and dunking resistant. Has anyone used this type of drybag? If so, did you find that they weren't waterproof?

What about the 'regular' dry bags? Are they waterproof?

Thanks for your help!


Jeff

--

Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry - abrweb.ca

My Algonquin Park Map - Accurate, Detailed, Free - Version 2.0!

I can't speak to the MEC lite version you refer to but I can attest that the Sealline drybags do a fantastic job when used according to the instructions. They are waterproof and, in the canoe, it's one less thing that you have to be concerned with during the trip. There's not even a thought about moisture, water in the canoe or rain.

I've tripped before and had the similar trash bag system fail. It's a crappy way to start an evening by unrolling a soggy sleeping bag (and potentially dangerous in cold May conditions) and just as bad to pull out your clothes for the day only to find damp spots. It's a comforting feeling knowing that when you unroll the top of the drybag the contents are as dry as when they went into it.

I have an entire pack with a closure system identical to a Sealline bag and it works great. Anything that needs to stay dry, i.e. sleeping bags and pads, clothes, TP goes into the dry bag. And I can attest that it floats....

Most dry bags are only water resistant and not "dunk" proof. But put inside a nice canoe pack (closed properly) you stuff has a fairly good chance of coming out dry if you tip

Dry Bag like below - are truly watertight but significantly heavier (467gm - 20 liter) then pack liners



Pack Liners like below - waterproof material but the roll top end is not watertight (88gm - >20 litre) .




I use Pack liners inside a canoe pack for flatwater tripping, and drybags for white water tripping.

Darryl H.

Outdoor Research & SeaLine

I like the OR ones for clothing. The compression bags would be nice for sleeping bag.
SeaLine clear bags good for general gear storage, all those odds & ends. The clear bags don't last nearly as long as the yellow ones. I still have my original yellow bag, ~20 years later. I've gone through 3 clear ones.
I use the yellow SeaLine bags for a food bag. Weatherproof. Reasonably smell & waterproof.

MEC makes cheap equivalents. Not saying don't buy them, just be prepared to need new ones in ~5 years.

A point about drybags; I have several from different manufacturers and find all perform well IF closed properly. They must be only filled 2/3 full and when you roll the seal, make sure there are no wrinkles or creases.
For a proper seal, fold the top band once, pull tight on the buckles, and roll OPPOSITE to the fold- this creates a "Z" in the 1st roll. Now continue to roll at least 3 more times while pulling tight and buckle.
the reason you want the "Z" is it creates two tight 180 degree bends that are compressed further when you continue to roll. It's those folds that act as a "dam"
Any creases will leave an air space in your folds (they won't compress) and allow water to seep in.
I've had bags go dowm rapids, float in a pool for 20 min, lay in a half-swamped canoe, and generally be abused several times with no issues other than the few drops that get in when I open them; don't open them when they are upright if they've gone for a swim- lay it on it's side so any trapped water can run out- not in

the lightweight nylon or silnylon bags are great for stuffing inside a lined canoe pack. They slide smoothly. I use an Ostrom Pack liner as the outer dry bag and then insert all into a canoe pack.

The Ostrums are pricey but I have had mine for seven years now. A good investment for several weeks of canoe tripping a year.

The heavy duty PVC bags do not fit easily in a canoe pack as they are stiffer. They are more abrasion resistant and are more suited to be an outer bag and have the toughness to handle being squeezed through a kayak hatch.

I have sent my drybags all into the water at various times and all perform well if there is no operator error. Folding properly is the key.

I use OR Hydroseal Compression bags for sleeping bag and tent.. I believe they have been replaced by another model (when can manufacturers leave something good alone?)

You must roll the top I beleive 3 times to make them waterproof. I have the light nylon bags with a rubberized coating on the inside and they are not dunkproof to my knowledge. The heavy gauge vinyl ones are dunkproof but are much heavier. Just be careful where you put them so as not to creat a puncture. Too bad Jeff - Mec just had a bunch on clearance a couple of months ago... I think I bought too much. If I decide to return some you want me to let you know?

mikE

of Mec brand dry bags.

They are WORTH IT.

I bought a bunch of smaller ones for a kayaking trip last summer, and I found that small dry bags make it easy to organize things, and if you're rooting through your pack for your wool base layers while shivering in full exposure of a raging thunderstorm, you're going to be really glad you don't have to expose everything in your pack to the rain when you're looking for just one thing.

Oh and ALWAYS pack dry base layers at the top of a dry bag. Trust me.

I have several of those mec lite bags, and I've never had a problem with water getting into them. That said, I've never taken them for any extended swim. But they've held up great to days of rain, or dropping your pack into the lake trying to load it into the canoe.

Worth every penny IMO.

I picked up two of the MEC Lite 20-L drybags for my spring trip. I wasn't really clear on how much volume my gear required, and I only ended up using one of the bags. That held my sleeping bag, liner and clothing. The 20-L are a bit too long for my liking, and I would have picked up two of the 10-L bags instead, but that's just a minor nitpick. I prefer them to my Sealine bag, because they're slightly lighter. I don't find I require them to be 100% waterproof, as I'm not doing whitewater in Algonquin - they're basically there to protect against incidental water that might get in the canoe during a rainstorm.

I use the heavy duty vinyl bags for food, the lighter nylon for clothes and a compression stuff sack with a contractor a grade garbage bag for my sleeping bag.

IMO stuffing my sleeping bag into a dry bag is just impossible and a contractor bag inside a stuff sack has never let me down (even dumping in rapids). I have had better luck stuffing it into the lighter weight nylon bags but I feel they are going to wear faster and after a few years I don't trust them as much. This way I have a new bag every trip. I always keep a couple of spares in the bottom.

I also prefer many bags to one big dry pack. It provides more options when packing my load and reduces the chances of one leak soaking every thing I own. Eventually every bag will leak. And I agree with the above comments about not over packing them and sealing them properly.

Typing this I'm forced to remember a time when finding wet spots on your clothes and sleeping bag was par for the course. We truly are lucky that we can debate what type of dry bag to use. We didn't always have that choice.

I agree with Zeb for the most part and only use a large 30L Vinyl cinch-down dry bag/pack for my food (which is already packed in ziplocks or nalgenes), and all the other soft stuff I'd like to keep dry go in either a combination compression sack-dry bag (e.g. Oregon Research bag for clothes -http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302701623&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442629342) or simply a roll down, snap buckled dry bag such as SealLine, Eureka, HydroBlock from Seattle Sports, etc for sleeping bags.

I just use the stuff sack that comes with the sleeping bag and tuck them into a dry bag - each bag into their own dry bag. Most of these type now state fold A to B and then C to D to create a more 'robust' anti-leak 'seal', but none are truly waterproof. Small pin-prick holes will develop, especially at the seams, their base and fold-down areas over time, and I've had to repair or trash a few when repairing them is no longer practical. Don't overfill is a key that's already been mentioned - press all the air out of them first, then make sure you can roll the top down at least 4-5 times before buckling them up. Some specialized bags have a little valve system that expels the air as you since them down - although how these will stand up over time is still a question, but so far so good with me: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302700593&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442094935 . I wouldn't trust the 'Ultralight' dry bags on longer more serious trips, stick with the heavier more stronger construction.

I don't bother throwing the tent or much else in dry bags, just the clothes and sleeping bag (sometimes a camera or other electronics if the bag is sufficiently padded with foam u add and u don't bring Pelican boxes). The fly ALWAYS gets packed separately from the tent or hammock in its own compression sack, although its sack is not waterproof. Ditto with the tarp. I also line my Duluth Packs with large 6 mm thick plastic liners http://duluthpack.com/product_detail.aspx?product=Poly%20Pack%20Liners), which add another level of waterprevention. Not everything gets packed within the liners, some get packed on top (poles, saw, rod cases, wire toasters, Pelican boxes, etc), and these too will develop small pin-prik holes so repair/replace them as necessary (bring appropriate synth glue/duct tape/backing material etc in your repair kit).

I have a couple of the Outbound dry bags, they're in the middle for thickness / weight. They're not nearly as heavy as the sealline or MEC bags but not nearly as light as the OR or MEC lite. they have the roll top close and have never let me down. They once spent 1.5 hour submersion in fast running waters (rapids) and kept thier contents dry, when everything else in my pack was soaked.

I now have a both the common sense to stay away from the possibility of dunking my pack for an hour and a Eureka pack with the same roll top closure. It is lighter weight material than the Sealline guide pack, but still waterproof. As an additional bonus, it weighs far less than my previous Mason pack.

I usually travel with a guy who's always relied on the glad-bag method of waterproofing, and he has changed his tune since he had an absolutely awful trip following the dunking of his gear.

~j

We use some from Outdoor Research and the Kodiak ones from SealLine in my pack which isn't waterproof. Bryan has a waterproof pack by SealLine and one also by Eureka! (He prefers the Eureka! one though). He also uses a waterproof stuff sack from Granite Gear for the tent when packing up in the rain. This way the fly doesn't make the rest of the gear wet.

Laurie
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
www.outdooradventurecanada.com
www.wildernesscooking.com

We have 2-115 L SeaLine canoe packs, one 115L Eureka canoe packs and various sizes of SeaLine dry sacs for smaller items. They have never let us down and we've been in some pretty nasty weather over the years. I once decided to find out if they really were waterproof and turfed all three of them fully loaded into the lake and left them there for an hour. There wasn't a drop of water in either of them.

I did have a problem with the roll top closure on the Eureka bag. As I was closing it at home and we were about to leave, the whole top ripped right off! Didn't have any choice, took the bag as it was and closed it the best I could. When we got home I contacted Eureka and they agreed there was a flaw in that design which had been corrected. They then sent me a brand new re-designed bag, no receipt required, no questions asked! Now that's customer service! I would not hesitate to buy anything from them again.

Michael

when can manufacturers leave something good alone ?

when enough people start asking that question.
a lot of us like change. we like it when products can do more
we attract to this--to change, for identity reasons or for something else.
'tis the driving force behind the manufacture of new product.
(and the sure success).

buckleys is more exception to this. and that is because in medicine
the business is more straight: people want a cure and a cure simply. thus
when products work they stay around, and do not get banged out by
something new with gadget (because what is new is not what we want: we
want a cure).

anyway, i have seen more dry bags (sealline and mec) in action, than i
have peas on my plate. everything you can reasonably imagine to have
affected the life of a dry bag, i have seen in real. to
answer your question, the mec dry bags works perfectly fine (and by that
i mean they are 100% waterproof). i will not say things like "..only if you
close them right". as i don't say that your waterproof jacket is
waterproof only if the zipped areas are zipped tight. or that a zip lock
need no gap in the seal.

there is no magic in a dry bag, nor in a zip lock:
it is made of such materials that water cannot pass through. water can,
however, pass through the areas where the material is not-- such as where the opening is.
it is important, then, that we treat that area-- with proper folds and snaps, which are no magic in
themselves.

i'm curious though about what is causing you to move from double layered
garbage bags? anything go wrong? i have excellent faith in a pile of clothes
wrapped in two garbage bags (separatly tied off, even twisted and held in place),
then slipped into a nylon shell sac, and then into a canvas pack or whatever. i
have as much faith in that as in dry bags. if a child were packing clothes,
without supervision, i would prefer that he/she did so according to the garbage
bag method, and not have to deal with the more technical shutting of dry
bags.

anyway, dry bags are 100% dry.
and require less loving when being filled and moved,
and come in some pretty hot colours.

Alex
(formally algoalex)







Alex
(formally algoalex)

I had a failure of a Seal Line 115L backpack where the lower attachment of the harness was pulling away (I suspect it was my tripping partner who picked up a loaded bag by one side and put too much stress on it). Seal Line replaced just as Eureka - no receipt, no questions, just a brand new one in the mail.

"Pacific Outdoor, SealLine, and Cascade Designs make waterproof bags (for clothes and sleeping bag) that can be purged of air. One design uses a one way valve so that as you compress the sealed bag air goes out but cannot come back in. The other design, which Mike prefers because he thinks it is more foolproof, involves opening and closing a valve as with the Thermarest pads. All of them are a big improvement and what I now use (mostly)."

This is a message I sent to some friends last winter when Mark and I were recruiting for a July trip in Algonquin. All I would add to it is that for years I also have used Seal Line's clear vinyl bags, which help me to identify at a glance what is inside them. The purge bags have other advantages, however,besides compressibility. Being made of coated fabric, clothes slide into the them more easily and the bags slide into a backpack more easily, they are lighter, and they roll up more easily because they aren't so stiff.