Grab a bargain dry bag

[Pete McK]

A 40ltr dry bag, really solid construction and 100% waterproof at Aldi for just £10 now (May 25, 2014)

Bought two, one as a liner to my 50ltr rucksack and other for boot of car to stash dirty kit, boots in after hike.

[Hugh Westacott]

Dry bags are pieces of kit that are a perpetual puzzle to me and, despite making diligent enquiries, I've never received a satisfactory answer. I can see that they have their uses when kayaking and canoeing but for walkers what advantages do they have over plastic bags which are readily available for free?

Hugh

I grow old...I grow old, I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled. T.S. Eliot

[Pete McK]

Like you Hugh, we effectively used plastic bin liners. That is until caught up in a heavy summer storm in the Alps last year. We both went into our rucksacks to get out our jackets and then trekked back to our campsite in the driving rain. When we opened our rucksacks, in the shelter of our tent, Emma had torn her plastic bags, near the top and her kit was drenched Hence £10 for a permanent plastic bag.

Maybe we should be asking why rucksack manufacturers cannot make them using waterproof material? We have various Lowe Alpine rucksacks, all costing over £70, yet the fabric is not waterproof    

[Hugh Westacott]

After that experience, Pete, I quite understand why you should be cautious!

I've found, like you, that most bin liners are not the answer because they tear too easily. I use stouter plastic bags which I assiduously collect and store.  The plastic bag is lined with my three-quarter length closed-cell sleeping mat (inflatable sleeping mats are for cissies!) which attempts to unroll and thus provides shape and support inside my ultra-lightweight Gossamer Gear rucksack (which weighs 480 grammes complete with rain cover). I keep my sleeping bag in its stuff sack inside another plastic bag and I put my clothes on top in another plastic bag. Since employing this system, I've never had any problem with wet gear. On one occasion, when taking a break beside a fast-flowing beck, my rucksack fell into the water and was then completely submerged when trapped by a bank of shingle. When rescued there was water inside the pack but my sleeping bag and clothes were bone dry.

I can no longer carry heavy packs so when, at the end of April, I made a four-day seventy-mile backpacking trip across Wilshire from Avebury via Stonehenge to Shaftesbury in Dorset, my complete backpacking outfit, including food and water, never weighed more than seven kg which is not a lot more than I carry when leading day walks.

Hugh

I grow old...I grow old, I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled. T.S. Eliot

[Lyle Brotherton]

Working with the excellent Coastguard Sector Manager for Scarborough, Simon Drayton, he introduced Scott and me to two items of kit we later investigated for use in MR (Mountain Rescue):

1.   Small, ground positioned Laser LEDs which flashed infrared light to guide in in air assets to the locus.
2.   The Swiss made Caribee Alpha-Pack Waterproof 30ltr rucksacks, used for their rope rescue kit – there are some pretty high cliffs in this area and sadly some people jump off them in an attempt to commit suicide and safe access for the HMCG Responders is essential.



These rucksacks come in three sizes, 20ltr, 30ltr and 50ltr. The type of nylon there were fabricated from was like that used in inflatable rafts, double welded with a clever 2-way sealing system for the opening. They also had £M High-Vis patches on the front of the bag and both shoulder straps, plus the colour of the bag was neon yellow. A padded air mesh back system and sternum strap made them both secure and comfortable to wear.

BUT, they were heavy. The 30ltr weighing in at 2.1kg and the 50ltr a whopping 3.1kg, as a consequence we ruled them out for use in MR (not so the LED infrared lights).

Recently, another manufacturer of mainly marine waterproof bags has introduced a range of ultras-lightweight waterproof bags.



The Overboard Ultra-Light Pro-sports Waterproof Backpack is a really well designed piece of kit, with more features than the Caribee and yet the 30ltr weighing in at under half the weight of the Caribee at 0.96kg and the 50ltr a very respectable 1.34kg

The 30ltr rucksack costs £90 and the 50ltr and £125

[krenaud]

Lyle, that overboard rucksack looks really nice. Do you remember how large the front zipped pocket is?

[Lyle Brotherton]

Krenaud, I will photograph the different features of the rucksack for you and include dimensions.

As a footnote, I estimate that the 50ltr is more realistically 55ltr capacity and the 30ltr,  nearer 33ltr.  Indicative of the overall build quality, which is outstanding.

[Callum]

Maybe we should be asking why rucksack manufacturers cannot make them using waterproof material?

Pete, I think that you have hit the nail on the head

I went to school in a Mackintosh coat, which used a rubberised material to make it waterproof, it was heavy, completely non-breathable and invented the century before.

I read that Gor-Tex was introduced into the British market in the mid-70s, but in the late-80s our British Army waterproof kit differed little in its features, or lack of them, to that of my Mackintosh. Our patrol packs - rucksacks - were made of a vulcanised material, again with rubber I think, and whilst this material was waterproof, the opening to the packs were not and the packs were not waterproof. Heavy rain always managed to get into your kit and for this reason we were issued with covers and like all rucksack covers they were a pain the the ar** from fitting them, to keeping them on in high winds.

It seems strange, that nearly 30 years on, rucksack covers are still regarded as an acceptable solution by big name manufacturers such as Berghaus and North Face, when the fastening technology and fabric design have advanced so much.

Today, British Army patrol packs, made by the likes of Karrimor, are made of water resistant materials such as Kodex and Cordura, which seems incredible

Maybe, like my old Mackintosh, it has all been about the weight and this Over Board firm have now fixed this. Have you a lot of experience with this rucksack Lyle?

[Callum]

My recently bought Rab Alpine 35ltr cost me £90. Checking the techspecs on Rab’s website, the material sounds like science fiction stuff “High Tenacity Robic™ Nylon fabric with DualGuard.” Reading further about it, it is weatherproof, not waterproof and some reports say it tears easier than other breathable fabrics. Maybe I should have ignored what the magazines and sponsored websites say, could they be biased

[Hugh Westacott]

In the dim and distant past when I sometimes worked as a gear tester, I questioned the technical people at Berghaus and Ultimate Equipment why rucksacks could not be made waterproof. Both companies stated that it was because there was so much stitching and the seams were under such a strain that a rucksack was bound to leak. Also, of course materials such as canvas, heavyweight nylon and Cordura did not readily bond with proofing compounds.

Frankly, for recreational outdoor people, I can't see that the ingress of a little water is a problem; all that is needed is a system, such as outlined in my earlier post, that keeps your gear dry. I use a rain cover when backpacking because I find it helpful, though not essential, to keep the outside of my pack asmdry as possible in the porch of my tent. I keep the rain cover permanently attached to my rucksack with a short length of cord so that it won't get lost or left behind, and it makes the pack look neater. When removed from the rucksack it serves as a groundsheet when taking a short break. I wouldn't be without it! 

Hugh

I grow old...I grow old, I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled. T.S. Eliot

[boogyman]

For my information... well, I assume you all know Ortlieb gear, but because you don't mention it in this thread, should I conclude that it is no good? A link to their watertight daypack.

Thanks,
Chris.

[Callum]

Boogyman, at our centre we use Ortleib’s canoe dry bags and their map cases and both are very good. Their rucksacks are not so good, the 27ltr weighing in at 1.52kg and only the main body of the rucksack is waterproof, the outer pockets are not, plus they are not comfortable to wear for long distances as they sit flush to your entire back – I know because I have done so in Wales

[boogyman]

Thanks Cal, very good to know. I had considered buying their daypack, but never had first-hand feedback, until now.

[Lyle Brotherton]

I will write a review of my experience with both the 30ltr & 50ltr Overboard bags

[captain paranoia]

Alpkit's Gourdon dry rucksacks have been generally well received by UKClimbing users.