I've never used drybags and have decided I gotta get one. Most of the ones I see use the rolled top for the enclosure, can I hear the pros and cons of this? I'm also wondering about a water proof duffel bag instead any thoughts on this route?

We use various dry bags on canoeing trips and they are a must in my opinion. SealLine or Seattle Sports bags are fine, and the roll top with four straps just takes a lil bit longer to get to your stuff- but they will keep your gear absolutely bone dry as long as you keep the top folded over. Another possible downside- they are less forgiving if you pack them poorly than other packs.

Case in point I had a 7 day trip on the Canadian border in May and we got 4-6" of rain over the week- and everything in the dry bags stayed dry.

My two cents.

After the first time I used Dry bags, I have been using them every since.

I even use them when I am traveling by vehicke or on a plane.

I pack most everything, clothes, etc. in small dry bags before I put the stuff in a suitcase, duffle bag etc.

That way even in the baggage hold of an airplane, if some ladies perfume bottle breaks, or some other liquid leaks out of someone elses luggage it will not get on my "stuff".

I even keep my wool clothing in dry bags in the off season.

It also makes it easier to keep my clothes organized when on a trip. I find it easier to have several dry bags with clothing in them, in a duffle bag rather than just a bunch of clothes stuffed in the duffle bag.

Several dry bags to itemize your items is the ticket. Try to get the clear ones so you can see the contents. Some have a clear window on the bag allowing little visibility. If you get solid color ones put a piece of duct tape on the outside of the bag and use a Sharpie marker and mark all contents. Since every trip will be different discard the tape or use it as a fire kindling and start new on future trips.
Unless you are float hunting wild rivers you don't need the thick heavy and expensive types. The packs you get at Walmart or outdoor/backpacking stores will work. You can buy whole sale from certain outfits such as Campmor in N.J.

Here is another way I have used Dry Bags.

On my several trips to Alaska I have done the following. I hunt with break down guns, either Double Rifles, Drillings or Blaser R 93's.

I put the rifles into the Boyt take down shotgun cases. Then I put the Boyt cases into roll down bags designed for kayaks. And then put them into the hard case.

Once I arrive to the last airport, I leave the hard case, over the years it has been a aluminium takedown case or a TuffPak, at the charter flight office, and put the Boyt case, which is in the roll down cases, on the small plane.

When flying in a Super Cub I just keep the rifles in the roll down bags between my legs...

Hint: I would tie the pilot to the struts, before I would allow my rifles to be tied to the struts on the wing...

Tied to struts on the wing ??

While the bags with roll over tops do an excellent job there is one problem .For example - you boat to your location keeping things dry. You hunt maybe getting things wet in the rain . You then boat back -wet gun in bag .Don't leave it in there it would surely rust !! I've never used mine on long trips so there was no problem. I assume the condensation problem with changes in temperature and humidity that occur with foam hard cases would also occur with dry bags.

Dry bags are a godsend. Used one for year in the military. Best thing out as it doesn't matter what weather you go through, you have dry clothes at night - well, at least for the first night !!!

mete

Never put a wet gun back in a gun case.

If you have to say to fly back from camp, then you muct dry out the gun and the case before you fly home.

I also carry enough gun lube to coat my gun and the inside of the barrel for the flight back home. That way if the gun goes missing for a few days it will have some protection.

Also if you have wet clothes you have 2 choices, since all you other stuff is in dry bags, you can just put the wet clothes loose in the duffle bag, or put them back in their dry bag and just leave it open, till you can dry them out properly.

I have been putting nearly everything in dry bags for many years and I have never seen any downside to using them.

On my brothers first trip to Alaska I had him pack all of his stuff in Drybags, like I do. We were in different camps.

He was in camp with a well known gun writer and a big wig from Remington.

Well typical Alaska it rained a bit, and the tents leaked a little. Thother guys had their duffle bags on the floor of thier tent, and when tghey got back from theh first days hunt ALL of their clothes were wet. They had soaked up water from the floor of the tent all the way to the top piece of clothing in their bags.

My brothers stuff was all totally dry.

At the end of the hunt when we got back together he told me that "them dry bags are worth their weight in gold and diamonds".

On my first trip to Alaska I had already been suing dry bags for several years.

So I packed all my stuff in individual dry bags and then put them in a large dry bag, and then put that dry bag in a military type duffle bag. I told my buddies going up with me, 7 others, do do the same.

Well they just put all of their clothes in one dry bag and did not put that in a duffle bag.

So we get to Dillingham, and our stuff is put on the tarmac next to the planes we will be flying up in, and it is raining.

After about 4 hours it is determined that the weather is too bad to fly out, and will not get better that day. So we all go to a hotel.

I tell the guys to be sure and check their clothes. Tney say "why, they are in a dry bag".

I tell them no doubt the airlines has already put some small holes in their dry bags and after 4 hours in the rain their clothes have sucked in some water.

Sure enough all of them had wet clothes.

When you held their dry bags up to the light you could see several small holes in their new dry bags...

So dry bags work great, but you need to protect them, and to be extra sure I put my stuff in several smaller individual dry bags.

Real important things like my sleeping bag, I double dry bag, and then put it in the bigger dry bag.

We went moose hunting one fall and it was a 14 hour quad ride to where we had to go. I'd packed all my clothes into plastic bags then into my duffel bag. The quad trailer with the gas cans had the clothes bags too.... I don't know why we packed like that but we did and the gas cans leaked of course and my clothes were the only ones that didn't smell of gas.

I spent an hour last night looking at different drybags on the net and I gotta say there are some nice features now and the prices have come way down.

I do several canoe trips a year, dry bags are the only way to go for that.

Buy the best you can afford cheap ones only lead to buying better ones.

I also double pack the important stuff. Not only makes it easier to find. Keeps it a lot safer.

The only dry bag here is one that came with a tent.

This puzzles me a bit. If your tent needs a drybag, how will it go in the rain?

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
The only dry bag here is one that came with a tent.

This puzzles me a bit. If your tent needs a drybag, how will it go in the rain?

I tent rolled up and packed isn't the same as a tent set up with the rain fly.

I pack my tent in a dry bag just because I like dry equipment to start with.

He He ......Drybag for a tent is a reverse drybag
...............keeps a wet tent from getting on anything else when you are moving camp when the tent is wet.

same deal with a drybag for wet clothes.
I use HD garbage bags for that , rather than a proper drybag tho..............its lighter.

Sea to Summit brand are light weight and have the roll top with clip buckle and a D-ring. They come in a variety of sizes such that you can have one for every sub set of your gear. If packing alone, you can get different colors to help identify the contents. If you are packing together, such as on a float trip or caravan, a different color for each member identifies each one's gear. Like another posted previously, keep the various dry bags of gear within another duffle. Your gear will be protected from water from tarmac to field to tarmac. As an aside, I got a floating rifle case to carry my rifle inside of my hard-side once the middle layer of foam is removed. There is still room for a lot of other gear and despite cramming it with heavies and longs, I couldn't get it over 40# which is good when traveling by air. before goin afield, the hard side is left in the hanger and the floater keeps my rifle dry and safe in the event of a swamping or capsize. Tie your bags to the craft, hence, the D-ring.

The Sea to Summit bags are excellent and they are a lot tougher than theyn feel.

Also many times I will put things that TSA might want to look at is the Seal Line See Bags.

These are tough see through bags.

TSA can feel through the Sea to Simmit bags tat there is only clothes in them, but if you have "hard things" f they are in one of the see thropugh bags they can tell what it is.

I have never had any of my dry bags opened by TSA, and I know they opened up the duffel bag because there was that little "note" they leave inside.

I float a lot of rivers here in Idaho. NRS Bills bags and Jacks bags are the best.
Both have hard rubbers strips at the top that you fold over.
Squeeze the air out first.
Friend had one of these bags on a flipped raft that wasn't recovered on MFS for a couple days.
It was totallly immersed in the water for 2 days and contents were bone dry.

Good dry bags are pricey. Start with a cheapy and you'll soon upgrade.
It's no fun when your boat dumps and you stuff is wet on day 1 of a 7 day trip.

FWIW I have used both the duffel and the roll top bag, both by Cabelas (Boundary Water series). The roll top bag is better, in my opinion, for travel. During the hunt, however, it can be a pain getting to everything unless you’re in a camp or tent where you can completely unload the bag. On a recent grizzly bear hunt in Alaska, I used the duffel bag version (still a roll top, but the access is along the length, not the end). It was only me and the guide, and the tent was small. I left my duffel (and my clothes and gear in it) outside the entire 2 weeks, and it rained almost 50% of the time. It was very effective in keeping my clothes and gear dry, and the duffel design made finding things much easier.

I have used Ortleib drybags in canoes, on boats etc for ages - brilliant http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/drybags.html. I have one thats about 45 ltrs that has proper shoulder straps so do use it as a back pack, but not particularly comforatble. But I what I have done is just put one in my normal mountain pack as a liner and things stay bone dry.

Would seriously look at http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/backpacks/elevation.html - but since I bought a new pack a few months ago, can't justify the cost of this one.

What I always use are a series of draw string stuff sacks to keep all my different bits of kit in. ie one for night gear, one for food, one for sapre glives / socks for day use etc. Makes life a lot easier / quicker when trying to find stuff - usually needed in the dark / when pissing with rain.

Also have a look at www.alpkit.com - they only sell online and their kit is very good, and very reasonably priced. They work on the basis of keep it simple and cut out the middle man. I live in their Down Jacket - 1/3 price of North Face etc and just as toasty, likewise have one of their down seeping bags. OK its 200g heavier than equivalent warmth from one the top of the range manufacturers - but its £200 cheaper.

Those are both great sites....thanks for the links!

One also might want to check out

CCS cooke custom sewing

they make some very good out door gear packs, rain flys and more.