WATER is a frustrating thing. While it sustains life, it can also make things very uncomfortable in the blink of an eye. Just a small amount of H2O in the wrong place can be the difference between warmth and hypothermia, or between sleeping in the cosy hut and under a soggy bush (and that’s not even taking into account $1000 for a replacement phone). Being clever humans, we’ve invented ways to prevent these inconveniences, but you may be surprised to learn that all dry bags are not created equal. Each product was tested for waterproofness, reliability, weight and ease of use, and assessed for durability. Water resistance is generally given as an IP (Ingress Protection) rating, e.g. IP67. As per this chart, the first number refers to dust ingress, and the second to water ingress. An X in place of one of the numbers denotes untested.
1 Macpac Ultralight Dry Bag
(5L, $19.95)
The most common dry bag design for the last ten years has been the roll-top cylindrical bag, manufactured from a strong, waterproof nylon fabric, with seams sealed by waterproof tape – as ably demonstrated here by Macpac. To properly function, the stiff tape at the opening must be folded down tightly at least three times before clipping the buckle. Any less and that sneaky liquid will find a way in. With this bag it wasn’t clear which side of the tape to start rolling down, and the slippery siliconised fabric made it hard to get a good seal. On the plus side, it only weighs 40g and the 30D Cordura feels
