I've been considering making a water bag from heat-sealable ripstop nylon, and I'm interested in the possibility of using a roll top closure. I've done several tests and found that my prototypes invariably leak under pressure. Does anyone have any experience attempting to make a truly air-and-water-tight roll top closure? Has anyone had any success at this?
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rolltop closures
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Pressure from inside usually does leak out. Roll-top closures are meant to withstand external pressure.
Cheers
>Pressure from inside usually does leak out. Roll-top closures are meant to withstand external pressure.
Huh, that's interesting! Learn something new every day!
Roger,
I have heard it suggested that small drybags could be inflated and used as a pillow. Have you heard any accounts of this?
I guess I continue to mull over positive-pressure applications for roll top closures because I can't see why they should necessarily be leaky. The standard buckled canoe closure crumples and creases the material, and I can see how these folds could be leaky. But, as an alternative, I tried rolling the material tightly around a tube, and it still seems to leak under pressure.
If a way could be found to make a truly airtight roll top, a single bag could then serve as a water bag, a drybag/stuffsack, an inflatable pillow, and a pump for an inflatable sleeping pad.
In my experience, those rolltop bag pillows last about 45 seconds before deflating. I began to assume people meant to use them as a pillow by putting extra clothes in them, not by inflating them.
> suggested that small drybags could be inflated and used as a pillow.
My experiences match those of Travis.
Cheers
Here is an article on bags from 2006.
I sometimes use a down vest inside a roll-top dry bag. Sometimes it stays up all night, sometimes it goes down very quickly. One day I figure out why…
I have not experienced roll top closures staying inflated, but if they sometimes do I wonder if a film of grease,wax or condensation rolled in the neck of a well rolled closure of smooth coated fabric, would make the difference?
I've wondered about this as well. It seems that a bit of rubber (silicone sheet/film?) on the inside of the closure might give a better seal.
Tried it.
I put a thin line of silicone around the opening–it resembled a ziploc bag closure (very rudimentary of course). The silicone didn't like whatever the stuff sack was made of and it peeled off. But, I did get a few attempts in at keeping it inflated. No avail.
Want a great pillow that doubles as a camp seat and frame for a frameless pack? Read my review of the Thermarest Lite Seat.
Sorry, back on topic now…..rolltop closures.
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