keeping stuff in pack dry: your techniqiues?

One technique is to line the pack bag with a contractor's bag and just put the stuff sacks in that. This works for paddling as well as backpacking altough the contractor bag is perhaps overkill except for extended trips where a regular heavy duty lawn and leaf bag might wear out and you have no chance of getting another.

Except in extreme conditions, I don't line my bags at all, but use a pack cover instead. 'Extreme conditions' means continuous monsoon rains, day in and day out – or paddling.

Derek,

I use the same bags. The "fresh scent" only lasts for a couple of days.

Prior to putting your gear into your pack take the time to "air out" the trash compactor bags by placing them outdoors and turning them inside out. Give them anywhere from one to three days to "calm down".

It occurs to me that even though I have never done this myself rinsing off the inside of the bags with clear water and allowing them to dry outdoors could also be of some benefit.

The bags work very well. On my last trip I had no rips, tears or holes. I use one large size bag to line the inside of my pack. My pack is frameless. I roll up my pad and let it uncoil inside of my pack. Next the trash compactor bag goes inside of the rolled up pad. The rest of my gear goes inside of the trash compactor bag.

Use the heavy 2 mil bags.

Party On,

Newton

I use either the large size turkey oven bags or the compactor bags.

If you have access to a Smart & Final, they have a large assortment of trash bags, at least two unscented compactor bag options.

A lot of people seem to forget that one scenario that can easily happen is slipping and falling during a stream ford. It happens to the best of us! When it happened to me, I found several inches of water in the bottom of my backpack (that's what was left after I crawled out of the water, took it off and unpacked it). It was cold wet weather and I was 2 days from the trailhead. If my sleeping bag (of course at the bottom of my pack) or my insulating clothing had gotten wet, it would have been a dire emergency. Unfortunately people seem to forget the possibility of immersion, however brief. There's also the possibility of an all-day soaking rain in which the water runs down your (and the pack's) back, soaking into the bottom portion of the pack next to your back, which is of course where your sleeping bag resides.

Earlier this month I managed to slip and literally sit down in a big mud puddle on Washington's Olympic coast. In addition to the pack and me having their bottom portions liberally smeared with mud, a small amount of very muddy moisture made its way inside. It didn't help that I was laughing so hard that it took a couple of minutes before I could start getting up!

Stuff sacks and pack covers are not waterproof in case of heavy rain or immersion. Toss your pack into the bathtub with the pack cover on, or toss a stuffed stuff sack into the tub, and you'll see what I mean.

That being said, I do use a lightweight pack cover (cuben fiber) mostly because I use my pack as a pillow and would rather not take a soggy-all-over pack into my tent.

That leaves two possibilities for insuring that your critical (insulating) gear stays dry. The first is a pack liner, whether one made for the purpose or a heavy-duty plastic bag. If you're going to be fording streams, you'll want to fasten it with a waterproof closure (the "candy cane" closure usually works). In the case of a plastic bag, check it daily for pinholes and patch them. Trash compactor bags are good, but lately a lot of them are scented–not a good idea in bear country (assuming you can stand the smell, which I can't!). Airing them out may make them less annoying to humans, but I'm sure plenty of smell is left for far more sensitive ursine noses!

The second possibility is a dry bag or two for your critical insulating gear (sleeping bag and insulation layer). Since the sleeping bag is usually at the bottom of the pack, while insulation layers are usually at the top where they can be accessed in a hurry, that means two dry bags. There are a lot of dry bags around that are lightweight. The light-weight ones won't take prolonged immersion, but won't get wet inside if you fall in the creek and don't stay there. I use dry bags (the Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil) but I test them first (for a few years they had the reputation of leaking pretty badly, but the ones I bought in 2008 are just fine). Dry bags of cuben fiber are even lighter and I'm planning to switch, assuming they pass the 5-minute immersion test. A cheaper version would be mylar turkey roasting bags (subject to daily inspection). Don't squash those too hard, though, or they'll pop!

I used the plastic liner for several years, but kept having problems shoving small items down into my pack only to have them pop right back out at me again thanks to the slippery plastic. I got tired of this frustrating nonsense and switched to a dry bag for my sleeping bag and another for my insulating clothing. Things like food and the components of my first aid kit are in ziplock bags anyway, so I don't worry about them. Note, however, that ziplock bags containing squishy items like socks tend to pop open. Those go in one of my dry bags instead.

If some of what I've written sounds like Jim Wood's excellent article, "Keeping Your Critical Gear Dry," that's because I've read it and recommend it to all. However, I don't go so far as to use the double method he recommends, using both a pack liner and a dry bag! I just make sure to inspect the plastic (if using it) every morning and to test the dry bags at least once a year to be sure they'll still keep the water out.

Another thing I do to keep dry is to keep my tent in one of the outside pockets of my pack. That way I can set up the tent in the rain without getting the inside of my pack wet. I then unpack the pack inside the tent. I do the same in reverse when packing up on a soggy morning.

Your Mileage May Vary, but I personally won't risk getting my gear wet!

Mary D wrote: "you'll want to fasten it with a waterproof closure (the "candy cane" closure usually works)."

What do you mean by a "candy cane" closure? I've been using a trash compactor bag closed with a twist-tie: one of the big, long wire ones that they use at the grocery store for bunches of vegetables. But I'm not really very happy with this method, because the twist ties don't wear well on a long trip.

When doing a high crossing, I try to make sure that I have both my down bag and my sleep clothes inside their own trash bags, surrounded by the trash compactor bag for a second layer of protection.

I prefer the multiple dry bag method, with drain holes in my pack so water can't pool in the bottom. I use the urethene laminated and sil Sea to Summits, mostly the former for confidence when packrafting and canyoneering. I'd look at cuben if I didn't already own an armada of bags.

Typically I put my sleeping bag and clothing that is unlikely to be needed often in a 13 liter bag. The rest of the clothing goes in another drybag, either 5 or 13 liters depending on the trip and season. Then a 2 liter bag for maps, first aid, headlamp, etc, etc. The speed and organization outweighs the weight gain.

The "candy cane" closure involves twisting the top of the bag tightly and then doubling it back on itself. A small piece of cord can be used. I've given up on twisty ties and rubber bands; they either break or shoot off somewhere into the undergrowth and are lost. It wouldn't hurt to do a little experimenting in the bathtub. Of course dry bags are a lot easier to close, and there's no separate piece of closure to get lost!

David, the drain holes sound like a good idea–saves having to empty the pack. However, I've fallen in a creek only the one time. I hope never again, but I don't want to count on it!

Mary D wrote: "The "candy cane" closure involves twisting the top of the bag tightly and then doubling it back on itself. A small piece of cord can be used."

Aha! That sounds like just the technique I needed. Thanks!

Here's the article Mary referred to:

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/DryGear/index.html

I'm heading out next week, so I think I'm going to go with what I have: trash compactor bags. These have worked pretty well so far, but I hope to move towards sil-nylon or cuban fiber when I get some extra $, if only for ease of use.

I have a pack cover for keeping 99% of the water out 99% of the time. I also keep my critical insulation (down jacket, sleeping bag, socks) in two separate rolltop drybags whenever they aren't in use.

I don't like stuffsacks in general, and feel they kill space, but for "just in case" I have enough that ensures I'll get through the night.