I just got the new Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry DayPack and I am impressed.
One of my typical backpacking styles is to set out for 3-5 days and set up a base camp–tent, shelter, or cabin–near to the alpine zone as I can get and then day hike from there. For this purpose I carry a lightweight daypack with me. Since joining BPL I have become an obsessive weigher and I weighed my simple ripstop/webbing daypack and found it was 7.5 oz. So I started looking for something lighter. I looked at the GG RikSak and the Zpacks Zero and then found that Sea to Summit had two new day packs, the TravelingLight and the more expensive Dry. Since I often go out all day, watertightness is important to me as I carry pricy camera gear and a down jacket in the cold season.
The Dry Daypack weighs 2.7 oz, is made of a light but strong and completely waterproof fabric, has taped seams and a drybag style roll top, and outside cords to reduce the volume or hold a light jacket. The fabric, a light Cordura-reinforced Ultra-sil, seems to be much stronger and more waterproof than other fabrics I've seen. The thing has a large enough volume to carry jacket, water, camera gear, balaclava, etc. I am very impressed with the quality of construction–double stitched and bar tacked and seam sealed and nice tight roll top. I like the fact that I can use it as a completely waterproof stuff sack for my down bag and jacket. It appears to be extremely waterproof.
I will report further after using it for a while.
