Let's talk pack covers

[Hikes in Rain]

Why not a poncho? It weighs the sames as a rain shell without the need for an 8 oz pack cover. They seem to have fallen out of style, but I 'm not sure why.

Lots of advantages. It can be a ground cloth for lunch or an extra blanket on a cold night. When your single-wall tent is raining condensation or misting from blowing rain, it will keep your down bag dry. It's more breathable in a warm rain than a breathable shell. If you need to dig somethiing out of your pack during a rain shower, it's a portable shelter.

They look kinda goofy, so maybe that's it.

I still use a poncho, for all the reasons you mention. Mine's the Campmor "ultralight" backpack model, with the flap in the back to extent it over your pack. I also line my pack and have a light pack cover. I like multiple redundancy and flexibility where getting stuff wet is concerned.

[BamaB2]

Has anyone tried applying a waterproofing spray or liquid, either store bought or DIY. to the outside surfaces of the pack.

[msumax1985]

I embrace the rain and all its glory.. sometimes

I use a liner and some dry bags and thats it. no pack cover. I don't really care about my pack getting weight. it sheds and drys water easily as well. my pack is made of codura.. cuben is even better as it doesn't really absorb any water, just sheds it

yes, your pack does put on some water weight, but carrying a pack cover also weighs 2-3oz to begin with.. and you only use it when its raining... fair trade?

I've seen many pack covers in hiker boxes, brand new unused osprey ones too.

if you kept valuables strapped to the outside of your pack i would see a point, i however, do not

Hmmmm..... Good point, Fox! I never thought of it that way. I carry a 4 oz pack cover every step of the trail. Why not just carry the extra water weight only when your pack is wet, maybe 5% of the time. The 95% of time that it is dry, I'd be saving 4oz.

I already have a trash compactor bag liner. And many things are in waterproof stuff sacks inside that. I guess I have triple redundancy with the pack liner, at the expense of 4 oz.

[swjohnsey]

I think Zpack's cuben pack covers weigh about an ounce and cost about the same as a pack cover made in China.

[CalebJ]

Most of the time I don't use either one. Occasionally a liner, but only rarely. The pack sheds most of the water, and the only thing inside it that can't get wet is the sleeping bag. That goes inside a water resistant stuff sack or (more common) gets rolled inside the waterproof bivy. This combination has been through quite a few torrential storms without a problem.

[Christoph]

Well I packed my stuff up and hosed her down. Nothing I didn't want to get wet did. I'm thinking about what msumax1985 said about 5% of the time. With my luck tho, there'll be record rainfalls this year.

[msumax1985]

Zpacks medium pack cover is only 1.2 ounces, $44. I've heard that cuben fiber is waterproof, so that might be one benefit of getting a Zpacks backpack--no need for a pack cover.

I still love my Osprey Exos 46, but think more and more about a ZPacks Arc Blast every year. This pack cover thing is just one more reason, or excuse, to get one. 38 vs 16.5 ounces is primary. Both have the mesh trampoline back that I love. Why does it have to be so expensive? I guess it's only $6.80 extra per ounce saved. One of these days..........

[Frank_the_cat]

I'm going to repeat BamaB2's question: Is it helpful to water-proof your pack beforehand? Like scotch gaurd?

[saltysack]

Been tried .......don't think was effective..


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[xrayextra]

Skip the pack cover and go with dry sacks. I've got one for my sleeping bag that doubles as a compression bag, a small one for electronics, another for medical, and one for clothes, each one a different color. It makes packing easy and you don't have to hassle with pack covers or garbage bag liners. When you're in camp you know exactly where everything is too.

If you slip and fall into a stream (albeit not likely), you know everything will be dry.

[misprof]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Chea...ver-That-Also/ This link explains how to make a pack cover from a trash bag. cheap yes. I have used it and other than the straps the pack stayed dry. The sweat from my back did not even get the pack wet. It looks very unfashionable but for a buck I can throw fashion to the wind.

[Christoph]

Well, I've decided to go the poncho route. I already have one that'll cover up the pack, old military style. Plus I can use it as a tarp if needed for temp shelter (cooking in the rain, etc). Thanks for all the replies, that really helped my decision.

[q-tip]

My stuff getting wet is a big fear for me. I use sil stuff sacks, trash bag liner and cuben pack cover. Maybe overrkill, but not a lot of extra weight for the peace of mind.

[Connie]

It doesn't need to be fear.

It is practical to keep your stuff dry: wet gear is heavier.

There has to be dry clothing and sleeping gear, of course.

There is no controversy about that. The only discussion is how we achieve it.

I want my pack dry. I think the LightHeart Gear Hoodie Pack Cover will do that.

Nevertheless, my sleeping gear and my clothing and my food have dry-bags inside my backpack.

In a down-pour rain or a stream crossing, I know my gear is dry.

[Wülfgang]

I've hiked in torrential rains with a trash compactor liner and a sil waterproof stuff sac for my bag. No issues.

I do think a roll-top sil sack is superior to the trash compactor liner, but you are adding 3-4 ounces.

One thing that is non-negotiable for me on ANY trip is a waterproof dry sack for my sleeping bag. Your bag can quite literally be your lifesaver.

[Slack-jawed Trog]

I've always used trash/compactor bags, and a ziplock or two for things that must NOT get wet (TP, electronics). Nothing in the pack ever got wet, I was satisfied, and I resisted pack covers for years as unnecessary. Until the day I hiked through a wind-driven, all day down pour. At the end of the day I poured over a liter of water out of my pack.

Three guesses what my next gear purchase was, and the first two don't count! YMMV, and invariably will...

[CalebJ]

I've always used trash/compactor bags, and a ziplock or two for things that must NOT get wet (TP, electronics). Nothing in the pack ever got wet, I was satisfied, and I resisted pack covers for years as unnecessary. Until the day I hiked through a wind-driven, all day down pour. At the end of the day I poured over a liter of water out of my pack.

Three guesses what my next gear purchase was, and the first two don't count! YMMV, and invariably will...

Trash bag or compactor bag?
Hole in the bag or not tied off completely?

Just curious how the water got in.

[BirdBrain]

2 mil trash bag for liner. Twist top like elephant trunk and tuck toward your back. Packa solves the rest. Problem with pack cover and rain jacket is water flows down your back getting pack wet. If it rains off and on you have to take pack off to put jacket on and off. With Packa, you can unzip, take sleeves off and on, or just let the pack carry it. Packa also has less material than separate jacket and cover. I love mine. Really a no brainer versatile way to keep you and your pack dry.

[atmilkman]

2 mil trash bag for liner. Twist top like elephant trunk and tuck toward your back. Packa solves the rest. Problem with pack cover and rain jacket is water flows down your back getting pack wet. If it rains off and on you have to take pack off to put jacket on and off. With Packa, you can unzip, take sleeves off and on, or just let the pack carry it. Packa also has less material than separate jacket and cover. I love mine. Really a no brainer versatile way to keep you and your pack dry.

Makes sense to me. Except I don't use a liner. Strictly dry sacks.

[squeezebox]

I've heard of folks pack covers getting blown off by the wind and getting lost. I plan hooking mine to my pack in some way. If the cinch cord doesn't line up right with anything, I'll sew a short piece of cord to the cover and hook it to the back somewhere with a mini carabiner or such.