What do you think about the Granite Gear Überlight dry sacks?

[Eywa Dude]

I am buying separate dry sacks for my sleeping bag and clothes, and was wondering what you thought of the Granite Gear Überlight cuben fiber dry sacks?: http://www.granitegearstore.com/eVen...s-P219C15.aspx Are they durable enough for compressing my sleeping bag and clothes over 5-6 months of thru-hiking? What do you use/suggest? Also, what size do you suggest for each? Here's a list of my gear:

Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends Swift, 20 deg., 900 fill down, regular size (6 ft.)

Winter gear:

GoLite Tumalo rain shell and pants
Lightweight base layers, top/bottom
Mid-weight base layers, top/bottom
1 extra pair of boxers
1 extra lightweight T-shirt
Lightweight shorts
Lightweight fleece top
Lightweight synthetic insulated jacket (0.61 lbs.)
1 extra pair of Wigwam Merino Hiker Light socks
1 pair of mid-weight socks (for sleeping)


Keep in mind that I'll be wearing any combination of these clothes, given the conditions (you'll have to use your imagination for this one), so not all of these items will be in my pack at once. Thanks for your help, you guys have been really great!

[Miner]

I used a normal cuben fiber sack from z-packs for my clothing without any issues; it doubled as my pillow. However, I don't normally stuff jackets in it. You would have to watch out for the zippers as you stuff since cuben's main weakness is abrasion. For my sleeping bag, I don't like stuffing them in small bags since you decrease the life some (an issue if you plan on keeping your sleeping bag for a number of years) and because I've found many packs carry better if they are more full. I normally just use a plastic bag that allows the sleeping bag to loft some and never had any problems with it getting wet. That said, I don't think you'd have anyproblem with a cuben sack for your sleeping bag either, IF you watch the zipper as you stuff it. You don't want it dragging on the material like a knifes edge as you stuff it in.

[Juice]

I have the 10 liter uber light sack, I returned a previous purchase and used the store credit to pick it up. It was a waste of money IMO.

[RodentWhisperer]

I agree with Juice. Not worth it. If you really need UL dry sacks, look at Z-packs selections. They're a little cheaper, and handmade.

[STICK]

I have cuben dry sacks from ZPacks, Laswon Kline and one of the GG UberLite dry sacks. In my opinion, they are all fine. I don't cram my stuff into them though so that they are tight as a tick though. I like for there to be enough room so that I can push some air out and actually flatten them out a little rather than being round balls.

Another idea is to get a liner for your pack. I use one of Joe's (ZPacks) dry sack liners inside my pack and then depending on the pack I am using, I may use the stuff sack that came with my sleeping bag or I just cram the sleeping bag in the bottom of the liner and then pile everything else on top.

However, if you want to go with the GG dry bags, for the FF Swift I would get the 13L bag. I have a 15 F Marmot Helium (so similar size) and it will fit in my 10L GG Uberlight cuben bag, but it is very difficult to get the top rolled down. Plus, I would be weary of packing it that tight in that dry sack for an entire thru hike. Just get the size a little larger and roll down as much as you need. Or, another option, get the 18L and use it for your clothes and your bag together. Save a little weight there.

If you want to go with ZPacks, I would recommend you going with the large rectangular bag. Again, my Helium will fit in a Medium-Plus that I have from ZPacks, but i would be afraid of putting that much strain on the seams every day. Another thing, if you get it from Joe, I would request him to tape over the seams or to just order some of the single sided tape from him and do it yourself. A strip 54" long is like $3. Would be enough to tape the bag and then to have some left over to carry for repairs if needed. Although duct tape works well on cuben to I am told.

As for the clothing...are you planning on keeping your rain gear in a dry sack as well?

For the clothing, I would suggest the 10L GG Uberlight dry bag at least, or the Medium Plus ZPacks dry sack. Simply because of the synthetic jacket. I assume that you do not plan to hike in your jacket so it will be in your pack unless you are at camp, or stopped for lunch? One thought is to store the jacket in a separate dry sack so that if you do need to get your jacket out during the middle of the day it can be left near the top of your pack, protected in its own dry sack. Plus you wouldn't have to drag out your clothes bag each time. Here again though, if you had a pack liner you wouldn't need all the different dry sacks...

Anyway...sorry for the ramble...hope it helps...

[swjohnsey]

The ZPack stuff is about half as much and not made in China.

[Eywa Dude]

STICK you've always been helpful! Yeah, I got a little carried away, I don't know what I was thinking listing my GoLite Tumalo suit (I picked them up because of your YouTube post. Bought 'em on sale for $69/$49!). Oh and by the way, you never ramble. As a newbie, just about everybody's posts have been helpful, but I like your longer posts too, because you tend to go into greater detail with a little more info about the pluses and minuses of everything. This really does help the initiated reader, especially someone who is new to distance hiking like me! Thanks again.

[Camping Dave]

I am buying separate dry sacks for my sleeping bag and clothes, and was wondering what you thought of the Granite Gear Überlight cuben fiber dry sacks?:

Judging by your recent posts, it seems you might be carrying a leatherman, camp shoes, a medical kit, a folding bucket, bear bag, gaiters, a guidebook, etc.

Obviously uber-light is not high on your priority list. Do you really want to drop the extra coin on cuben fiber when you could save both money and weight by learning how to get by without so much unnecessary gear first?

[Eywa Dude]

Hey Camping Dave, that was a little unnecessary. Certainly three things you mentioned: a medical kit, bear bag, and a guide book are essential for the thru-hike I will be doing. If you have any information on how to pare down my pack weight, and the reasons why some items should be eliminated, then by all means feel free to impart some knowledge. Quips like the one in your post do not help in any way. Further to my point, this is a website and forum to HELP with the spread of information, especially to us newbies. If we are discouraged in asking questions, then there really isn't any point to the forum on this site. Again, the spread of sage advice is a welcome thing. A hit and run post with no real information isn't. Thanks for your consideration.