Best Drysack?

[Spaceman44]

What have you guys found is the best dry sack for food and clothes and such? Which brands are good and which ones should I avoid? Is 100% waterproof necessary?

[HooKooDooKu]

I personally love Outdoor Research Ultralight Dry Sacks for food storage.

The sacks are light weight, completely water proof, and include a D ring to make it easy to clip them to a bear hanger.

I've also used them for cloths, but the sacks waterproof layer doesn't stand up to the test of time. Because the bags are so light weight, that means they are thin and it doesn't take too much to eventually wear/tear through such a light layer.

After getting my last OR bag chewed by a mouse, I replaced it with a Sea-to-Summit light weight dry bag, but I didn't like the fact that they don't come with a D ring for secure hanging.

[tarditi]

how big do you want it?

large ziplocs are hard to beat... as are contractor bags

[HooKooDooKu]

how big do you want it?

large ziplocs are hard to beat... as are contractor bags
Contractor?... or do you mean Compactor?

[RedBeerd]

I love the sea to summit eVent. Theyve held up for years, and you can squeeze all the excess air out.

[Spaceman44]

I heard 15L is about right for a food bag.

[Deacon]

I love the sea to summit eVent. Theyve held up for years, and you can squeeze all the excess air out.

Also, the Granite Gear eVent bags. I use the 18L, but they come in different sizes.

[Meriadoc]

What have you guys found is the best dry sack for food and clothes and such? Which brands are good and which ones should I avoid? Is 100% waterproof necessary?

100% Waterproof is not necessary but I recommend it very highly. I don't want to start the sleeping with food versus hanging food debate here, but, if you ever intend to hang your bag, you will want it to be waterproof.

I had a semi-waterproof bag at Springer. At Neel's Gap I bought a fully waterproof bag to replace it. My food didn't get wet but the inside of the food bag retained water while hanging from the cables. Dealing with the wet food bag was not fun even though the food itself was okay. Any stray crumbs promptly turned into a mess. A potentially moldy mess.

I heartily recommend a waterproof bag. Clean it out regularly too.

For clothes - a water resistant stuff sack is more than enough if you are using a compactor trash bag liner.

[Gwilli]

+1 for the Sea to Summit eVent dry bag. You can pack it up and squeeze the air out of it. Mine has a D ring too!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Walmart Outdoor Products. 3 dry bags for $12 or so, an 8, a 4, and a 2 liter. Work as well as the ones that cost 3 times as much.

[ryanwflynn]

Sea to Summit event for sure, especially for hear that must remain dry. I heard Wall-Mart bags were good on the trail as well, but I would only use them to carry food

[RedBeerd]

the zpacks cuben bags are supposed to be very nice too. but im spoiled with the eVent bottom on the S2S bags.

[squeezebox]

I heard from somebody that Turkey roaster bags are effective, light , cheap . maybe even inside the regular stuff sacks. maybe by themselves.

[Son Driven]

Never used a dry sack. I just used my pack as one big stuff sack, Used trash compactor bags as a liner. Used a sill nylon bag for my food. At night I double bagged my pack and all into trash compactor bags. I then wrapped my sweaty hiker clothes around the whole thing, and placed it under my hammock. Never had a problem with any wild life coming in on me, not even a mouse. Perhaps I am just blessed, however I do not believe man is considered to be prey by the animal life on the AT, and our stench keeps them away from us.

[chall]

Walmart Outdoor Products. 3 dry bags for $12 or so, an 8, a 4, and a 2 liter. Work as well as the ones that cost 3 times as much.

+1. Plus, in the event that your bag does get chewed on by an animal, you won't be too bummed about it. Save the "better quality" dry bags for other stuff in your pack that you want to keep dry.