View Full Version : Pack Raincover
If you pack contents are all in waterproof stuff sacks, what benefits are there using a pack raincover?
smokymtnsteve
02-04-2003, 15:53
I don't know??
I don't use a pack cover.:D
Does a pack pick up significant water weight in the rain without a cover?
smokymtnsteve
02-04-2003, 16:26
maybe..
have youever found a pack cover that worked???
I am in the plastic bag camp. A small one for the sleeping bag, a small one for putting a wet tent in so that capillary action doesn't get everything else wet, a garbage bag for my pack, and one to line my nylon food bag when bear bagging. When the pack bag gets ripped, I toss it out. Conventional wisdom says that a garbage bag pack cover will get quickly ripped to shreds, but I never found that to be the case. When it does get ripped, tape or replace.
smokymtnsteve
02-04-2003, 16:39
I'm in the plastic bag camp myself cept I use two when lining my sleeping bag stuff sack...i keep mypack sprayed with a little camp dry and have a drain hole in the bottom...all the pack covers I have ever tried did not do a good job and collected and held water themselves..and got heavy holding water..esp at the bottom around your butt...oh what a chilling experience... sometimes your just gonna get wet..i try to have my most important gear waterproof and forget the rest...and you have one less piece of wet gear to dry out.
Kerosene
02-04-2003, 16:39
Depending on the type of pack you own, the fabric may eventually become waterlogged and become a lot heavier. Also, you will pick up little "puddles" in the bottom of pockets and the pack itself. This might be a more reasonable strategy if you go with something like the mesh backpack being talked about on one of the threads.
People seem to find putting pack covers on some what difficult. Putting one on and having it keep water out seems like such a simple thing. I've never had a problem with either of my two pack covers, but maybe I am just unusually skilled at pack cover placement. I am considering going without this summer, but this is going to be for the PCT, which is much drier than the AT. As usual, though, my sleeping bag stuff sack will be lined with a garbage back.
I have used a commercial pack cover as well as a large garbage bag with strategically cut holes for the straps. Both work very well. It took me a couple of tries and a few trips to get the handle of the store bought pack cover but now I can get mine on in less than a minute and it keeps everything DRY. My pack gets very waterlogged when I don't use a pack cover so I carry one.
Originally posted by Jeff
If you pack contents are all in waterproof stuff sacks, what benefits are there using a pack raincover?
Because, everything really isn't in a stuff sack that is waterproof.
When it's wet out, everything seems to get damp. A pack cover is worth it to me to reduce the amount of wetness that I pick up.
Jumpstart
02-04-2003, 19:02
We used the Equinox sil nylon pack covers. Worked great the whole trip, no rips or tears, kept the water out, and they are a lot lighter to carry then a soaking weight pack. Easy to throw on the pack in seconds, and You'd be surprised how much water-weight your pack will absorb in a torrential downpour....
Perkolady
02-04-2003, 19:03
:)
In my experience, you can never really keep everything as dry as you'd like, but with a rain cover, it all stays dryER at least!
'Nother advantage of the rain cover is when you have to get some things out of your pack, and repack all this littleish stuff, you can set things on the raincover, keeping off some of the
MUD,etc. at least.
Maybe I should try a bumbershoot!
lol
Perk :D
illininagel
02-04-2003, 19:17
When I first started backpacking, I made the erroneous assumption that my backpack was waterproof. That was a big mistake in Olympic National Park in Washington (which is basically a rain forest). Not only did all of my stuff get soaked, but the weight of the pack was incredible.
Ever since, I place most items (sleeping bag, dry clothes, etc.) in plastic bags. I also bought a pack cover from REI. It seems to work fairly well. There are pull ties to get the cover tight around the pack. With my external pack, the cover seems to do the trick. If I try a thru hike, I definitely plan on starting with the cover.