Pack Cover, Pack Liner, and/or Dry Sacks?

[drastic_quench]

What's your preferred method of keeping your stuff dry? Do you use a combination of these, just one, or all three?

I've never used a pack cover. I've only used cheap plastic bag liners. It seemed to me that the outside of my pack would get wet eventually, so I just tried to keep the stuff inside dry? Thoughts? Success with pack covers?

[Sly]

I just use a trash bag as a pack cover. The only part of my pack that gets wet is the bottom when placed on the ground. Since I also stow my sleeping bag in another smaller trash bag or waterproff stuff sack it's not a worry.

[Lone Wolf]

pack cover

[NICKTHEGREEK]

I use individual "compartments" using OR Advanced Hydroseal stuff sacks (mine a 5-6 yrs old and newer versions are available)for keeping sleeping bag, clothes, food dry. The tent bag keeps the wet tent from soaking other stuff. I use smaller single or double ziplocks for maps, meds, wallet etc. I kinda assume if it's a downpour the pack will get soaked but the individual bags stay dry inside. I haven't tested it under a waterfall, but it works pretty good in heavy rain.

[double j]

Well I Have A Sea To Summit Pack Cover .i Havent Even Used It Yet....but When I Didnt Have It .my Pack Got Wet And Felt Too Heavy....but My Stuff Inside Was Dry....lined With Trash Bags .

[John B]

I like to hike in the fall and use a flame orange pack cover to (hopefully) signal hunters that I'm not a deer, but I also use a trash compactor bag inside my pack. It's a bit thicker than a typical trash bag, thus quite sturdy, and it's white, thus making it easier for me to see things in the pack. I also put my sleeping bag and clothes inside separate small garbage bags, which are then placed in stuff sacks. Guess I'm water phobic...

[johnny quest]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them

[wilconow]

Sea to summit pack liner with gear in sea to summit bags seems to work well. No need for pack cover

[sliderule]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them

http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/product/0015826510610a.shtml

[johnny quest]

heck, i go to cabelas all the time, just never in the hunting dept. thanks.
then i realized i use a gray poncho...which covers my pack. hmmmmm. i will be hiking in hunting season...i got to think this thru

[John B]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them

I bought mine from the ATC on-line store.

[sliderule]

https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=401&compid=1

http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455 24442587313&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574489160437&bmUID=1144342868804

[envirodiver]

then i realized i use a gray poncho...which covers my pack. hmmmmm. i will be hiking in hunting season...i got to think this thru

I suggest you not wear a hat that has antlers on it.

[Footslogger]

I keep things like clothes and sleeping bag in silnylon stuff sacks. I use a liner (plastic trash compactor bag) so that I can set my pack on the ground without being concerned about bottom of the pack getting soaked. I carry a light silnylon pack cover to shed rain while I am hiking.

Might be overkill but it is very effective in keeping everything dry.

'Slogger

[DAKS]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them

jacks r better has blaze orange too i think?
www.jacksrbetter.com (http://www.jacksrbetter.com)

[Bearpaw]

I use a white trash compactor bag inside my pack. Besides waterproofing, dark objects that would disappear on the inside now stand out.

I often also use a pack cover because I hang my pack while in camp and the cover does a nice job of protecting from rain.

During hunting season, I like my orange Sea-To-Summit pack cover:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/bearpawat99/temp/Lford.jpg

[jimtanker]

Whats the best place to get trash compactor bags? I dont think that I've seen them around before.

[Cool AT Breeze]

Wally World

[Bearpaw]

Whats the best place to get trash compactor bags? I dont think that I've seen them around before.

Hefty makes them in white, and you can find them in the trash bag section of your super market. They are not the huge industrial size ones. They are usually 20 gallon bags. But they are about twice the thickness of a regular trash bag and much longer lasting. Just look closely at the boxes. They'll say "trash compactor" on the box.

[jimtanker]

Thanks all. Guess I just never looked that close at trash bags.

[Christus Cowboy]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them

I got mine from Cabelas....

[hopefulhiker]

I used trash bags, zip locks, and oven roasting bags to keep stuff dry.. Never had to use a pack cover

[winger]

I have the same setup as Wilconow. Works just fine.

[Monkeywrench]

Hefty makes them in white, and you can find them in the trash bag section of your super market. They are not the huge industrial size ones. They are usually 20 gallon bags. But they are about twice the thickness of a regular trash bag and much longer lasting. Just look closely at the boxes. They'll say "trash compactor" on the box.

I have been using the same two trash compactor bags to line the inside of my bicycle panniers and to line the inside of my backpack, since 1996. They are now in their 13th year of service and I have yet to poke a hole in either of them. A great value, in my book!

[Berserker]

As outlined by others already I use a trash compactor bag inside my pack to store "water sensitive" items (sleeping bag, clothing, etc.), and a pack cover. I also use a sil-nylon poncho as part of my rain gear, so that covers the pack when it is in use.

[take-a-knee]

As outlined by others already I use a trash compactor bag inside my pack to store "water sensitive" items (sleeping bag, clothing, etc.), and a pack cover. I also use a sil-nylon poncho as part of my rain gear, so that covers the pack when it is in use.

The same works for me.

[Blissful]

Pack cover, sil nylon stuff sacks, reynolds oven bags for double layer for items that really need to stay dry (like clothes and sleeping bag)

[River Runner]

I haven't yet felt the need for a pack cover with my GoLite Quest which is pretty water resistant. The outside fabric gets wet, but the inside stays dry. Clothing and sleeping bag/quilt go in a Sea to Summit dry bag (lined with an oven bag if I expect a lot of rain), other items in regular stuff sacks and/or Zip-Lock bags. I find it more efficient not to have to worry about keeping a pack liner adequately sealed when I get in and out of my pack for misc. items or food.

[Nightwalker]

pack cover

Pack covers suck. Dry bags from Sea to Summit work great.

(Wolf, you have no idea how long I've waited to be able to say "that sucks" to something you like. It had to happen eventually! Yeah, I know, you've hiked more miles drunk than I have in the dark. Or something like that. :))

No, really. Pack covers make good water collectors. Sea to Summit 15 liter dry bags weigh 2 point something ounces and really, really work.

Edit: Why no reply? You not my arguin' buddy anymore? And me done stopped with the crazy pills and all... :(

[Nightwalker]

I have been using the same two trash compactor bags to line the inside of my bicycle panniers and to line the inside of my backpack, since 1996. They are now in their 13th year of service and I have yet to poke a hole in either of them. A great value, in my book!

The ones I bought must have been from a bad lot. I poked holes in them by the second trip. Plus, my dry bags weigh about the same as a compactor bag.

[Lone Wolf]

Pack covers suck. Dry bags from Sea to Summit work great.

(Wolf, you have no idea how long I've waited to be able to say "that sucks" to something you like. It had to happen eventually! Yeah, I know, you've hiked more miles drunk than I have in the dark. Or something like that. :))

No, really. Pack covers make good water collectors. Sea to Summit 15 liter dry bags weigh 2 point something ounces and really, really work.

Edit: Why no reply? You not my arguin' buddy anymore? And me done stopped with the crazy pills and all... :(

times have changed

[rickb]

pack cover

They do what they are designed for, but provide little help keeping your wet tent from soaking the rest of your stuff while you are walking down the Trail on a sunny day.

Garbage bags.

[kayak karl]

where do you get a flame orange pack cover? ive not seen them
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_files/Jeffs%20Gear%20Hammock-Pack%20Cover.htm

[Lillianp]

I haven't used a pack cover yet, but the trashbags definitely work pretty well. I might end up using a few more to keep things such as a wet tent away from everything else and to keep my dry clothes, well, dry. I don't know if I'll ever go with a pack cover, but its definitely something I'm considering. I'll probably see how some of my shakedown hikes go before deciding.

[Bare Bear]

Gallon HD Ziplocks for everything...all into a trash bag, then a sylnylon pack cover (orange for the hunters to be able to draw a bead on it easily) then give up cause it gets wet anyway............

[ScoutingFamily74]

We just picked up some white 2.5m trash compactor bags from Home Depot, $12 for 40 18 gallon bags. They also had black 3m contractor bags, we thought the white ones would make it easier to locate gear in the bottom of the packs.