View Full Version : Water proof'd packs?
I was just shopping around for different packs, and with mine, I have the rain gear that I can slip over my pack when it rains. Are there any packs that are all ready water proofed? So you don't have to worry with any extra rain gear? that'd be pretty sweet.
dep
Footslogger
04-21-2005, 11:10
Never have seen one ...and if they did make one it probably wouldn't work. You're much further ahead using a liner bag of some sort and just keeping your pack cover to shed light rain.
'Slogger
AT 2003
hauptman
04-21-2005, 11:20
just think trash bags, trash bags, trash bags!!!!
yo dep:
most backpacks are made of water-resistant materials...but, NOT WATERPROOF.
even those that make the claim...fall short...take garbage bags...
& i always grab a can of CampDry & spray the outside a few times before i hit the trail! :D
see ya'll out there: APR 28-May 5 (w/"the Model T crew")Hot Springs-Erwin
May 6 & 7 Carvers Gap back to Erwin
May 8-20 Damascus to Pearisburg,VA
Stoker53
04-21-2005, 11:55
2nd what Jaybird said. I use a leaf bag inside the pack plus a rain cover ....... also use tall kitchen size garbage bags inside my stuff sacks.
Blue Jay
04-21-2005, 12:19
Never have seen one ...and if they did make one it probably wouldn't work. You're much further ahead using a liner bag of some sort and just keeping your pack cover to shed light rain.
'Slogger
AT 2003
It is sad that most believe this. They are called kayak bags, you can swim with them. Put them on a home made frame and you have a completely waterproof pack. The reason they are not sold is because they are heavy.
I cannot tell you how many times I've seen a hiker walk into camp with a "heavy duty" garbage bag that they used one time too many, and watch as the water runs off their soaked sleeping bag. I never laugh. As always it's up to the individual, carry a waterproof pack and more weight all the time or carry the sorry things they sell and sleep in a wet bag from time to time.
Thanks for the info guys.. Good stuff!
dep
Footslogger
04-21-2005, 12:30
[QUOTE=Blue Jay]It is sad that most believe this. They are called kayak bags, you can swim with them. Put them on a home made frame and you have a completely waterproof pack. The reason they are not sold is because they are heavy.
================================================
I own 2 of them and use them a lot in our kayaks. I took the original question from Dep to mean "backpacks suitable for distance hiking" and I definitely wouldn't carry any of my "dry bags" on a distance hike, mainly for the reason you stated ...they're heavy.
I'll stick to my earlier comment regarding liner bags and let the individual hikers decide when it's time to replace them. For what it's worth, the plastic trash compactor bags take a licking and keep on tickin. I carried one from Pearisburg to Katahdin in 2003 and never had an item get wet inside my pack ...and we had boo koo rain that year !!
'Slogger
tlbj6142
04-21-2005, 12:32
I do the trash-compactor-bag-liner thing (basically a thicker kitchen size trash bag). I just roll the top closed a bit and put the rest of my gear (the stuff I don't care if it gets wet, like my stove/pot/food, etc.) on top. And I don't bother with a pack cover. I use the same bag to corral all of the loose stuff at camp that I have placed under my lower legs and feet.
What I don't understand is how folks just use simple stuff sacks inside their packs as their only protection. I'm always afraid that water will seap into the seams and/or through the open end. Maybe its just an irrational fear sort of like treating water (which I do).
Tramper Al
04-21-2005, 12:44
Well, I am a cross-over outdoorsman so I spend time both hiking the trails and canoeing the lakes and rivers.
There are canoeing drybags sold that are getting more and more like proper packs, with decent padding, hip belts, even a few with proper suspensions. They are not in the weight range of the ultralight packs, certainly, but I wouldn't call them heavy (compared with a lot of mainstream backpacks) either. I have one that's pretty padded and comfortable for portaging. It probably weighs a bit over 4lbs, but holds maybe 5000 ci.
I have also seen (just in the past few months) a few packs from our usual backpack makers that are made of drybag waterproof materials, with roll down dry bag tops.
So far, though, I'd rather use some zip locks and the like inside my pack, and a rain cover outside.
some bicycle messenger bags are water-proof but a little too heavy for me for backpacking
mingo
bulldog49
04-21-2005, 14:04
[QUOTE=tlbj6142
What I don't understand is how folks just use simple stuff sacks inside their packs as their only protection. I'm always afraid that water will seap into the seams and/or through the open end. Maybe its just an irrational fear sort of like treating water (which I do).[/QUOTE]
I never use a trash bag liner, but have a seam sealed stuff sack for my sleeping bag and coated stuff sacks for other gear and a pack cover. I have hiked in a lot of wet weather and never had a problem with wet gear. Trash bags are totally unnecessary, and in my opinion, a nusiance to try to pack without tearing.
Plus I absolutely can't stand that rustling noise they make when you pack and unpack them.
tlbj6142
04-22-2005, 09:03
I never use a trash bag liner, but have a seam sealed stuff sack for my sleeping bag and coated stuff sacks for other gear and a pack cover.You had me until you mentioned a pack cover. I use a liner to avoid the pack cover problem (snags, blow offs, water pooling, etc.). The noise doesn't bother me, but I'm sure it bothers folks near me.;)
As I stated above, I do think my "fear of leaking stuff sacks" is a bit irrational. I assume you are just using the "normal" drawstring closure style stuff sacks. Not the fancy twist-n-spin style which are suppose to have a waterproof closure.
I cannot tell you how many times I've seen a hiker walk into camp with a "heavy duty" garbage bag that they used one time too many, and watch as the water runs off their soaked sleeping bag. I never laugh. As always it's up to the individual, carry a waterproof pack and more weight all the time or carry the sorry things they sell and sleep in a wet bag from time to time.
I have been one of those people :p but not since I discovered "Trash compactor bags" Almost indestructable, keeps me stuff dry, cheap.
Doctari.
The Solemates
04-22-2005, 10:34
i know eureka makes waterproof packs because ive seen them in campmor, but i cant seem to find them online anywhere.
bulldog49
04-22-2005, 10:35
You had me until you mentioned a pack cover. I use a liner to avoid the pack cover problem (snags, blow offs, water pooling, etc.). The noise doesn't bother me, but I'm sure it bothers folks near me.;)
As I stated above, I do think my "fear of leaking stuff sacks" is a bit irrational. I assume you are just using the "normal" drawstring closure style stuff sacks. Not the fancy twist-n-spin style which are suppose to have a waterproof closure.
Right, just the normal drawstring closure with a flap. You don't need the dry-sack type of sack unless you submerge your pack under water for a length of time. When I was fording a river in Alaska I stepped into a deep hole with my pack on and went under briefly. When I got to shore I checked to see if my sleeping bag was dry and it was, not a drop of moisture on it.
The advantage of the pack cover is it prevents my pack from soaking up moisture and gaining a couple of pounds in weight.
SGT Rock
04-22-2005, 10:38
Get a sil-nylon pack and that isn't an issue. I use a sil-nylon pack with a trash compactor bag liner.
tlbj6142
04-22-2005, 10:42
Right, just the normal drawstring closure with a flap.Cool.
The advantage of the pack cover is it prevents my pack from soaking up moisture and gaining a couple of pounds in weight.What is your pack made out of? Cotton? Most, if not all, packs made these days are made from materials that do NOT absorb water. About the only parts that may hold water are your shoulder straps and hipbelt padding. Though I suspect most padding on a pack is closed cell, which means it is not holding any water.
Even if it were open cell padding, it is probably filled with sweat and/or not protected by your cover.
yeah. just after thinking, i don't want a pack i can take in a lake with me.. i really am just looking for something that would keep everything dry inside during a fairly long rain shower... it is a pain pulling out the pack cover every time there is a shower.
Footslogger
04-22-2005, 13:24
... it is a pain pulling out the pack cover every time there is a shower.===========================================
About the only thing I use my pack cover for these day is as a moisture barrier at night when I don't/can't drag the pack inside the tent with me. With the liner bag inside I typically just hike through the rain without stopping to pull out the cover.
'Slogger
===========================================
About the only thing I use my pack cover for these day is as a moisture barrier at night when I don't/can't drag the pack inside the tent with me. With the liner bag inside I typically just hike through the rain without stopping to pull out the cover.
'Slogger
do most new packs keep your stuff dry through normal rainfall?
The Cheat
04-22-2005, 13:31
Does anybody seam seal and waterproof (Camp Dry or ScotchGuard for ex.) their pack? Any use to this or just a waste of time?
Footslogger
04-22-2005, 13:55
do most new packs keep your stuff dry through normal rainfall?========================================= =====
During light rainfall yes ...but if it's a constant downpour the pack material will eventually soak out. To slow down the process a bit I spray my pack with a durable water repellant (DWR) substance called Techtron (available at REI and EMS). Added to that, as I said before, I line my pack with a plastic trash compactor bag so even if the pack soaks out my gear/clothing stays dry. About the only negative effect to the pack cloth getting totally soaked is that it gets a bit heavier. The majority of packs are made with a durable nylon cloth that does not inherently absorb water however, during a downpour water does eventually get trapped among the fibers of the pack fabric. The same thing happens to the ripstop nylon rain jackets, once the DWR coating wears off.
'Slogger
ah, excellent. thanks a lot.
bulldog49
04-22-2005, 16:04
I just purchased an Osprey Atmos which is made of nylon, so maybe I won't need the pack cover anymore. My old packs do become saturated with water and get heavier. Two lbs is probably exaggerating but it does get noticably heavier.
"I know my pack is waterproof, it stopped raining 4 hours ago & there is still 6 inches of water in the bottom" :D
Doctari.
use a contractor-grade trash bag as a liner.........I never have had a problem with wet gear at all.
RagingHampster
04-22-2005, 22:50
I actually made my own pack to solve this problem. I removed the bag off from an external frame backpack, and made an insert that I can lash Outdoor Research Drybags to. I use four big ones (forget the size). One is used for food/toiletries so I can just detatch it from my pack and hang it, another is used for tent/sleeping bag, another is used for clothing, and the last is used for equipment. My closed-cell pad I just shake off and mop up with my bandanas. Everything is waterprood but the shoulder and hip straps. It weighs a bit over 4lbs.
For winter overnights I never go out more than a couple days, so my bulkier winter tent and sleeping-bag each get their own drybag while my food gets crammed in wherever I have space.
Couldn't be happier!
Close as you can get http://www.arcteryx.com/
Still not 100% waterproof.
And you pay thru the nose
Better to buy a cheap cover
Fred
Dirtygaiters
07-14-2007, 16:22
Never have seen one ...and if they did make one it probably wouldn't work. You're much further ahead using a liner bag of some sort and just keeping your pack cover to shed light rain.
'Slogger
AT 2003
As someone already mentioned, Arc'Teryx makes several packs that are waterproof. I own a Bora 80 and, having used it in many downpours, can say that the pack body is quite waterproof, despite the fact that the seams are unsealed. The top pocket, unfortunately tends to become moise from water creeping in through the seams. Their Naos series packs are made of the same WATERPROOF material, but have intentionally fewer pieces of fabric to stich together, and they now seal the seams.
My Bora 80 is about 7 lbs, and I don't regularly use it. People are right that silnylon works just fine to keep the inside of a pack dry, but I would never trust a trash bag to keep anything dry! Snag that on something, abrade it, stuff it too much--keep it as safe as you can--and I guarantee that it'll develop holes. It's just what they do. I know you AT thru hikers just know better than me on a lot of things, but I've tried trash compactor bags many times and have never had one that didn't develop a hole after a short amount of use. Maybe thru hikers just like them because they're cheap and single bags are probably readily available from bounce boxes and other hikers?
Have a look at the ULA Artic Dry pack. It is a 26oz pack , essentially a frame that holds a 50 or 65L dry sac. (it comes with both) $350.
Franco
To clarify...
The harness/frame is 26oz, 40 oz with the 50 L bag, and about 41 with the 65 L version. It is waterproof not just rain resistant. (there are pictures of if floating on water (inflated...)
Franco
What is the verdict on that poncho/tent fly you are test driving?
(It is a waterproof question...)
I am testing a new stove design right now (mine, I think...)
I have finished testing the X Rocket, there will be several changes made for the second production run.
I would estimate the final weight in ripstop nylon to be around 950 g, about 33 oz.
The prototype with the new changes has not been made, but I do think that a lot of weight conscious hikers, particularly on a budget, will like the PU coated ripstop nylon version, it will be under $150 US, not sure as yet how you guys over there will be able to buy it .
The silnylon version is for 2008, 15-20 % lighter. With that there will be another new solo shelter that, for the price and specs, will be very attractive. No details on this one as yet. (sorry)
When I have more info on the new Luxe shelters, I will post them.
Back to my stove now.
Franco
This for the external frame users. I'm reading this question and I'm wondering if the solution may be something like a thin -.015"- flexible, rigid plastic insert for the upper portion of the pack bag. In essence it would be an ultralight , custom made custom , inverted plastic garbage can. I have no doubt that this thing would keep water out. The product issues would be it's weight, ease of fabrication , and long-term durability . But it should work.