View Full Version : Pack Covers
calberry
07-31-2012, 13:34
My First Post!!
I am starting my AT thru hike next spring and have a gear question. I have never carried a pack cover before. In the past I have always stored all my gear in silnylon waterproof bags inside my pack which keeps everything pretty dry. However, on a long thru hike, perhaps it would be good to use a pack cover as well as a waterproof bags on the inside of the pack. My pack is not waterproof (Osprey Atmos 65). Should I use a pack cover?? Any comments/thoughts/advice to help me learn would be appreciated. Thanks.
Turk6177
07-31-2012, 14:06
Everything I have read indicates that using a trash compactor bag inside your pack will keep the things dry that you need to keep dry. Most people who do this save the added weight of a pack cover.
yellowsirocco
07-31-2012, 14:22
just get a packa, it is the only raincoat that actually works and when you look at the price of a pack cover it is not expensive.
I use a pack cover so I can set my pack down when it's raining without it getting muddy.
You should do both. Line your pact with a trash compactor bag AND use a pack cover. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to keeping your gear dry!!!
You should do both. Line your pact with a trash compactor bag AND use a pack cover. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to keeping your gear dry!!!
+1 ............
I dig into my pack frequently to get food. Usually that food is stored in the back pocket. A pack cover would be too troublesome. A poncho is working well though. When I can get out of the wind, I can remove my pack, get and eat my food and put my pack back on without getting me or my pack wet.
treesloth
07-31-2012, 16:47
+1 on the Packa. It's the weight of a regular rainshell, with the integrated pack cover and huge pit zips. Good customer service too. It was a no-brainer choice for me.
House of Payne
07-31-2012, 18:46
some good ideas here. Since you already own the bag I would vote for the dry sack inside the bag containing everything in it. I think the only way I would bring a pack cover would be if you don't mind the water weight the pack will add when it gets wet. My thru will be a cuben bag, killing two birds (maybe even three birds) with one stone. Weight, waterproof bag and eliminate the cover.
grateful 2
07-31-2012, 19:52
I use a cuben pack cover from zpacks. It works great and weighs about nothing.
I use a cuben pack cover from zpacks. It works great and weighs about nothing.+1, plus the trash compactor bag and the sleep gear in a dry-stuff-sack. Tripple coverage
theinfamousj
08-01-2012, 00:17
Hi fellow Atomos 65 owner! :welcome
I bought a pack cover from REI and used it all of once, preferring to do what you do with waterproof stuff sacks. The Atomos, despite being made of normal fabric, dries amazingly quickly once the ran stops.
However, then I saw this (http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearPackCoverGearHammock.html) and realized that I can kill two birds (food bag and pack cover) with one stone, if I made myself one, so I think I'm going to do that. It seems an extremely cheap and multi-use item.
Moved this thread to the "General Gear Talk" forums.
Cuben pack liner and pack cover here.
I use a Sea to Summit on my 65. Not really noticeable as far as weight and I like my stuff dry.
rusty bumper
08-01-2012, 07:39
Sleeping bag in stuff sack, clothes in stuff sack, then both in trash compactor bag. All other items that need to be kept dry are inside Sea-to-Summit bags. All items that can get wet in outside mesh pockets...tent, rain gear, water bottle, Aqua-Mira, fuel bottle, DEET, etc. No pack cover.
I don't use a pack cover so much other places but I liked having one on the AT where I several times encountered rain in conditions too warm to wear a rain jacket. Both the packa and cuben pack cover are good options; the packa is great and flexible coverage/protection. When I'm more focused on weight and a bit less on the perfect gear item I'll take a lighter jacket and the cuben cover (or where I live often just the lighter jacket).
You should do both. Line your pact with a trash compactor bag AND use a pack cover. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to keeping your gear dry!!!
+1 I do this as well! Maddog:)
Whack-a-mole
08-01-2012, 10:09
I also use a sea to summit cover. Weighs about 2oz or something. I just keep it in my top pocket where it's easy to get to quickly. As for a pack cover causing delays in getting to food?... Come on, set your pack down and pull the cover off. Get your stuff and when you are ready put it back on. Whole thing takes about 3 seconds. If you don't have 3 seconds to pull off a stretchy cord the two or three times a day you need in your pack, things are bad. I do agree with others, do whatever it takes to keep the stuff inside dry. Waterproof bags, trash compactor bags. What ever it takes. If your stuff gets wet through contact and seepage, and you run into a week of 35 degree temps, you could end up in trouble, or you may have to come off for an unscheduled stop to hit a laundry mat to dry all your stuff.
max patch
08-01-2012, 10:21
just get a packa, it is the only raincoat that actually works and when you look at the price of a pack cover it is not expensive.
There are times -- like now -- that when it rains you want a pack cover but certainly don't want to wear a jacket.
max patch
08-01-2012, 10:23
I dig into my pack frequently to get food. Usually that food is stored in the back pocket. A pack cover would be too troublesome.
You only use the pack cover when its raining. No big deal.
max patch
08-01-2012, 10:26
One complaint against pack covers is that they hold water in the bottom of the cover. I've noticed this to be true with an old hiking partner who uses a generic one size fits all cover. My pack cover is made specifically for my pack and I have no issues of any kind with it.
treesloth
08-01-2012, 11:12
There are times -- like now -- that when it rains you want a pack cover but certainly don't want to wear a jacket.
max - that's the beauty of the Packa - you can wear it as a pack cover, and if it gets really hard raining, you just pull out the tucked-in parts (the 'jacket' part) and put them on. Don't even need to break stride, let alone stop.
I suggest y'all check out the website. www.thepacka.com
calberry
08-01-2012, 13:17
Thanks everyone!! Great comments and ideas. Now I have to choose what to do. I am leaning towards using both a pack cover and waterproof dry bags inside my pack. If I find I don't need the pack cover after a few weeks or months, I can always send it home. But if I can get a cover for around 2 oz, that sounds perfect to me. I will check out pack covers in cuben fiber and at other sites mentioned in the thread. Anyone have any issues with cuben fiber durability?
Thanks again:)
treesloth
08-01-2012, 17:09
Thanks everyone!! Great comments and ideas. Now I have to choose what to do. I am leaning towards using both a pack cover and waterproof dry bags inside my pack. If I find I don't need the pack cover after a few weeks or months, I can always send it home. But if I can get a cover for around 2 oz, that sounds perfect to me. I will check out pack covers in cuben fiber and at other sites mentioned in the thread. Anyone have any issues with cuben fiber durability?
Thanks again:)
Cuben fiber was developed for to make sails on multi-million dollar racing yachts. That said, it's fairly durable. But just like anything else, lightweight stuff requires just a bit more care.
You only use the pack cover when its raining. No big deal.
Eating is a big deal, especially if it's raining.
The cuben pack covers from Zpacks have a drain hole...
yellowsirocco
08-01-2012, 22:29
max - that's the beauty of the Packa - you can wear it as a pack cover, and if it gets really hard raining, you just pull out the tucked-in parts (the 'jacket' part) and put them on. Don't even need to break stride, let alone stop.
I suggest y'all check out the website. www.thepacka.com (http://www.thepacka.com)
not to mention that the packa has tons of ventilation so you can actually wear a raincoat when it is warm out. like i said earlier it is the only raincoat i have that actually keeps me reasonably dry: rain stays out and sweat can vent.
How's the Packa when you're hiking over boulders and seriously overgrown trail? Does it snag or get hung up?
I have a Six Moon Designs poncho tarp and the one time I took it out I had visuals of tearing a hole in my shelter while I was hiking - which would not be a good thing.
For 30 years, I've used a combination:
"Must stay dry" gear inside a plastic bag, inside the pack.
Pack cover on outside of pack - keeps the pack itself dryer, and is an extra layer of protection.
I've never had my gear get wet, even during all-day, torrential rain and/or sleet and snow.
No reason to mess with success.
"I will check out pack covers in cuben fiber and at other sites mentioned in the thread. Anyone have any issues with cuben fiber durability?"
I carried the zpacks cuben pack cover on the CDT last year and it's still doing fine, just one little patch (and it's easy to patch with duct tape). Ditto cuben rain skirt (except not even a patch on that). And I didn't bother with any sort of mini stuff sack for either one, just stuffed them in the external mesh of my pack.
garlic08
08-02-2012, 12:12
I've gone a simple, light, and effective way, just a trash compactor bag inside the pack for the "must stay dry" stuff. Every thing else gets wet. Every couple of days I check the plastic bag for leaks and patch it with duct tape if needed. I've never had a failure in many seasons, many miles. It's even been good for brief submersion a few times, though I wouldn't make a habit of that.
Some hikers don't like their packs to get wet and it's worth it for them to carry a pack cover too. Nothing wrong with that if you don't mind the extra piece of gear.
My pack is not waterproof (Osprey Atmos 65). Should I use a pack cover?? Any comments/thoughts/advice to help me learn would be appreciated. Thanks.
A pack cover won't keep your gear dry, what you're already doing will. If you end up with a significant amount of extra water weight in the pack when it rains a pack cover will help with that. If not, a pack cover really won't do much for you.
P.S. If you're looking to shave weight you could compare the weight of your dry bags to the weight of a single bag liner.
There are times -- like now -- that when it rains you want a pack cover but certainly don't want to wear a jacket.
Most definitely! Honestly, I would go without a parka before I would go without a pack cover.
cabbagehead
08-03-2012, 00:09
Is it difficult to dry and clean a trash bag? Are there cuben fiber trash bags?
I use a dry bag for my sleeping bag and put it at the bottom of the pack. I put everything else in my pack without bags, and use a pack cover. The pack cover keeps things fairly dry except for anything at the very bottom of the pack.
Just a thought but has anyone had trouble/ figured out a way to use a pack cover while having a rolled up sleeping strapped to the bag?
Its the only reason I use trash bags inside rather than getting a cover... I don't see any possible way unless you strap it to the outside after the cover is on and just deal with you sleeping pad getting soaked
Are there cuben fiber trash bags?
Bags, yes. Trash bags...I hope not. Any cottage business that makes cuben bags should be happy to make one in whatever size you desire.
The problem with lightweight dry bags is that they are expensive, and develop leaks quite readily. I'd rather trust plastic bags for my must stay dry gear and replace them fairly frequently.
bear bag hanger
08-03-2012, 08:40
I've used pack covers, but for me they don't seem to work, the pack still gets wet. Best bet is a cuben fiber poncho or packa rain jacket.
Are there cuben fiber trash bags?
Yes.
http://sticksblog.com/2011/05/16/zpacks-cuben-fiber-18x36-dry-sack-pack-liner/