Bag liner Q and stuff sack Q

[Simrose]

Just wondering what the thoughts were on lining a pack with a trash bag/ compactor bag. I've seen it mentioned here and there, don't know if it's a general practice or more of personal preference.

Also, which items is it necessary (or highly recommended) to buy a waterproof stuff sack for vs regular sil-nylon. Sleeping bag, clothes, anything else?

Thanks!

[Moose2001]

"general practice or more of personal preference" I guess it's a little of both. The two most common things are using a compactor bag in your pack or using a trash bag for your sleeping bag. I like the compactor bag. I put both my sleeping bag in it's compression bag and the stuff sack with my clothes inside the compactor bag. Roll down the top and those items stay nice and dry.

If you do this, I suggest using the trash compactor bag instead of a regular trash bag. The compactor bag is a heavier mil and will last much longer.

[chris]

I highly recommend this for the AT, which can be a rather wet place. I used a XXL silnylon stuff sack from Dancing Light (make sure to seam seal) and no pack cover. This worked well on the AT. As any other sil nylon products, seam sealing means buying some silicone sealant, cutting it with mineral spirits, and painting it on with a brush. Very durable, and a lot cheaper than buying SeamGrip.

For your sleeping bag, just take a kitchen trash bag and line your stuff sack with it. Then stuff the bag in. This is a key thing to do in the battle against hypothermia. I would get something waterproof for your food bag, as frequently it will be in the trees at night while it rains. Or, at least semi water proof.

I carry three silnylon bags: Clothes, food, and tarp. The tarp goes in for no better reason than I have the bag.

[Footslogger]

Can't answer your question regarding standard practice versus personal preference but you'd be wise to carry and use one. Pack covers only work for a while in a downpour (which we were blessed with several days in a row in 2003).

I used the plastic trash compactor bags from WalMart. Kept a few spares in my bounce box and changed out when they developed holes. Never had a sigle item in my pack get wet and that's saying a lot given all the rain we had in 2003. It also allows you to put your pack down without worrying about moisture seeping up through the bottom.

Inside my pack I used 3 silnlyon stuff sacks, one for my sleeping bag, one for clothes and one for food. Easy to pack/unpack and should any moisture enter your pack they will slow the process of clothing/gear getting wet.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[NotYet]

I'm a big fan of trash bags. I line my stuff sacks for my clothing and for my sleeping bag AND I place all of these important items in my "happy sack". A "happy sack" is simply a large heavyweight trash bag that I line the inside of my pack with. When the "important-to-stay-dry" items are all safely packed away, I squish out all the air, twist the bag and tuck. Then other items like food, etc. go inside the pack, but outside the happy sack. FYI--it's called a happy sack because you can spend weeks at a time in the rain, but your stuff stays dry which keeps you happy!

I haven't found any other technique to be as bomb-proof.

[hiker]

I use turkey oven bags to line my stuff sack. They are almost indestructible.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Outdoor research (OR) advanced hydroseal stuff sacks work very well when sized properly so that you can put at least 2 rolls in the top and secure the velcro strips snugly. They don't work well if either overpacked or underpacked. When I tried my first one I was skeptical so I packed 1 brick and filled the rest with crumpled newpaper and sunk it in my deepsink. 2 hrs under water and not a drop got in. Now I have one for my sleeping bag, one for my tent fly, groundsheet, and inner tent, and one for clothing. In the case of the tent, if circumstances are such that you must pack it wet, it doesn't hurt the other goodies inside your pack. Clothes all go in 1 sack and I use the small plastic bags the newspaper comes in to keep the nasty stuff segregated from the clean. Sometimes I'll carry a fourth to use as a bearbag for my food. I used trash bags for a bit but never trusted them as the smallest thing will put a hole in it, and they seem to be attracted to zippers which quickly do them in. Someday, I'll find a pack that fits a big hydroseal perfectly, and just use it for everything but my tent.

[Peaks]

Like all gear, there is no consensous on what works best. Some like to line their pack with plastic bags, either trash bags or compactor bags. Others use a pack cover.

One thing. Sil-nylon is about 1/2 the weight of regular nylon stuff sacks and pack covers. And I think that hydroseal stuff sacks are an over-kill. Not warranted.

If you stuff your sleeping bag in a stuff sack lined with a plastic bag, why not just use a sil-nylon stuff sack instead? Makes sense to me.