What the Dry Bag is and why it will make your trips an even better experience

The Dry Bag is a tool that is often overlooked, not even known by many hikers, but very practical and multifunctional. It can serve several different purposes, but its main role is to keep your stuff dry, whether you take it camping, hiking or water sports like rafting or kayaking. A good dry bag is characterized by high durability and is, naturally, made of waterproof materials through which not even a drop of water will pass.

What is the Dry Bag for?

A good dry bag has several abilities - it can serve as a waterproof container not only for clean laundry, but also for dirty laundry. You can pack clean clothes in it, and thanks to air compression, it can reduce the volume of packed contents by up to 80%, so you can save a lot of space in your pack, allowing you to take more gear or a smaller and lighter pack.

The Dry Bag serves just as well as a dirty laundry bag. Simply stow away items that have served their purpose during your trek and you won't need them later in the trek. That way they're neatly together and when you get home, you just throw them in the washing machine.

Dry Bags are very popular for water sports and it's not hard to guess why this is so. Thanks to its outer material and the system by which it closes, it can protect its contents from getting wet, even when it falls into the water. For water sports, it is therefore a very useful helper in which you can store not only your clothes, but the more adventurous also store their valuables or electronics in it. However, we strongly recommend that you test each dry bag beforehand for small holes, plus take extra care to make sure it's sealed properly.

How does the Dry Bag work?

Unlike backpacks, the Dry Bag doesn't really just let water in. It's a bag that you can easily recognize by its specific closing mechanism from the top - the top is usually rolled up, at least three times, but the more the merrier, and then closed with a clip.

This mechanism provides much better protection against overflow than, for example, backpacks, which, while they may offer a waterproof outer material, can easily let water through at critical points such as seams or zippers.

 

How do I choose the right Dry Bag?

Dry Bags are most commonly categorised by litreage. In our range you will find these bags in capacities from 3 to 25 litres. The most popular volumes are between 3-7 litres, where you can fit quite a lot of contents and attach them to your backpack without any problems. It's a very versatile tool that you can easily find a use for even if its capacity is not enough - simply buy a dry bag with a larger capacity and use both. Since dry bags are very simple in design, they are not difficult to manufacture, which is reflected in their low price.

 

What is the difference between the Compress and Pump models?

You will find two types of dry bags in our range - both are very similar, but the 25-litre variant is called Pump. This is because there's a special hole on the bottom of the Compress that you can attach to the valve of the air mattress and use the air roll to inflate it without using your mouth.

This method is not only very practical, but also very gentle on the mattresses - this way you inflate the mattress with dry air, whereas when you inflate it with your mouth, you breathe moist air from your lungs into the mattress. The dry air provides better insulation and extends the life of the mattress, as you don't get excess moisture inside.

Other ways to use your dry bag

A dry bag can not only protect your belongings, inflate your mattress or serve as an organiser, but it can do so much more. The possibilities are endless, but it's also used by open water swimmers, for example, whether as a place to store snacks and valuables or as a safety feature - an inflatable buoy.

You can fill the dry bag with clothes and use it as a soft cushion while camping. It's also a great idea to use it as a contents bag in areas where there is a high bear population - simply fill it at night with things that might be tempting to bears and hang it on a higher branch, somewhere away from the campsite. There is no limit to your imagination.