Until a few years back dry bags were quite a novelty item. They were known by kayakers, sailors, some hard core adventurers etc… people that really could not get by without using them. But recently they have broken into the mainstream. And why wouldn’t they. There are just so many different uses for them. So many different situations where a dry bag can save your things from getting wet. From kayaking to stand up paddle trips, from boat rides to traveling to rainy and wet places, from going to the beach to exploring lakes and rivers, from fishing and hunting to hiking, from surfing to diving, they can even be used to keep the sand out in dry and dusty environments.
What is a Dry Bag?
So what is a dry bag? It is a bag made out of 100% waterproof material and constructed in a way that leaves no holes in the material. This means that both the material itself as well as all the seams are 100% waterproof and will not let water in even if the bag stays in water for a month! Waterproof materials that “breathe” like for instance GoreTex are no good here. You want a material that is completely impermeable. And when it comes to putting the bag together you don’t want any stitches. They make holes in the material and water gets in. Some types of dry bags (especially really thin ones) may use regular stitches covered with additional waterproof coating on the inside of the bag. This works but that kind of coating is not very long lasting.
So what you want are glues or welded seams that are durable and won’t let even a drop of water to get in.
Why Are Dry Bags Used?
I have already listed quite a few sports and other activities where you might need a dry bag. But basically you use dry bags for two things:
- to keep your things dry inside the dry bag when things get wet or
- to put your wet things inside a dry bag so they don’t drip all over your other dry things :).
DryTide 30L, 15L and 5L Dry Bags
For this review we checked new dry bags from DryTide. They now offer three differently sized dry bags with interesting designs. I would say that with 5L, 15L and 30L bags you will have most of your dry bag need covered. Some longer expeditions that carry lots of gear usually use even bigger bags, 60L or even 90L. But most of the time the 5L, 15L, 30L combo will have you covered. You can off course use 3 x 30L bag instead of on 90L bag. Smaller bags are easier to pack and easier to carry. On the other side so huge items might only fit inside a really huge bag.
For a more in depth dry bag guide check DryTide website. Anyway, lets look at the bags.
5L Seagull Dry Bag
The 5L dry bag is just the right size to fit all your smaller personal items and keep them safe. Phone, wallet, car keys, glasses, bluetooth speaker, snacks, spare t-shirt, Swiss army knife, power bank, GoPro camera, power bars… All these things will probably fit at the same time and there will be some room to spare. Then again, instead of all this a 5L dry bag can also be used to protect your DSLR camera. It fits for instance Canon 80D with 17-50mm and 70-200mm lens. Or it fits a Mavic Pro drone with controller, charger, spare batteries etc…
So yeah, it’s super useful. The bag is well made, material looks great and I love the color and the seagull logo. It also comes with a shoulder strap so you can carry it over your shoulder if you need to keep your hands free.
15L Bear Dry Bag
The 15 liter dry bag will fit a lot more things that the 5 liter version. This bag can already fit a wet winter wetsuit together with gloves and booties. So it will not only keep your things dry but also let you store your wet wetsuit or other wet gear so it doesn’t drip all over your car when you are going home from your surf session. I would also use it for a day at the bach. It will fit a towel, some clothes, some snacks, a bottle of water… everything you need for a day on the beach or on the boat.
The 15l Bear bag is also very well made. Same durable and great looking material, same amazing color and the surfing bear logo. It also comes with a shoulder strap so you can carry it over your shoulder if you need to keep your hands free.
30L Whale Dry Bag
The biggest animal, the biggest bag. This 30l dry bag is actually a waterproof backpack. It comes with two removable shoulder straps, so you can carry it on your back as a regular backpack. It also has an external pocket for your phone, wallet, keys. Things you need close at hand. One awesome thing about the external pocket is that it uses a waterproof zipper. Waterproof zippers are expensive so none of the dry bags use them. Usually on dry bags you will find so called splash proof zippers, which are pretty much useless. If you drop the bag into the sea water will get in right away through the splash proof zipper. But with this waterproof zipper the bag can float on the water surface zipper down in the water and the pocket will stay dry. Which is awesome! A leaking external pocket on a waterproof bag is for me almost useless. So good one DryTide!
Of course, all dry bags have limitations. From the name “dry bag” you would assume that a dry bag can survive anything. That the inside of the bag will always stay dry no matter what. Unfortunately this is not true and if some company claims it is they are probably lying:). All the dry bags that use fold down closure are not suitable for submersion. So if you are carrying some really sensitive gear, do not push the dry bag under water. Both the fold down top closure and the waterproof zipper can start to leak if you add water pressure.
I didn’t talk much about the fold down closure. It is the most common and so far the best closing sistem for dry bags. What are the pros and cons of this system?
PRO:
- It’s easy to use.
- It can’t break down and no maintenance is needed.
- It’s cheap.
CON:
- It’s not suitable for submersion, so a dry bag is not really 100% waterproof.
OK, back to the bag. The 30L whale will for two wet winter wetsuits! It will fit a wetsuit and a poncho/towel. It has plenty of space for a day trip to almost anywhere. At the same time, with 30L and slim shape the bag will still fit into tight little spaces like inside of a kayak. Which is very useful when it comes to bags like that. Again, the Whale dry bag is very well made. Same durable and great looking material, same amazing color and a whale logo. Personally the whale drawing is my favorite. As said, 30l dry bag comes with two removable shoulder straps so it can be used as a backpack. It’s something I need for my Indo Bali or Mentawai surf trips.