In this guide you will learn how to properly close a dry bag with a roll down top closing system. If you are not familiar with dry bags here is what you need to know about them before you go out and buy them. But once you get them, these things are super useful, they will keep your things dry in heavy rain or even if you drop them into the sea. They are also super easy to use, especially the most common ones with the roll down top closure. Roll down top closure system is the easiest and most dummy proof closing system on the market. It is hard to go wrong with it, but still, if you do it correctly you can improve how your dry bag can handle water.
Roll down top closes the dry bag by simply rolling the top part of the dry bag down and then buckling it together so it stays rolled. The tight folds of the material create an obstacle that prevent the water from getting into the dry bag. Roll down top has it limits, it won’t survive a longer submersion. If you push the dry bag under water the added pressure from the water will slowly push the water into the bag. Slowly means that you have plenty of time to save your bag before anything serious happens to the things you have stored inside the bag. So unless you plan to push you dry bags under water on purpose – like using them as a flotation device when swimming or throwing them into river rapids roll down to closing system is the one you should choose. BTW, this is why all dry bags have a warning that they should not be used as a flotation device.
How To Properly Close a Dry Bag in 5 Steps
With all that being said, there are a few tips and trick to improve the roll down top seal. So this is how you properly close a dry bag with a roll down top:
- Carefully align the top edges of the bag and squeeze them together
- Roll down the top 3 times. You can do it more than 3 times, but if you want to properly close a dry bag don’t do it less than 3 times (this of course depends on the conditions where you will be using the bag). So make sure you don’t fill your dry bag all the way to the top.
- Roll them down as tightly as you can. If you keep the roll down loose you are creating space for the water to get in. So keep the roll down tight!
- Buckle the ends together, but do it in the opposite direction from the roll down. For instance, if you rolled down the top so the roll faces away from you then bend the ends together towards you and buckle them together. This puts more tension on the material and makes the seal tighter.
- EXTRA TIP: It also helps if the dry bag is two thirds full. When closing the bag your roll down will reach all the way down to what is inside the bag and things inside the bag will pull the bag walls away from the roll down. This again makes the seal tighter and better. If the bag is empties roll down the top more than 3 times.
Here is also a short video demonstration on how to properly close a dry bag with a roll down top:
If you have any additional questions about dry bags you can put them in the comments and I will try to answer them. Also, again, I really suggest you check the dry bag guide on DryTide website.