Dry
bags are a type of luggage designed to keep your gear dry in a
variety of conditions. They are commonly used in sports such as
kayaking and sailing as well as on the beach or even on the back
of a motorbike. In this article we will look at the different
types of dry bags and what you should expect from them.
To see the full range of dry bags that we sell pleaseclick
here.
Barrel
Dry Bags:
Barrel
shape dry
bags are probably the most common dry bag style.
They are cylinder shaped with an opening at one end. The
seams in these dry bags are normally welded by RF welding
to make them watertight. Gear is loaded in from the open
end of the bag. The open end is normally closed by rolling
down the extra material at the top then fastening 2 clips
together.
This
method of closure is waterproof in most conditions. Is should
withstand rain, waves, and if the bag is dropped in the
water it should provide a sufficiently airtight seal to
enable the bag to float for a period of time. Most bags
with roll down tops will eventually let water in if the
bag is kept immersed under water for long enough as the
water gradually makes its way around the folded material.
This situation is rare tough and in most situations you
would need to physically force the bag underwater and hold
it there to achieve this.
Some drybags have transparent viewing panels on the side
to allow you to see the contents and locate your lost socks
down at the bottom of the well stuffed bag.
Holdall
dry bags normally have a wider opening that roll
top barrel bags. This allows you to get access to the contents
more easily than a barrel bag. Generally speaking the closure
of a holdall bag is not as watertight as a barrel bag as
it is more difficult to maintain pressure on the rolled
down material. The bags are still watertight in most conditions
and the difference would really only be seen in total immersion
situations.
Rucksack
Dry Bags:
Rucksack
drybags come in a variety of sizes and are used
in different ways. Some hill walkers use them instead of
traditional rucksacks and love the fact that all their gear
is still dry at the end of a day walking in the rain.
Rucksack bags are also very popular in industry where a
whole variety of remote workers use them to ferry equipment
to and from the worksite. We have seen them used in offshore
windfarms, with pylon workers for their safety gear, as
rope bags, in offives and factories for their fire marshals
emergency gear and many more applications where you need
to keep essential kit dry whilst being carried.
Kayak
Dry bags:
Drybags
are almost an essential item for kayaking and in particular
sea kayaking. Keeping your gear dry so that you can camp
when you reach your destination is pretty essential. The
hatches in many oats are not totally dry and putting your
gear into drybags and then into hatches should ensure that
your kit is still dry when you reach your destination.
On arrival being able to withdraw the gear from the hatches
and then still have them in a waterproof bag whilst you
make camp is also of great benefit.
If carrying a lot of gear you will sometimes see dry bags
strapped to the top deck of sea kayaks if the hatches are
full. Some kayakers have dedicated deck bags which are placed
immediately in front of the seating position and allowing
access to the contents while at sea.
Tapered
kayak dry bags are specially shaped to fit into
the nose of a kayak and sometimes feature a valve to allow
excess air to be squeezed out of things like sleeping bags
thus making more storage space available.
Motorcycle
Drybags:
Motorcycling
can often be just as wet as many watersports with driving
rain pelting against you whilst driving at speeds of up
to 70 mph. Keeping your gear dry in these conditions is
challenging to say the least. Motorcycle dry bags are becoming
more common. They can be used in several different ways.
Tail dry bags are often seen strapped to the rear of the
bike with wider ones often sitting on top of panniers on
the side. Holdall style bags are popular for weekends away
as they can be taken off the bike and carried straight into
your hotel just like a normal bag but all your gear will
still be dry.
Rucksack dry bags are also very popular in smaller sizes
of around 30L capacity. These are very popular for commuting
and also for adding to you carrying capacity given by your
tail bags.
Dry
Bum Bags:
These
are of use if you want to keep some key items close at hand.
They are useful in sailing and motorcycling as well as many
other uses. They are oftem used to keep phones and keys
with the wearer. If being used to keep expensive electronics
dry and these is a risk of you falling in the water whilst
still wearing the bag it would be adviseable to ‘double
bag’ your phone in these circumstances; a small lightweight
drybag can be used for these purposes. Dry Bum Bags are
not suitable for distance swimming with as the bag would
be completely summersed for long periods of time and water
may eventually work its way round the closure.
Mobile
Phone Dry Bags:
Mobile
phones are one item that you want to make sure keeps dry.
Also you may want to be able to use the phone whilst it
is still in the bag so you’ll probably want one that
has a transparent front and works with the touch screens
of modern smart phones. Most phone drybags will have a roll
down top like a mini barrel bag and be able to resist most
downpours etc but are not designed to be totally immersed
for long periods of time so don’t try to go snorkelling
with them! If you need to take your phone underwater then
there are some products on the market with hard plastic
closures that may allow you to do this.
First
Aid Dry Bags:
First
aid bags are made to keep first aid kits dry and are used
in many different sports. We do not supply first aid contents
with these bags as users often have different preferences
as to what a first aid kit should contain.
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