Ziploc has come out with 2 big sized sealable bags. They come in 10 and 20 gallon sizes. I picked up some 10 gallon ones, 5 for $5.65 at Freddies. They are pretty thick and seem to be great for inexpensive dry storage.
Greg
Saw them at LL Bean
I saw them at LL Bean in Freeport this past September. Curious to hear how well they seal and hold up to use in boats.
Used them
for a while now. We have not sent one over the side, but they seem to work fine.
Saw them, but
– Last Updated: Nov-06-06 8:31 AM EST –
my biggest concern in using them for wp'ing a pack would be durability for, say a week of use. My experience with lip-type closures (in map cases) is that as soon as grains of sand get into the closure, your seal can never be re-established. Roll-down closures stand up to frequent use better IMHO. Thats why I like Ortlieb map cases.
Jim
I tried 'em
almost instant failure at the zipper.
They might be good…
…for use inside a portage pack, though even the 20 gallon size wouldn’t be large enough for my big tripping packs. I typically use the big plastic bags from Piragis as pack liners for my big packs and they work well - they’re thick and durable. But at 6 bucks apiece they’re pretty pricey.
As to the zip failing. My experience is the same at Jim’s – a grain of sand or dirt and it’s curtains. I’m also not encouraged by Mike’s “instant failure” report.
Still it seems like these bags might well have some uses on the water. Thanks for mentioning them gwonhoff. - Randall
Don’t forget…
… Ziploc has an interest in seeing their bag’s seals fail after a couple of uses, so you will have to buy more. To that end, they have been working at engineering them to fail after a few open/close cycles, and to balance that against working at all.
So, be leery of entrusting valuable stuff to them in a place where the seal will be needed, like a wet hatch. Particularly, do not count on them if you plan to open/close them more than a couple times.
Paranoid – you bet! Is there lots of evidence that this sort of thing goes on all the time – absolutely!
–David.
Good for instant one time storage
Such as an overnight trip. Zip locs seem to fail after three or four repeated uses.
For trippers I think jumping in and getting a real pack liner that rolls down like the Ostrom liner($65) is a better move.
But the Zip locs do have a use.
Not the seal that would concern me
But what happens when you accidentally set it down on a sharp stick, or catch it on something sharp putting it in or taking it out of your hatch. Even if they are “pretty thick,” would they pass a pencil puncture test?
Crap
If they’re like the kitchen-use Ziplock bags, they won’t hold up worth a damn. I have several pristine bags that I cut the Ziplock part off of because they failed right after the first zipping and unzipping.
Why not just get it over with and buy some good clear PVC dry bags instead? They don’t cost much. You can always use cheap plastic bags for disposable purposes INSIDE the dry bags.
Dry storage bags(inexpensive)
I have used zip-locks with little success. Some one gave me the link for aloksak’s and I couldn’t be drier, I mean happier. A bit more pricey than the other zips but they seem to last a great deal longer. There are other sizes than the link shows, just look around!
http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/aloksak6x6.html
I have some of the medium bags
but don’t don’t use them as a stand alone dry bag. I place my spare clothes in a bag, sit on it a while to squeeze out the air and seal it up. Then stick it in my bucket with the water proof “gamma seal lid”. A low tech version of those bags that use the vacuum cleaner to suck out the air. It’s mainly a space saving, organizing thing for me. And another layer of protection from that pesky water.
used them once then threw them away
Luckily we never tested their effectiveness. I doubt they would have offered much protection. IMO, it’s better to spend a little real money and actually get something for it.