Well said . . . .
Waterproof is not that complicated.
I bought a $3.99 Coleman drink thermos, about 2 pint sized. Screw on cap. Handle for securing it. I put my wallet (has my ID & fishing license in it, required if DNR stops you, btw), cell phone and truck keys inside, hook it with a carabiner to the stern bungies and all is good.
The thing is designed to hold liquid IN, so I assumed it would keep it out too. I submerged it under water; bone dry inside. I’m comfy w/ it.
And it floats if the carabiner fails. They has saved me once or twice.
Sure beats a $20 Pelican IMHO. But I’ve seen them and they are nice stuff. AND, I’m sure my thermos probably won’t last 20 years like some here have had w/ their Pelican cases. But this works, is cheap, and I’m happy with it.
another container
i use 3 different kinds.
#1, a little pelican case for wallet/cellphone
#2, one of those little orange screw-lid buckets that boating safety kits come in, i have a couple, one for the camera, sometimes use them for wallet/keys/phone too.
#3 a clear Nalgene 1L jar with a screw-on lid. also fine for cellphone/wallet.
BTW . . . .
– Last Updated: Aug-28-07 10:53 AM EST –
Since you've never used your VHF-FM radios, even to test them (according to your words), what makes you so sure you will even get someone on the other end?
Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but if you are truly as "prepared" as you claim to be, you should know the answer to that question without hesitation or guessing.
When's the last time you changed or checked the batteries? Even (and especially) rechargeables need replaced now and then.
Pelican box
works great for me. I’ve flipped the boat and the phone works fine. I put my keys, drivers and fishing licences in there too. I learned the hard way that water kills your cell phone.
second the aquapac
Mine have never failed and they only take up as much room as the item itself.
Exped Crush Drybag XS/2-dimensional.
Bottom of the linked page http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/b43HomePageE?openframeset … it’s the terracotta color.
I keep my cell phoe and wallet in it and they stayed dry during about a 20 minute swim on a river last summer.
I connect it to either a belt loop or belt while paddling.
a mix
I use either a pelican box or dry bag depending. But usually for day trips I leave the electronics at home.
A couple of incidents.
I was on a two day paddle with a friend and our sons. The boys were in the canoe ahead of us and got hung up on some rocks. We got them on their way and in the process of re-entering our canoe we flipped. As it turned out my blood glucose meter took a swim. I recovered it but it showed no signs of life. I called my Doctor the next day and she ordered me another one and it was delivered to my door. Before this happened someone told me to call the meter company. Since they make their money on the test strips despite it being years old it was ‘in waranty’ and they sent me another, Four days later when the glucose meter that swam dried out it started to work!
This spring, I was going for my constitutional paddle at lunch time on a work day. I set my cell phone under the seat of the car but forgot my blackberry. As I entered the cockpit of my kayak the blackberry fouled on the cockpit combing and went into the drink. I pulled it out immediately and it worked fine. Later that day it was acting funky so I dried it out overnight and it has been fine ever since.
To Somebody
No, you didn’t offend me. Sometimes I have to step back and see that not everyone’s interests aren’t the same as mine. I’m just saying beware of things requiring batteries. My way is just another way of doing it. Takes longer to learn but doesn’t require batteries. Maybe I shouldn’t have posted anything here but it’s good to know there are alternative methods for finding one’s way.
I have used a GPS unit, not in my boat but along a creekbed to more accurately plot a rather bad plot of the creek on a topo map (it placed the creek in a way of showing the flow going upstream in places). Rather bad cartography I would say.