We all know that some water almost always gets into the hatches. Dry bags are used as a kind of back up. They are not necessarily subject to physical abuse (except trying to pull them in and out of the hatch.
I am wondering whether a sea sock TYPE product could be used to replace the multiple small dry bags used when kayak camping.
What I am invisioning is something made so you could seal it like a dry bag near the hatch opening after loading up. It would be sized and shaped to fit your entire bow hatch compartment.
This setup would be easier to pack, just keep stuffing. It seems to me that all of the individual dry bags add alot of weight and bulk.
I realize that having this one bag opens up the risk of everything in becoming wet if there is a leak. You could use regular stuff sacks as needed to help porganize your equipment.
Just curious what others think.
Art
I wouldn’t want one big bag
I find it’s easier to organize my clothing, food and gear in separate bags. Rummaging around in the boat trying to find something that was tossed in with a bunch of other items doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.
Agreed.
The convenience of multiple smaller bags I prefer. One giant bag that stays in the hatch and I have to fish around with my arm up to my shoulder feeling for the item I need? No thanks. Plus, if you have to make a difficult portage, and the loaded boat is too heavy, you can remove and carry as many smaller bags as you can handle at a time.
the drybags I have
(WxTex) are plenty light
My problem: I bought them all in the same color
doesn’t make sense
– Last Updated: Mar-08-08 11:46 AM EST –
dry bags are not a back up. Dry bags are for keeping things dry in and near a water environment. If you have hatches that leak quarts of water then you might think of correcting that as a seperate issue.
Putting everything in one dry bag through the hatch results in you removing individual dry items through a hatch near the water then having to repack them into another bag for carrying to camp.
Sounds like you are figuring out a convenient system for packing or have a leaky hatch and trying to accomodate to it.
That’s what Sharpie markers are for
Mark them with whatever the contents are: clothes, food, first aid, etc. Another option would be to make tags for them. That would allow you to change them as necessary.
Sea Sock for storage
would be more trouble than it’s worth. Use a tapered dry bag for your bow or stern, a 20 liter tapered drybag fits tru a 10" round hatch and an oval hatch will take a 35 liter. The more i think about it a sea sock dry bag would be a slippery mess loading and unloading.
Dave R
I am convinced
thanks for the replies.
Art
Distribution of drybags and stuff for
better trim to improve, rather than challenge performance. That’s why I prefer multiple drybags of varying sizes so I can pack for balance and decent organization practice.
Dogmaticus
dare to be different
I use double and sometimes triple lined heavy duty garbage bags for overnight or extended trips. They custom form to the inside of your boat, are perfect stuff sacks for clothes, tents, sleeping bags, pads, food, etc. They don’t roll around or shift in heavy waves and you don’t need to pull out every single dry bag to get to that one that you stuffed way up front. And it’s no problem slingin’ a couple of bags over your shoulder for the walk to camp. Always be sure to pack plenty of extras. My gaskets leak a bit after a roll or heavy waves but I’ve never had wet gear. They are much cheaper than a half dozen dry bags so you can spend your money on more essential stuff.
Savings?
Just a curiosity question - is there really a savings in using the heavy duty garbage bags over a well-planned array of decent dry bags that’ll work for a number of years? It seems that there is a lot more re-purchase involved with garbage bags.
Oh, he’ll learn.
Dogmaticus