The Best Dry Bags of 2022-1
Best Multiday Bag: Sea to Summit Big River Dry Bags
Sea to Summit's Big River Dry Bags have been a staple for watergoers everywhere for a while now. The bags come in different sizes, are made with durable material, and our staff's bags have lasted for years. We love a whole lot about these dry bags: their durability, features like lash points, and price, to name a few!
The Big River Dry Bags come in sizes ranging from 8L, 13L, 20L, 35L, to 65L ($25-65). They are made with TPU-laminated 420-denier nylon, Hypalon attachment points and lash points, fully taped reinforced seams, and an oval-shaped base to resist rolling around.
This assortment of bags weighs from 2 to 12 ounces. They are waterproof, a good balance between lightweight and durable, and just plain great for protecting your gear.
If you are organizing a group whitewater or river trip, or even a friends and family float trip, these bags are the best for easy organization and packing: you can color coordinate bags with contents with choices of six different colors across various sizes.
Best Compression Sack: Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack
Trying to cram as much gear into your bag as possible? It's time you met the eVent Compression Dry Sack ($32-52). Condensing gear has never been so easy and achievable. The design's 70-denier nylon waterproof fabric keeps water out, and the eVent waterproof-yet-air-permeable base allows air to expel when the straps are tugged to tighten the load.
These bags are particularly useful for maximizing space with big items. From clothing to pillows, you just stick it and cinch it down. One tester reported using the 14L for a voluminous sleeping bag. The sack packed down the bulky bag with little energy and no hassle. We've used one for several years now. Even after lots of use, it shows little signs of wear.
Best Hands-Free Carry: Sea to Summit Lightweight Sling Dry Bag
The Sea to Summit Lightweight Sling Dry Bag ($24-29) is 10 or 20 L, and can work for day or overnight river trips. It's made with a 70-denier waterproof fabric with a 10,000mm water column rating, a Hypalon durable roll-top closure, and a D-ring attachment point at the buckle. At first, I was a bit skeptical of the sling design. But it works and carries great.
The other great feature of this dry bag is the roll-top closure and buckle configuration. The strap is on a swivel ring, so it always orients the right way-making this bag just as easy to use as any other rolltop.
Our tester wore this sling bag against her bare skin, against a swimsuit, and with a PFD on several different occasions and loved its fit, feel, and convenience. Read our full review.
If you've never used a dry bag with a valve, it's time you tried it. "I've never been able to get this much air out of my dry bag with ease. The PurgeAir valve is ingenious," raved one tester, who used the 20L dry bag on a multiday trip over rapids, wakes, and long stretches of glassy water. The valve makes the Discovery Dry Bag ($30-40) easy to pack and unpack frequently.
That's on top of the Discovery Dry Bag's other awesome feature: visibility (not just a plastic window) via the translucent fabric. Given the bag is uniquely translucent, it's easy to spot gear without unnecessarily unraveling the roll top. One caveat: The fully welded seams are durable and reinforce waterproofness, but the exterior PVC-free material is not very durable.
As one tester explained, "I carabiner-clipped a half-loaded 10L Discovery View Dry Bag to my other dry-bag backpack for a 0.2-mile approach to the water. After setting down the gear for a break, a bush had poked tiny holes in the Discovery."
We love the soft feeling of the material and the see-through aspect, but we recommend you keep it inside another, more rugged dry bag. Between the convenient translucence and quick-purge valve, this is the bag to choose for stashing your phone, hat, puffy, or any other accessories you may want throughout the day.
