[pct-l] keeping your bag dry

[wandering_bob at comcast.net (Bob Bankhead)]

This addresses keeping your bag dry during storage and transport. Once you 
take it out and expose it to the relative humidity in the ambient air, all 
bets are off. If you camp in the clouds, your bag - down or synthetic - will 
absorb water. After several nights like this, they can get quite wet. 
Purchasing a bag with a water repellent finish or microfiber shell will 
help, but the inside of the bag is still vulnerable.


If you really expect a lot of rain or will be crossing lots of water and 
want your bag ABSOLUTELY protected during storage and transport, buy one of 
the OR Advanced Hydroseal stuff sacks. They are designed for use in canoes 
and kayaks and are totally waterproof and their roll-drown dry bag tops seal 
out everything but air. 
http://www.orgear.com/home/style/home/storage/storage_stuffsacks/storage_stuff_dry/SSA


"Our unique Hydroseal fabric combines a durable, 4 oz. Antron-nylon oxford 
cloth with our special Hydroseal-200? coating. Waterproof to 200 psi, and 
pliable at -40 degrees, our stuff sacks can take an amazing amount of abuse, 
and will last much longer than the typical taffeta sacks. Our Advanced Stuff 
Sacks feature a roll-down, dry bag-style top with Velcro attachment., 
factory-taped seams and external daisy chain for lashing to packs, etc. They 
are Slick and supple for jamming into kayak bulkheads and tight places."

They come in 8 different sizes and several different highly visible colors 
(I'm partial to yellow and silver). A down sleeping bag should fit in a #3 
size easily; a synthetic may require a #4. . I've found that a 20x72 inch 
foam pad fits perfectly in a #7 which also protects it on the outside of my 
pack if I'm bushwacking. I do not like putting my dry down bag on a wet pad 
in camp - kind of negates all the effort to keep the bag dry in the first 
place. I also use them for my spare clothes. With the daisy chain on the 
outside, they attach easily to my pack.

According to my scale:
#1 =  2-1/2 oz
#2 =  3-1/2 oz
#3 =  4oz
#4 =  5 oz
#7 =  4 oz

Plastic bags are fine for preventing rain that enters your pack from soaking 
your sleeping bag, but they do not do total immersion worth a damn. If you 
plan to use a boat, fall into a stream or must cross hip-deep water, your 
bag is at risk unless you are using one of these Advanced Hydroseal sacks.


Wandering Bob Bankhead





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garret Christensen" <garretchristensen@yahoo.com>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 1:36 PM
Subject: [pct-l] keeping your bag dry


.....does anybody have any ideas/advice to share on keeping down bags 
dry/yourself warm if that fails?
thanks,
Garret (the Onion) Christensen