I have a nice Fishpond roller duffel that works great getting thru airport etc. but when we get to the raft for float trip I need to waterproof it. Anybody know a good waterproof cover that I can buy to put the Fishpond bag in? Was hoping to not need to purchase a full new waterproof bag and use a cover. Thanks
Waterproof bag cover...
- Thread starter fyshy
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cwb124
Well-known member
You will want a dry bag for a rafting/float trip. I wouldn't trust a cover or something else to make a duffel bag waterproof. It just won't work. When I floated Alaska for 7 days, our inflatable SOAR canoe had 1" to 2" water in the bottom at all times. You need a 'dry' bag. Cabelas dry duffel bags work great.
City Rat
Well-known member
My experience in both kayaking and white water rafting are enough to second that advice. Dry bags come in a variety of sizes, roll up nice and flat (thus packable in your rolling duffel), and are built to take the abuse of being wet for long periods of time. Just travel to your destination with your roller and once you get to the hotel/lodge, pull the rolled up dry bag out of your duffel and pack the gear that you will need on the boat in it. Just a quick note some of the larger dry bags come with backpack straps and that is worth the price of the bag alone. e.g. https://www.rei.com/product/114970/nrs-bills-bag-dry-bag-65-liters In choosing a dry bag if you basically want it to hold all of the gear that you put into your duffel then you'll need to know the capacity of the duffel and then hunt for a dry bag of the same size. Last, REI has a really big selection but you can also find combo pack deals on Amazon. Enjoy!
The advice is good.
I replied to your other thread asking about what dry bags people use. Although my bags are not the same brand that others use they have been getting the job done going on a decade now. Get dedicated dry bags, where you are going it may be clear and fair throughout your stay or you could experience rains like you never dreamed could happen. I've been dealing with extreme weather from Skwentna to Western Kodiak & Bristol Bay for the past 15 seasons, this year will be number 16, when I pack for a trip on a sunny day I put everything in dry bags and wear rain gear.
Float tripping just adds more wetness liability to the 7 days with or without rain. One other piece of advice is to be very sure your waders do not leak before you head to Alaska. I have provided waders to people who got here and on day one discovered that they were wet. I always packed 2 pair of affordable Caddis brand waders just for such instances
I replied to your other thread asking about what dry bags people use. Although my bags are not the same brand that others use they have been getting the job done going on a decade now. Get dedicated dry bags, where you are going it may be clear and fair throughout your stay or you could experience rains like you never dreamed could happen. I've been dealing with extreme weather from Skwentna to Western Kodiak & Bristol Bay for the past 15 seasons, this year will be number 16, when I pack for a trip on a sunny day I put everything in dry bags and wear rain gear.
Float tripping just adds more wetness liability to the 7 days with or without rain. One other piece of advice is to be very sure your waders do not leak before you head to Alaska. I have provided waders to people who got here and on day one discovered that they were wet. I always packed 2 pair of affordable Caddis brand waders just for such instances
sjkirkpa
Well-known member
You may wish to consider a portage pack liner that is common for canoeists that do a lot of distance tripping. They are typically made of 6mil heavy duty plastic or similar and can be twisted and tied off.
These liners would go inside your bag, not over the top. So you stuff goes into the liner and the liner into your bag. In my many years of canoe camping and tripping, this is the best method for waterproofing your bags, in my opinion. It leaves the straps and handles on the bag accessible, it's easy to squeeze out excess air, etc.
You can get them inexpensively from Granite Gear or Piragis, for example. Cost will be under $10 for a very large liner bag.
Edit: While I have several, I really dislike roll-top dry bags. Yes, they are as waterproof as anything if you use them correctly, but I can never find what I need inside of them. It's a pain getting what you need out of the bag. As often as not, what you want is all the way at the bottom and you have to take everything else out to find it.
Edit #2: Do you really want to take a rolling duffel on a raft? Doesn't seem the right bag for the job.
These liners would go inside your bag, not over the top. So you stuff goes into the liner and the liner into your bag. In my many years of canoe camping and tripping, this is the best method for waterproofing your bags, in my opinion. It leaves the straps and handles on the bag accessible, it's easy to squeeze out excess air, etc.
You can get them inexpensively from Granite Gear or Piragis, for example. Cost will be under $10 for a very large liner bag.
Edit: While I have several, I really dislike roll-top dry bags. Yes, they are as waterproof as anything if you use them correctly, but I can never find what I need inside of them. It's a pain getting what you need out of the bag. As often as not, what you want is all the way at the bottom and you have to take everything else out to find it.
Edit #2: Do you really want to take a rolling duffel on a raft? Doesn't seem the right bag for the job.
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