Only 5 Months till Camp! (depending on when you read this)

It’s January. It’s Cold and miserable as I write this. But that’s Ok – because all the new camp gear is starting to arrive and thinking about sunny days and lakeside fires is keeping me warm!

So, what’s got me daydreaming? We’ve just unpacked TWO new styles of dry bags to add to our collection!

Dry bags (or dry sacs / dry cells) are essential kit if you’re hiking, canoeing or doing anything where rain or an unexpected dump into the lake might ruin your day. And Trust me. Even the most experienced canoeist knows that sometimes… the water wins.

So to keep your essential gear dry (your sleeping bag, socks etc.) you need to pack it into waterproof dry bags. As with any gear there are options…

- For our summer campers we have always recommended the SealLine Baja bag.

This is the OG of camping dry gear and I’ve used them forever! They are tough, last forever, are easy for smaller hands to seal, and are pretty much universally accepted as one of the best all-round options.

But that rugged reliability comes at the expense of weight (they can be pretty hefty if you are hiking or portaging) and, well, expense. These are the most expensive dry bags we carry.

- If you want a rugged dry bag that’s a little easier on the wallet but almost as tough: Check out the new Rockwater Designs Dry Cells.

These have a heavy PVC coated fabric, a standard roll down top, and a neat window to look through. (If you are organisationally challenged like me, this is huge!).

You are trading a little ease-of-use and longevity for the cost, but they are a still a good option for summer campers and occasional-use gear.

- And if weight is everything? (Think experienced users, long hikes and bicycle touring). We’ve just gotten the North 49 Ultra-Light dry sacs!

They shed all the weight and are much easier to jam into your backpack, but as a result are a little less rugged and can be a little trickier to seal. Surprisingly inexpensive for the quality, they are definitely worth considering.

And that’s enough procrastinating for me today, back to unpacking and merchandising all the new gear! It is only 5 months to camp, and there is sooo much to do!

Alex,

'Experienced (and occasionally wet) Canoeist' 
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