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Walks in Yorkshire |
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Walks in Yorkshire |
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Keeping your hiking gear dry in the wet is not only crucial for maintaining the usability and longevity of equipment and any other items stored in your rucksack or backpack, but helps with your comfort and safety.
Water can make electronic gear (cameras, mobile phones etc.) unusable and when your hiking gear becomes wet, it can lose its insulating properties, making it harder to keep warm when it's cold and wet and may lead to hypothermia. Wet hiking gear can also become heavier and uncomfortable to carry, so you'll need to expend more energy.
In addition, wet gear left wet on your return from a walk or hike can be susceptible to mould and mildew, which can cause damage and make it difficult to use in the future.
So what can you do about it - we've set out below our choice of 11 of the best raincovers and drybags for your rucksack. At the end of this article, we've set out a few more tips on keeping your hiking gear dry.
Whilst a drybag won't keep the rucksack itself dry, they are waterproof bags that sit inside the rucksack and keep all the contents dry. For the reasons set out at the end, these are my personal choice above raincovers, but you can use a combination of both.
Ensure your drybag is approximately the same size as your rucksack. I also have a couple of smaller drybags inside my main drybag, one for keeping wet gear in I've worn for when the weather improves and another for 'double bagging' my important items (mobile phone, wallet etc.).
We've set out a variety of sizes of drybags below:
This 30l drybag is ultralight, tough and made from siliconized ripstop nylon.
I like these Osprey ones as rectangular in shape, so basically mimic the shape of your rucksack to fit neatly inside. The rectangular shape also means it can stand unsupported if you remove it from your rucksack.
They have a fully waterproof roll-top closure and taped seams to keep your gear from getting wet.
It weighs in at only 60g.
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This 20l drybag is the next size down from the 30l, so between the two they should fit most rucksacks used for day hikes.
Again this Osprey drysack is ultralight, tough and made from siliconized ripstop nylon. As with the 30l it is rectangular in shape, so basically mirrors the shape of your rucksack to fit neatly inside.
They have a fully waterproof roll-top closure and taped seams to keep your gear from getting wet.
It weighs in at only 50g.
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This 12l drybag is the next size down from the 20l, so even if you just take a small rucksack you are covered. This one can also be used as an additional bag inside your 20l or 30l drysack if you are wanting to separate items.
Again as with the larger versions, this Osprey drysack is ultralight, tough and made from siliconized ripstop nylon. Again, it is rectangular in shape, so basically reflects the shape of your rucksack to fit neatly inside.
They have a fully waterproof roll-top closure and taped seams to keep your gear from getting wet.
It weighs in at only 40g.
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A pack of 3 drybags (5l, 10l and 25l) that would maybe make an ideal gift.
They are waterproof with roll-top closures and have taped seams. They are elliptical in shape, so fit reasonably easily inside your rucksack.
Each one comes with Ordnance Survey mapping printed on the outside:
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An alternative to the Osprey drysacks are the Sea to Summit ones.
This 35l drysack is made from lightweight 70D nylon with fully taped seams. The white interior is said to aid visibility inside the sack.
It has a roll top closure and a d-ring attachment at the buckle point.
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Another great choice from Sea to Summit is this 20l drysack.
It includes their waterproof eVENT fabric on the base of the drysack, which allows the air to be squeezed out easily to be able to compact the bag within your rucksack.
It is made from waterproof nylon and has a waterproof Hypalon roll-top closure with waterproof double-stitched taped seams.
Its shape fits easily inside your rucksack and the white interior aids visibility for finding items within it.
It weighs in at 86g.
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For a small bag to sit inside your main drybag, this 3l bag is ideal for your mobile phone, wallet, purse, camera etc.
It is made of ripstop nylon (40D) and has fully waterproof roll-top closure and seams.
It weighs in at only 20g.
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For an even smaller waterproof drybag to put your mobile phone and wallet/purse in, this Sea to Summit lightweight 70D drysack is ideal.
It is waterproof and made from recycled 70D nylon fabric with a Hypalon roll-top closure.
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Raincovers are a type of protective cover designed to be placed over a rucksack to protect it and its contents from rain and other elements. They are generally made of a waterproof and breathable material such as nylon or polyester, and often have an elastic or drawstring closure that secures the cover to the rucksack.
Raincovers come in different shapes, sizes and many colours and are constructed to fit a variety of different rucksack sizes and styles. Some rucksacks come with built-in raincovers, some can be bought to fit a specific rucksack, but the majority are a universal fit that are suitable for a variety of different backpacks - so you need to ensure you buy one that will fit your rucksack.
Whilst they do keep your rucksack dry, to stop back sweat etc from getting your gear damp, I would always advise using a drybag in conjunction with your raincover.
We've set out a variety of sizes of raincovers below:
This fits rucksacks from 30l to 50l in size and comes in a compact storage pouch, overall weighing in at 80g.
It secures over the top of your rucksack effectively like a shower cap.
A 50l to 75l version of this is also available.
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This fits rucksacks from 20l to 35l (a smaller 10l to 20l version is also available).
It attaches using a full wrap-around cinch attachment and is bright! It packs away into its own little carry case and weighs in at 80g.
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This lightweight (90g) raincover is made from 190T Tafeta Nylon and attaches by way of an elastic cord with draw string closure along with fastening clips.
It comes with an integrated storage bag.
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If you want more ideas for what to take on your walk check out this article, or for ideas of what to wear on your walk check out this article.
Always remember, don't pack more gear than you can safely carry for the whole day. There is a trade-off between what you can carry and what you need for comfort and safety.
Here's to happy, dry walking!
Author: Andrew Forrest
