Posted: 3/2/2025 3:28:04 AM EDT
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So last august, my daughter decided she wanted to go camping and being Dad I decided that there were a few things I saw wrong with the way she had packed. I decided to impart some knowledge for her, and to share with her fellow campers before they went camping. August is rather wet here in Alaska. I worried about her getting wet and having a bad time. Getting wet=getting cold=being miserable and not ever wanting to camp again. I grew up in Oregon camping in the Cascades so getting wet from time to time was a given. Changing in to dry clothes was always nice after a day of being wet and working hard to stay warm. So one of the things back in the 80's when I was a scout we discovered how useful ziplock bags were. We also discovered that things placed inside of them more often then not, stayed dry. Then took this to the next level, placed skivies and socks in a samich bag, pants in a one gallon bag. Before sealing them up sit on them. While sitting on them, then sealing up to take out the air. Kiddo and her friends all made to sure to try this with the box or 3 of freezer bags I donated to them for the trip. Now this is before everyone was making the cheep crap ones we see at wallyworld, get the actual ziplock freezer bags as they are stronger than flimsy samich bags. They had a great time, and had dry clothes to change in to each of the 2 days, and a place to put there wet clothes. I know current times most people use dry bags (we used garbage bags placed as liners for our packs), or other means but this is one cheep for your kids and may help you cut down on costs. Something I had thought about was using a vacuum sealer, the only down sides are not recyclable, and you can not bag up your wet clothes in the bag. It would make the clothes even more compact and defiantly more water proof. Anyhow, just thought I would drop this here so it could be shared down the road. |
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A few yrs ago we went berry picking by boat for four days. Was a wet berry picking time with just a day and half of sunshine. Everything was wet/damp even with putting things in dry bags and zip locks. Salt and sugar were clumping. None of the tents in the group had a woodstove or heater. We tried using our propane and blazo fueled stoves but ran short on fuel. I bought a good lightweight tent with a stove jack and will always have a wood stove with us.(seekoutside tent) Moose hunting we used canvas tents but the weight,space and having to find/bring ridge poles is a pain. |
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This is why I like rain fly first tents or tarp/hammock camping. Rain fly goes up first to get you in the "dry" then the dry clothes, sleep system comes out of the dry bag. I use Nyloflume pack liners but, my clothes and sleeping bag are always in a secondary dyneema dry bag. |
"Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
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Sil-nylon stuff sacks fit the bill. They make dry sack style bags, but I think they are overkill for all but the most sensitive items, like electronics and the such. If doing a lot water crossings, ok, I'll opt for the dry sack closure type bags, but otherwise, the simple drawstring bags work sufficiently. I think Osprey might make a pack-size sil-nylon pack liner with a fold 'n roll closure. Alternatively, I've sewed together my own pack liners from Tyvek. Crucial to put the print-side out to avoid dye transfer on to the contents in the sack. Over time, it'll lose its waterproofness to higher head pressures, but I'll just make a new one at that point. Same thing for boot bags and stuff. Tyvek, off the roll, is really easy to pattern and sew. Pretty easy to make big, square/rectangular bottom bags, and muddy boots drop right in, with a nice square fit, and then they can be tossed into the car. Seal the seams with Tyvek tape, and it matters not if the boots are muddy, or still covered in ice. Car/tent stays clean. For large sleeping bags, I'll go with the roll top closure sil-nylon stuff sacks, but ... I'll remove the seam tape - much easier to fit it in backpack if the sack is somewhat air permeable - easier to compress the bag, and make it fit in the bottom of the pack. Yes, it's not waterproof like before, but water intrusion through those seams is generally pretty negligible. |
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Ziploc used to make larger storage bags with a valve to removing air with a vacuum cleaner. They worked well, but I don't know if they still make them. |
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity" --- Sigmond Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis
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Originally Posted By Strayz: Something I had thought about was using a vacuum sealer, the only down sides are not recyclable, and you can not bag up your wet clothes in the bag. It would make the clothes even more compact and defiantly more water proof. They do make things like this, you can stick wet stuff in and still suck them down real nicely. I generally use one bag for clean, dry clothes to stay clean and dry, and another for used clothes so they stay small and don't stink up the rest of my pack. |