Used for electronic devices, e.g., cameras, phones, headlamps, hard waterproof cases (as opposed to the soft ones ones we have a gear guide on). For many outdoor gear, dustproofing is less of a concern, so the first number is an X, meaning that protection level is not tested. If you only see 1 number (no X), then ratings for both are the same. Here's a great visual guide below.
Source: https://heatingpoint.com/advice-centre/blog/ip-ratings-guide/
Key factors
Cool zippers, new waterproofing, etc... sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype (over-spending happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features.
We highly recommend reviewing Type or Style first, where we review what you can use to address the Core function--a regular item you have at home may work! The other factors are secondary & depend strongly on the Type or Style you've picked.
While we encourage you to use regular items wherever possible, as an outdoor gear shop, we only carry outdoor-specific products
Type or Style
We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.
Some people use just a regular plastic bag, but given how easy they tear, we really don't recommend them & don't include them as a "valid" item below for addressing this Core function. Soft waterproof cases & dry bags often don't have an IP rating, which is reserved more for electronic devices. Besides, these soft bags aren't usually submersible (yielding interesting uses), so it's hard to evaluate an IP rating.
Our category name |
Waterproof case (soft*) |
Dry bag |
Example qualities & features |
Example images |
|
|
How to use & effectiveness |
Zipper seal (like a Ziplock bag). This can open under certain conditions, but it's not very likely |
Roll-top method (see Usage section), this is basically foolproof |
Is it transparent?
Can you easily see where things are inside?
|
Generally (some may even allow you to still use a touchscreen!) |
Sometimes |
Effect on secondary factors |
Price |
$10-$40 |
$20-200 |
Capacity
|
Like a toiletries bag
These cases are typically more flat & less voluminous than an actual toiletries bag, they're more designed for electronics
|
5 to 150 liters (wide range as the largest are basically frameless backpacks) |
Weight
|
Up to 5oz
(142g)
|
Up to 30oz
(850g)
|
Rationale |
Less technical, thinner material |
More technical, thicker material |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
These are used differently, but both can be important depending on your trip
|
*We don't discuss hard cases here (which unlike soft cases, may have an IP rating, particularly if they're designed as underwater housing for electronic devices). There are different types of hard cases. For example:
- Protective cases: Can be padded on the inside, and being waterproof is just one feature in addition to being crush proof & fire proof
- Functional cases: A good example is underwater camera housing, a case that fits around specific cameras to allow you to operate it underwater
While these factors affect any type or style, we've only gathered specific data for dry bags. Waterproof cases have a limited range of capacities & aren't technical enough to be optimized for weight & size.
Price
One of life's certainties is the trade-off between price & quality. This creates an inherently unfair situation. If you save money today by buying something lower end, you'll end up replacing it more frequently, spending money & time each instance so that at the end, you probably haven't actually saved anything. On the other hand, if you decide to invest in something higher end, you'll need a lot more upfront money, and you need to be able to use the item frequently enough to make it worthwhile.
We developed our rental program to address this unfairness. We don't sell lower end items. But for our higher end items, we offer them for rent at up to 90% off retail price, generally well below the cost of buying even the cheaper option. That's a win-win!
It may seem like the price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). Remember 2 things:
- Many reviews are written after only a trial use, first use, or infrequent use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors!
- The point of gear is to give you a good experience because you've already spent money to be on vacation from work! Don't let quality issues affect your relaxation
For gear specifically, the quality issues center around performance & durability.
For dry bags, performance & durability are linked (ripped fabric lets in water!). Therefore with lower end products, be especially concerned (e.g., maybe use it for non-electronics).
Methodology notes on prices shown on this page
In addition to losing money by buying lower end products that just aren't worth it, you can also lose money by buying higher end products that also aren't worth it. Once you reach a certain tier of quality, any additional price differences are based on branding or design (check out this Louis Vuitton chalk bag [other chalk bags cost $20-50]).
For the reason above, the price data on this page for outdoor-specific gear (i.e., not household items) generally excludes
low end & high end prices. This way, you get a more accurate sense of price comparison & trends across categories (i.e., if there's a $20 version of everything, then it's hard to get a sense of trends if the ranges all start at $20).
Low end products are defined those that:
- Most professional reviewers don't mention
- Tend to be sold at mass retail (i.e., non-specialty stores)
High end products are defined those that:
- Are mainly branding driven (like the LV chalk bag; the brand isn't specialized in gear)
- Are so technical even most backcountry, off-track explorers won't really need it (we looked at a lot of consumer forums & our own expert staff for input on this)
Rule-of-thumb: when looking for decent quality, most bigger gear items (e.g., tents, sleeping bags, backpack) & key clothing (e.g., outer layers like jackets, pants, gloves & insulating mid-layers) should be at least $100; most smaller gear items (e.g., headlamps, small stoves, water filters) & clothing base layers or accessories (e.g., buffs, socks) should be at least $20
Capacity (size)
This section just talks about dry bags. While waterproof cases differ in capacity as well, there's much less variation: at their smallest they will just hold a smartphone; at their largest, they will just hold a tablet computer. As you can imagine, price, weight, & size all increase with capacity. The size of waterproof case we carry is approved by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for carry-on luggage as a toiletries bag, and measures 6x9in (15x22 cm)
Dry bag (Liters) |
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Examples |
For small personal effects (e.g., toiletries, electronics--some are sized just for a phone) |
For a change of clothes |
Standard for weekend trips, fits some gear, straps nicely to a kayak or even on the back of a bike |
Longer or group trips (similar to backpacks, referred to as dry packs) |
Effect on other factors |
Price |
Less expensive |
More expensive |
Weight & Size |
Lighter |
Heavier |
Rationale |
While effect on other factors follows above trends (larger capacity = more material = greater price & weight), there is significant product variation across brands, we have not teased out "breakpoints" |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Not as versatile for multiple use cases |
20L are versatile for most outdoor uses, therefore more worth the money; it's a great size to strap to a kayak, bicycle, or fit into a hiking backpack |
Not as versatile for multiple use cases; these may not strap or fit well to kayaks |
Most people would not need something this technical |
Weight & Size (Compactness) for Backpacking
If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.
Dry bags provide a level of water protection that most backpackers won't need. Those that do may be better served with a dry pack (which, per the Capacity table above, is just a large dry bag with the same shoulder & waist straps as a backpack, albeit without a frame), thereby combining the weights & functions of both dry bag & hiking backpack.
Lightweight dry bags are often differentiated and called dry sacks. They can be substantially less durable, so we'd caution re-using one for an actual water-based trip (e.g., kayaking)
Dry bag
20 Liter Capacity
|
Regular |
Light |
Ultralight |
Weight |
6.5oz
(184g)
|
4.7oz
(133g)
|
1.8oz
(50g)
|
Effect on other factors |
Price |
$45 |
$25 |
$27 |
Rationale |
Less technical material |
|
More technical material |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Versatile for most outdoor uses, therefore more worth the money
|
Not necessarily that much lighter (this is already a fairly lightweight object) but could be much less durable |
Methodology notes
- Only dry bags are compared; waterproof cases are already so small there aren't specific lightweight models (though you can get an ultralight dry bag that's as small as a waterproof case)
- Only weight is compared; size is less relevant, all bags are pretty compact and they need to be able to expand to fit things
- Capacity is a key determinant of weight & size, you can think of the spectrum from the Capacity section as the first column--for each capacity, there could be a Regular vs Ultralight comparison. That said, we've focused on the 20L bag as an example for simplicity's sake
- The range of weights varies greatly across brands, and since the weights are already so low, presenting a range would occlude meaningful trends, so we've focused on one brand's product lines. The brand is Sea To Summit. Regular corresponds to the Big River Dry Bag, Lightweight corresponds to the Lightweight Dry Sack, and Ultralight corresponds to the Ultra-sil Dry Sack
Minor features that may be important
Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about minor features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget.
- Does it have straps or is it easy to strap down (e.g., to a kayak)?