throw it in the water

B

Bushman5

Joined
Oct 31, 2007
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thats right, load up your pack with your usual load out, go for a hike and toss that pack into a creek or river (anchor it with a rope so you don't lose it).

:confused: say what? Bushman5 must have got into the beer supply again....... :p

nope, i'm serious - its an exercise to see how much of your kit gets wet, and how much stays dry. Losing a pack into water is a very real possibility for us woods rats.

here is the breakdown on what got wet in my pack (Tactical Tailor 3 day assault pack) when tossed into water and allowed to tumble down the creek for about 20 feet:

- maps: stayed dry, thanks to ALOKSAK storage
- FAK: stored in 5:11 drop down FAK pouch: bandages in outer portion of pouch got wet, as did blister packs of Benadryl and Ibupro, and water tabs. wound packing gauzes soaked up water. Possibles pouch (nylon) half full of water, lipbalm, string, whistle, candy all fine.
- rolled up jacket in bottom of pack: wet around the outer rolls, inside dry. Cotton shemagh and wooly gloves soaked thru. MSR Reactor stove dry (stove packed into pot, with lid on), some water drops got in thru the lid vent hole, not enough to do anything. Pack bottom (inside) soaked (still had water sloshing around) , but drained quickly thru drainage grommet at bottom
- outer middle pocket of pack, full of water. Food bars inside stayed dry though, due to factory sealed foil wrapping. paracord roll got soaked, compass got soaked but its a sealed unit anyways. Flashlight and SF Spares Carrier soaked, but inside were dry
- outer front pocket: bag of coffee soaked thru, still usable but messy. Bear banger kit soaked but banger shells are sealed from water. Firekit contents bone dry, sealed in a O ring sealed flip top container.

The pack, once drained, dried quickly but the inside stayed damp somewhat. Not a big deal,most items were not affected by water. The drain grommet allowed a LOT of water to rapidly drain out once i pulled the pack back in from the creek. Some water stayed in the water bladder pocket, but drained as the pack was put on and as i moved.

something to try..... :D
 
good idea- a lot of folks don't give much thought to what happens when stuff gets wet (or better when stuff doesn't get wet because you've taken precautions to keep it from getting wet! :))

I have a variety of aloksaks that go into my kits, I also use Sea2Summit ultra sil dry sacks- very light, but still waterproof http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/7

I also use a pack liner on all of my packs- a trash compactor bag does a pretty good job as a liner
 
This is a great idea. It's something that I have been thinking of for a while, usually while pondering the merits of my Pelican waterproof PSK case vs. a more spacious, less waterproof alternative. I often use a small Camelbak for day hikes and overnighters, and I have occasionally wondered what would happen if a full water bladder ruptured while I was in the bush or in a real survival situation. And I do have a history of dropping things in the water, most notably my now-deceased Canon Powershot and a premium six-pack that is still AWOL in a Muskoka lake. So waterproofing is an issue for me!

I'm going to give this a try next time I get the chance. I'll take before and after shots and report on the results. For an added bonus, I may leave it outside overnight in our now-sub-zero temperatures, just to see how my kit does in a simulated dunking in less-than-ideal conditions.

Bushman5, it sounds like your pack is pretty good on the water-resistance front. Nice!

All the best,

- Mike
 
I bet those drain holes let in a bunch of water as well ;)

One may want to weigh the pack before and after the dunk as well.
 
Water proof inner bags keep things bry and even gives some boyancy. I pick up some good tips from Bill Masons canoeing books.
 
One thing I learned through 20yrs of canoeing...

If you use a drybag, garbage bag or ziplocks, leave a little air in them. Not only does it improve boyancy, it prevents the vacuum effect from sucking in water! I use to press all the air out and payed for it a couple times before I caught on.

Rick
 
this is a good exercise.
getting your kit wet can be a real bummer.
but knowing what will happen why and what is all good
buzz
 
In AK or other wet environments I usually use a compactor bag for a daypack liner and put the contents in freezer thickness ziplocs. Usually works OK but the compactor bags will eventually develop pinholes and need replacement.

Good test!

DancesWithKnives
 
Magnussen said:
One thing I learned through 20yrs of canoeing...

I use to press all the air out and payed for it a couple times before I caught on.

Rick
Click to expand...


I'M GLAD SOMEONE ELSE FIGURED THAT OUT!!! It took me FOREVER to figure out why my dry bag was getting wet until I put it in a wet bathroom (long story)
Glorious Rick!
 
Certainly a good idea and something that has been on my mind. I think as long as the essentials are safe and dry, you're good. Saving up for a dry sack for clothing and such is good, but making sure food, first aid kit and fire kit are dry is a must. I think I'll spare myself from drowning my bag, but pretty much pack it up and think of what exactly would get wet first and how badly.
 
hehe, i always leave air in. just from a quick mental once over.....everything but my FAK and firekit would get soaked....i keep my FAK in a waterproof bag and myfire tinders and mini bic in an aloksak. for all overnighters i use a bag for clothes/elec things. when on the boat all things in my sea to summit. hooray dry! :)
 
Actually I think about this a lot...I live in a temperate rain forest, and cross a lot of creeks. I know some parts of my kit are just going to get wet if submerged long enough but for the most part my dry bag does good (I don't compress it as I learned that from a crazy Italian drill sergeant years ago). I bought some small Pelican cases for my expensive electronics, i.e. camera and phone, and my most critical kit like first aid supplies. I put the Pelican cases through some pretty serious tests and I was pretty impressed with how well they did. I want to try the Otter boxes next, I hear they are good too.
 
I keep all my stuff that I don't want wet in dry sacks. If it rains, I throw on the pack cover. I'm actually looking at getting a waterproof roll top backpack like the Camelbak HOSS since condensation can build up under my pack cover on long, wet hikes.
 
Yep another Great thread to keep us thinking and learning.
Give yourself a pat on the back bushmand 5

Bryan
 
How many of you missed it when it was new? I did.

That's why I brought it up. After the discussion going on about bringing good threads back up. It's not always to argue some point, sometimes it's because you find something that's worthwhile.
 
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