Sadly, our SealLine packs have become one of the very few camping purchases we can’t recommend.
We were so excited when we purchased our new dry packs. We use them for camping and also for backpacking into our cabin in the winter. It is nice to know that our stuff will be dry even in rain and snow. They do hold a lot of gear, especially now that they have been used for a while and are worked in.
However, there are things we don’t like. They didn’t have a system on the outside to tie things on, so we added our own. There were no grab handles on the bag, which is essential for putting the bags into a canoe. So we added our own handles.
The big problem is that the rubber anchor patches used to close the bag have started to peel off. It has happened to both bags – this happened on four anchors on each bag, after just one season.
We used Gear Aid Aquaseal (available from Amazon) to reattach the rubber anchors then applied black gorilla tape over the outer edges of the tabs for reinforcement. So far, so good. For the price of these bags, this is definitely a disappointment. Do not recommend 🙁
Initially we were planning on buying the MEC bags that our friends love. The MEC bags got the best rating of all waterproof bags. Unfortunately they were discontinued the year we were needing them. Then last year we noticed people on a portage with MEC bags and we started asking them about them. Their bags were new. I guess they started making them again. We are not spending more money on bags, but before you shop, do some research and check out the MEC bags.
Note: We purchased a day pack that we love for $59.00. Stahlsac Storm Waterproof Backpack. We know 6 people with this pack – all happy. It holds a lot of stuff and the inside glows in the dark making it easy to find things! Only complaint – there is only 1 small outside pocket.