Backpacker Magazine – Online Exclusive

Gear Review: Four Summer Camping Steals

Bonus: They are all lightweight and former Editors' Choice winners.

by: Will Rochfort

Tags:
• Gear
|

---

Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack – EC Winner 2007
It’s a simple fact: If your down bag gets wet, you’re toast. Heck, even if you have a synthetic bag, sleeping in the psychological equivalent of a wet sock does not make for a pleasant evening. Ergo, it’s worth protecting your must crucial gear with Sea to Summit’s EVent Compression Dry Sacks, which guarantee your gear will remain H2O free in everything short of extended submersion. Of course, keeping water out is impressive, but a plastic bag can do that. The truly impressive feature about the Dry Sack is its air permeable eVent fabric, which compresses to let air out without letting water in. My friend’s water bladder sprung a leak on our recent trip to Yosemite, and he didn’t notice it until almost a liter of water had soaked into the bottom of his pack. Fortunately the Dry Sacks kept his essentials safe, and the only real downside was a slightly uncomfortable soggy lower back panel. You also can use it for just more than just compressing your sleeping bag and protecting it from the elements; these days I put almost all of my gear inside of waterproof sacks. Durability is excellent as well; I’ve used a S2S Dry Sack on every trip for the last five years, and I can barely tell the difference between my old model and the sample we received for testing. Specs: 3.7 – 7.4 oz. (manufacturer weights); $24-43; XS-XL; SeatoSummit.com



Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter