Our Guide to Waterproof Dry Bags And Cases

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, see Usage section), so it's hard to evaluate an IP rating. For these, waterproofing is generally conveyed via a polyurethane coating. You can read more about that in our waterproofing guide

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 other 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

If you don't go very often, of course you're going to want to spend less money, but this often means real trade-offs in terms of the experience that you will have with the gear. Even if you do go often & are ready to invest in quality gear, having the upfront funds can be hard!

Now, it may seem like this 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). So you might be thinking: I'll just buy something cheap, and because the price is so low it doesn't matter if it's less featured or heavier or whatever compared to something higher end. When that breaks, I'll buy something cheap again, and so on. Just remember:

• Many reviews are written after only a trial use or first use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors! And reviews after the first use don't tell you about durability at all
• You're headed outdoors to relax and enjoy life! Saving money only to have a trip ruined due to quality issues will feel terrible. Our program to rent waterproof dry bags and cases is designed to help you avoid this trade-off: you get to rent high end, quality waterproof dry bags and cases for around the same price as buying cheap ones (sometimes even for less!)

For this item specifically, the price vs. quality trade-off 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).

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). While we don't carry every size, if we have something different than what you've used, you can rent the waterproof dry bags and cases to experiment with what capacity is best for you.

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)

Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about other 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. Remember, we allow you to hire a waterproof dry bags and cases so feel free to try out various models with different features.

• Does it have straps or is it easy to strap down (e.g., to a kayak)?