I have been in the mountains for 50+ years as a guide and bushcraft instructor. I have always used a pack cover. I spray the cover with a reliable water proofing product and also spray my pack and I have never had an issue with water getting through. I also use a pack liner. I have gone through many a pack, sleeping bags and boots. 2020 I did 53 tramps (hikes), 2021 I did 67, and 2022 63. I seldom do less then 40 trips a year. So far this year I have done 14. I do from one day trips and up to 5 day trips. so, from what I have just mentioned, you can see that I'm not a weekend warrior. I endorse the use of them and a few ounces to carry is not asking too much. When it rains over here in NZ, it really rains and most times it has a driving wind behind it. Cheers from the mountains of NZ 😀😀
@@josephdragan7734 Would recommend something like a wax spray. they not only waterproof, but also actively repel water so it drips of. They only reason to use something else, is if you use cloth / shoes with a membrane that allows breathing (then you need to use something design to still allow the breathing part.)
Yeah bro 100%, always keep mine on me. Even if you ignore the waterproofing aspect as a piece of emergency kit they're very easy to see which is a good enough reason by itself.
@@josephdragan7734 we have a few good options at our outdoor sport stores but I had a can of silicone furniture spray from our workshop that I used on an old jacket (thinking it'd last one more mission out into he bush) and the thing lasted another season. I'd suggest getting a specialised product but to be honest if it's hydrophobic it'll do the job, just make sure it doesn't degrade your kit if it isn't made for it.
My office chair came in a large, transparent polyethylene bag. I used it to line my pack and it was incredible how well it worked for a couple of years...until someone in my family used it as a garbage bag while borrowing the pack on a camping trip. Great, now I need to order a new chair. ;-)
I use a bag that a scatter rug came in for my pack liner! It's been great for a couple of years. The scatter rug tho...the new puppy enjoys chewing on it 😂
I lived in South East Alaska for 20 years where it rained over 120 inches annually. But we still went hiking and camping. I really tested "water proof" gear to the max. We put the garbage bag inside the pack and then as you said everything went in a Ziploc bag or dry bag for bigger itemsa. Because it was probably raining at any time on any walk. So if you opened your pack to get something out water was gonna get in the pack. I know this is extreme wet weather and most hikers aren't dealing with this kind of precipitation. But I can tell you that the garbage bag and Zip loc bags did work even in this hostile environment.
Here is another idea that has worked for me. I bought a Walmart $20 poncho and use it to cover me and my backpack. Kept me and my backpack dry in many rain storms!
Dixie tried and recommended a River Country Products tent, years ago. I bought it for my son and several of their Poncho/Tarps. They are $10 and if your order goes over $25, the shipping is free. I put together a kit from them of 2 ponchos, a set of stakes, and 2 sets of the cords for a total of $28. Good Luck, Rick
@@LUCKY_LARRY Well done! I want to learn to use a sewing machine to make seats for my tractors. I started using a poncho in Boy Scouts in 1962. Later, we had excellent ponchos in the Army. I brought 2 home but they fell apart after only 40 years. I loved the versatility: poncho, tarp(we could snap 3 of them together), stretcher, and hammock. Have you ever tried a hot poncho? It can save a life in a cold situation. Good Luck, Rick
I just carry the a super cheap poncho from Walmart, like 1$. I have several home made dynema stuff sacks now , but I use the $10 3 pack dry sack from Walmart for years to keep my important stuff dry.
I did that on my first ever backpacking trip. I didn't have a pack cover or a pack liner, but I just put the poncho over me and my backpack and it worked great!
Dixie, my wife and I have used pack covers since we first got started in backpacking, in the early 1980's. NEVER had a problem with the contents of our packs getting wet, or even damp. We've done 1,250 miles of the PCT, and also done map and compass trips in Alaska where it either rained, or snowed on us, every single day. No problem with our pack covers, and well worth their weight to carry. For what it's worth...... Doc and Sweet Bride
I am not a thru hiker, I go on several backpacking trips a year. I use a pack liner and a pack cover. I treat my pack cover and I don't stay out long enough (5 days max) for it to stop beading water. The pack cover also serves as a sacrificial layer and keeps my pack somewhat protected from abrasions. When I am taking vacations days off work and planning a 5 day hike where I want everything to go right, the extra weight is worth it to me for whatever protection it adds. Once again a pack cover doesn't only have to be for rain protection. I understand your perspective but wanted to add mine. Thanks Dixie!
Pack covers worked extremely well with external frame packs where the back of the "pack bag" was half an inch or an inch away from the back of your shell jacket - where most of the water would trickle down. With frameless or internal frame packs you don't get that separation and the back fabric of the pack will inevitably get much wetter. That doesn't mean that pack covers are useless on internal frame packs. Somewhat less efficient than on an external frame pack - certainly, but it will still keep most of the pack fairly dry. The question is really if keeping the pack as dry as possible is important to you. Personally, I like to keep my pack in the tent or at least in a vestibule and a fairly dry pack is much easier to handle than a completely wet one. Also, I like to keep some items in pockets on the outside of the pack for easy access and a pack cover allow stuff in pockets to stay fairly dry. Agree though that a pack cover will never guarantee that the equipment in the pack stay completely dry so it can't replace a pack liner or waterproof stuff sacks inside the pack. Any good quality pack cover will be made of coated fabric (or dyneema) that don't absorb a lot of water and also be designed so water don't collect at the bottom. I've used several pack covers and they've all had designs that allowed any water that got inside to drain out. There are of course other uses and advantages too like keeping the pack cleaner on wet days and its great protection against splashes and rain when canoeing. I'm not trying to convert Dixie (obviously won't work) or anyone else that feel it's pointless, but for anyone who's in doubt it's important to consider how important it is for you to keep the outside pack of the pack and any pockets fairly dry.
I rarely disagree with anything I see in Dixies Vlog. But… I have trekked very rainy regions on three continents, and started using a separate rain cover during my NoBo PCT. Starting out in the desert and ending up in the PNW of the states. You’re covering all regions and although I did switch off packs halfway as planned because of these climate changes, wondering what I should do about raingear seemed simple. I had a poncho that covered both my pack and myself, and I carried a REI DuckBack rain cover that weighed just a few ounces. I like the idea of having a seamless cover over my pack, so that no water would pool in any ridges or pockets. The DuckBack is ripstop polyester, taped seams and coated with silicon. I never had a problem with any moisture getting through even when my boots, my hands and sometimes most of me got soaked.
So my best argument for a pack cover is not for hiking but for travel. Getting on a plane the cover keeps all the straps in making it easier to put through the scanners and walk through tight aisles. It also makes the pack look smaller so less likely to get grief for having an oversized bag for carry on.
I'm not a hiker but I own an inflatable kayak that comes in a large backpack. I now have a backpack cover for it because, before I even got it wet, a strap got hung up on some airport machinery and the belt wore clean through the backpack and took a thumbnail-sized chunk out of the kayak. Mercifully it didn't go all the way through, but I learned the lesson. I've since flown with it several times in the pack cover and had no issues.
Totally agree! All it took was one ill-fated trip on a stormy day in Southern Washington for me to never use one of these again. I just line the inside of my pack with a compacter bag and put my gear in as normal. Problem solved. The pack can get soaked and your stuff will be bone dry! There’s fancier, more fitted interior pack liners out there if you want. Much better solution in my mind.
I've been doing the same for years and it just seems like a much lower hassle option. I've never worried about the pack itself getting wet. I put my sleeping gear in a waterproof compression sack to provide a backup for the most critical thing to keep dry and this simple solution has been through a fair number of torrential downpours without issue. Plus it will protect your stuff in the case of an accidental dunking during a river crossing or similar!
One thing to be honest I would never have figured out on my own was the damage the sun can do to a pack. Case in point, Years ago there were some outdoors people that were identical twins. As such they had identical gear, including pack covers. However one of them lost his cover early on and never replaced it. After a couple of years in the sun at elevation really brought home the point. One pack was faded and looked like it had been through hell and back. The other pack looked almost new. Pack covers are usually poor for anything but short burst of heavy rain, but they do add years to the packs life span when the sun is out. My pack is reasonably water tight to begin with, but when I am canyoneering, read swimming up a river with a pack, A lawn garbage bag as an inner liner is more than enough. If you are going with someone that is carrying the tent, the garbage back can be used as a poncho for the night if you get separated.
@@kaboomsihal1164 The stories I could tell. One of the things they were working on was that one would throw a stick of dynamite over a ridge and the other would ski down the avalanche.
@@Shrouded_reaper Every day use is hard on gear to be sure. However, through hiking is only a fraction of everyone enjoying the outdoors. For some of us, all things being equal, since we pay a premium for gear, if it last 3-4 years longer before decomposing that is a big deal. I have a Dana designs pack from the 90's that has been through hell and back and through every kind of bushwhacking imaginable, but it is still in use. Heavy as hell but no other pack beats it for comfort and load carrying ability on or off the trail. The only signs of wear is the faded color.
Totally agree with your assessment! When I was in the Marines 25+ years ago we'd use the zip-lock bags and a trash bag as a pack liner. Not only does that keep your gear dry, when properly done, you can float the pack if you need to cross bodies of water.
I live in the North West of England, UK, and it rains here all the time. best way I have found is to pack everything into small canoe style dry bags. These are expensive though, If you are tight like me the zip lock bags are better than pack liners. When you need to take a pair of gloves or something out of your kit you then have to introduce wetness inside your pack liner so having stuff broken up into lots of small bags is better. It also means if your small bag fails, only that one item is compromised and not the whole contents of the liner.
Maybe this is overkill but I think the answer is to use a pack cover in conjuction with liner bags on the inside. When a pack gets really worn down over time I find it holds more water and can get just saturated. Plus you can leave a pack outside overnight covered and it won't get hit with morning dew.
Not overkill. This is my go-to solution for rainy conditions, and has been for decades. Just make sure the DWR on your cover (and possibly your pack) is good, if not, re-treat it.
I use one not for rain but deliberately purchased a bright orange pack cover so that when hearing gunfire, hunters can see me mo betta! They are scary shootin up in them mountains!💥🙄💥 Other then that, I just use an interior pack installed compactor bag. Thanks Dixie for the "Nylofume" pack liner suggestion....every ounce counts!!
I ditched my pack cover last year and regretted it so much. I have used a nylofume liner for several years now and I have never had water get in my pack to affect my gear. However, I don't have a fancy pack per se and my backpack soaked up so much water and was so heavy and muddy. I think maybe if you use a light weight pack that's waterproof material this is all probably true. However for more traditional weekend warrior type bags, I have to admit I will not be leaving my pack cover at home ever again 🤷♀️ Maybe that's just PNW problems though
Exactly. My 2 main Gregory packs are pretty padded and I noticed they soak in water and it takes them long to dry. I got a 60l Gregory rain cover on sale for about $15 and its claimed weight is 115g with a pouch, I cut off the pouch to make it lighter. Much better than carrying a wet backpack. Another thing is that it protects the pack against abrasions, sand/mud, and dirt. If I'm in some place where I need to use a public bus baggage compartment I will put on a rain cover as an extra protection, because I'd rather damage and throw away a $15 cover than the backpack.
I started using dry bags inside of a contractor bag along with ziplocks and all of my gear stays dry, even in downpours. I started doing this after watching Dixie’s AT videos back in 2015 and then she inspired me to do it in 2016. Thanks, Dixie! I even saw your name in a few shelter logs, that feels like forever ago!
Oh my gawsh, you don't even know how much I needed this in my life. Moved from out West to the Northeast, so my LASHes are going to be on the AT instead of the PCT, etc, and for the first time ever was considering that exact zpacks cover. But the price...and knowing my pack is made of waterproof materials and seam sealed....and being someone who uses the pack liner anyway, it seemed like too much, but everyone out here says to use one and it seems so many experienced thru hikers use them in their YT videos on their AT trips. All that to say (lol), this really helped validate a decision for me, and saved me a chunk of change, thanks gurrl 😅❤
@wyomarine I use a pack liner. The cover is basically worthless to me. My pack is made from ultra 200 fabric. Everything that needs to be dry is plenty dry.
With pack covers thankfully I've never had one fail and my pack with contents stay dry with the exception being a shoulder straps. But I think one thing that helps me is I have an Exos and the curve keeps the pack off of my body. I have had a pack liner fail on me so I tend not to fully rely on them.
Hammock camper/hiker FL or Jungles: Only time I use a pack cover is at night. Use a plastic bag inside and the cover over the pack while it hangs in the trees while sleeping overnight. Plastic bag and poncho while in the rain during the day. The cover is in the pack with the hammock's tarp.
I use and love the “packa” by cedar tree. It’s a pack cover and rain jacket in one. Same theory as putting a poncho over your pack but much more user friendly! If it looks like we might get rain I pop it on as a pack cover then when the rain actually comes I can pull out the arms and head piece and cover myself like a rain jacket without taking my pack off! Perfect for areas with a lot of on again off again rain. I love it!
I have done poncho over pack for years. I usually attach the poncho more permanently to the outside of the pack in a way that I can quickly throw the front part over my body when it rains, and take it off when it stops, without taking off my pack. It is also cooler when hiking in warmer weather than a rain jacket.
Good points. I went on 2 international hikes last year and I was the only one without a pack cover. All day rains on each trek. My dyneema pack is all but water proof. With waist deep river crossings through nearly freezing water, taking chances on getting gear wet isn’t an option. I’ve had the nylofume liners tear. Trash compactor bags are durable and effective against rain but I’m not so sure about sealing against immersion. My solution was a waterproof dyneema roll top pack liner. Pricey but cheap insurance against potential hypothermia
The thing is, a pack cover protects your ukulele that’s hanging off the back of your pack also Sill nylon doesn’t absorb moisture really. Sew a flap on your pack cover to protect your neck and head/ face.
never had a pack cover or liner a poncho has worked prettty nice for me! what is important is that it works for you cause being wet sucks and wet gear sucks even more
This makes the most sense to me. It's great to bag your stuff then put it in your pack, but an exposed pack gets saturated and you're taking on even more weight (in addition to the rain finding its way into your clothing). A poncho prevents all the scenarios from happening.
I did it in 2001 and learned quickly that pack covers don't really do anything. Lightweight means rips, tears and holes. It doesn't keep your pack dry. Your pack is the cover for your gear. It doesn't need its own cover. What's next, a cover for our covers? 😅 I'm done thru hiking, but you have a great time out there. Travel light, freeze at night, but saves your feet, knees and ankles.
Don't underestimate the advantage of the colours of the most covers. If you are a mostly black wearing hiker and you are in remote places it can give you an extra visibility in cases of emergency. As i am wearing very natural colours most of the time and my backpack is kinda grey i put it on just in case of an accident when i am in remote regions.
Great topic Dixie and a big hello from TheCasualMtnHikers. My personal experience is that the pack covers are useful for keeping the bag cleaner when setting them down on the ground as needed. I agree that a liner or a poncho are also great options and I have used them all. I especially like to keep one of those big plastic leaf bags stashed in my bag as an emergency poncho, liner, or tarp, or to give to someone else who may have forgotten their rain gear which invariably happens.
Ok so for pack cove I bought the Gregory Zulu 30 pack and it came with a rain cover. I have used it only a few situations light rain and in heavy. She makes some good point like if you need to get into your pack yes the rain will get in but it definitely does keep my pack dryer. Straps will get wet and yes your pack might get some dampness but no where near that bad. Good points - It will help to keep your pack dryer in a number of conditions -If your worried about damaging your pack from trees, going threw thick brush or putting it down on rocks it will help extend the life span for those less durable packs. -can have other uses sometimes you just forget that one item so you have an extra bag to make do with. Ex forgetting to take a bag to hang your food or a rain cover for a chair or a bag to grab water from the lake with. Cons - will not block 100% of the water it only covers part of your pack - extra weight for people going on long trips or if your picky haha - Can cost extra money At the end of the day I am super happy mine came with my pack included and has worked for my needs. I always leave mine in my back pack weight doesn't bother me unless my packed weighed 100lbs lol. If I was worried about the rain I would also use a garbage bag for the inside. In the end if your super worried about rain I would buy a water proof back pack and use bags inside for extra care. She did a pretty good job on this subject did miss one or two points. What I would love to see for a video is reviews on the most durable hiking packs. I honestly do worry how long these packs will last and how hard it is or even if it is possible to repair them. I have seen a few videos on military packs but not a video showing both military and hiking packs as a comparison for a top 10 best choices. I'm fine with an extra pound or two if it means it will last me a life time. I mean in the military you have to carry a 100-150lb pack for some really log distances so even if my pack weighed 50lbs I still cant complain. Lol
The water from a wet pack is heavier than a pack cover . Redundancy of a pack cover and a pack liner The pack cover yes keeps the out side of my pack dry or dryer than without the cover I hate bringing in a soaked pack into the tent Or it keeps the pack dry if I have it in the vestibule and there is driving rain My pack liner keeps the inside dry Two separate functions
Hi from UK. The Osprey cover is built into my rucksack and is elasticated so fits snugly around the pack and DOES KEEP THE PACK DRY. It rains a lot in the UK, however I guess I only do hiking in the summer when the heavy rainstorms are quick. Honestly it works for me. So I don’t understand the point you are making. You must be walking all day in the rain so having a liner must be better for you. ❤
I use Sea-to-Summit pack covers which have a coating and shed water really well. Essential in the UK and Scotland in particular. Thanks for uploading, Dixie. 🏴⛰👍🇺🇸
Same here in Norway. Plastic bags on non-essentials and important stuff in waterproof pack covers. Even keeps things dry if flipping a canoe. I've been ill for years, but almost ready to go out again. I ordered waterproof pack covers with one-way valve so it can be used to compress stuff as well.
Pack covers are but the start. Their job is to direct water off the pack and help keep the pack from snagging branches. Real water protection comes from using multiple small trash bags inside the pack (and pockets). Divide your gear into smaller packages and arrange the bags to drain. That’s right - assume water will get in. Give collected water a way to escape. Absolute water / airtight wrapping breeds mildew. Such an arrangement will help your bag float when fording, then let air t all drain as you hike. When tou stop you might find some gear got wet, but most stayed dry. Another plus to pack covers is that they can be chosen to suit the area you’re in.
I've got a 20+ year old butylene coated internal frame Gregory. A pack cover is a must now because the lining breaks down over time and stinks😂. Pack still works, so I can't justify replacing it. Cheap dry bags from Walmart don't really weigh much either and are a bit tougher than ziplocks.
Going to have to disagree. Added scotch guard to my cover and it works great. I also use it as ground cover for setting my pack on. Not a fan of bringing a saturated pack into my tent at night. I’ll continue to carry and use mine.
I use my rain cover for the dirt and mud on steep terrain. And also when putting it the big storage compartments in public transport. All the items i need to be dry are inside ziploc bags anyway so if there's just rain on a flat trail i simply let my pack get wet. Also dries quicker that way.
I live in Oregon, hike in the rain all the time, and work at REI, I mostly agree with this video. To be clear, a new pack cover is treated to be water proof. As soon as it no longer beads water off, you need to treat it with DWR, like Nikwax TX Direct. A cover does not cover the pack 100%, as you note, and water will leak/drip through over time. You can also try to treat your pack with DWR, but it will only partly work. I fully agree the best solution is to place items you need to keep dry inside plastic bags, dry bags (like Sea to Summit ultrasil) or a pack liner, which is what I do, and most of the time I leave the pack cover at home, unless I'm certain I'm going to be hiking in total rain. One can easily overheat in a full poncho and feel like you are in a sauna, but it can keep you dry, as you noted. My personal quibble about pack covers is not so much they don't work, or are dead weight, but they are all overpriced. Some packs do however come with them, so this is nice. But if I'm going on a trip where there is little chance of rain, I leave the cover at home.
I use a hiking umbrella fairly often when hiking. Would never use a pack cover but of course a liner and everything bagged as well. Will likely get an XPac 45L pack this winter, but this year I will be scotchguard spraying my 36L Kumo pack for Tour du Mont Blanc and a few other treks. Loved this channel for 5 year now!
Pack covers are a perfectly tenable piece of gear for short trips and quick use. I would not call it pointless at all. If you're someone who wants to keep your pack clean for something like, I don't know, resale then it should be recommended. The trash bag thing does work better for rain and is cheaper but that doesn't make pack covers pointless.
I have a water-resistant pack (hmg) and use a compactor bag, I also use a couple dyneema waterproof bags,1 for quilt and 1 for my clothes. It could rain all day. No worries. I used to do the nylon pack with those cheap stuff sacks and my pack would just absorb water,the seams would leak. I think if you camp in the rain then it is worth the extra money. I have a friend who doesn’t camp unless it’s nice weather. He loves his nylon bag. And thinks dyneema stuff is crazy. Depends on what you do and how much you camp. No matter what you do it is important to keep your stuff dry.
Both Hefty and Glad make the best pack covers. They are made of a very cheap material, so expect to replace them on the regular, but they are impervious to water and have draw strings. You can get them in both black and white.
I love a pack cover when hammock or small tent camping but not while actually hiking. Lay the pack on a couple sticks, straps down, and put the cover on. It can rain all it wants and your pack will stay pretty dry.
I don’t use pack covers for shorter hikes but if I’m living out of my pack for months at a time and will be traversing hunting areas, I use a blaze orange pack cover to be highly visible but also minimize sun damage to my expensive pack.
Never really used one while hiking on the trail. They are great when you get to camp and want to cover your pack. Your pack stays dry in the early morning dew or if it rains over night. I have also just used a large trash bag and done the same thing. Yes I keep my pack outside the tent, as we generally didn't have room in the tent for the packs.
I live in a rainforest and have never seen or heard of these pack covers and can say just by looking at them that they are useless. It's like Dixie says get a pack liner put inside but the best way is to individually pack your items in waterproof bags that are durable. at least then you could easily empty your pack and dry most of the water out of it at the end of a wet day.
My pack is panel loading, so a pack liner doesn't work. I use a pack cover and an umbrella. This combination works well as long as there aren't high winds.
I use lightweight dry bags to organize my clothes, food, toiletries, first aid so they are waterproof at all times regardless of where they are packed. It's also nice and modular so you can easily transition them between backpacking, car camping, travel luggage, whatever. They're cheap and light.
when i was in the ARMY, it was common practice, especially with front line combat troops ( I was a paratrooper, so in front of the front lines) to take a second issue poncho, ( when I was in, these were sil-ny ) cut them to size, and take them to the post uniform shop, and have elastic sewn in to the entire perimeter. these worked perfectly, and weighed very little ( when your pack is 120 lbs, 3-4 oz is negligible ) we also packed our critical gear, including dry socks and drawers in dry bags.
I went to lining my packs with a garbage bag liner years ago and never looked back. It's easy, works and definitely cost effective. I have an Osprey pack that came with a rain cover. It's "highlighter lime green" in color so I use it for visibility during hunting season. Other than that, it stays in the storage pocket. That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.
Well pack covers aren't for serious rain. You gotta use a rain coat, which covers the pack as well. I've learned that the hard way after descending from a mountain (mountaineering, not hiking so not really similar). The pack stayed dry under the cover, my torso stayed dry under a hard shell jacket, but my pants got soaked up to my underwear. I didn't get dry until I took off everything at home after a 3 hour drive. Didn't expect those pants to give in. They are from Cordura fabric.
I've had no problem with my pack cover, waterproof 30d cordura, 4 oz for a 66L pack. Now I did have to cover up the rifle port when I wasn't carrying a rifle and it's cover. That said, I still don't use it often because I quickly realized it's easier to pre-emptively protect the inside with the liner than have to stop, get out the cover, and cover the pack if an unexpected storm comes about - which is often in the SE as you know. But I refuse to start off on a hike in nice weather with a pack cover on because it blocks easy access to anything I may want to grab from my pockets (or my water bottle).
I have to agree with the video, I personally don’t use pack covers because I’ve seen so many fail, so when I work out my budget, I don’t want to spend that much money on something that I know won’t last, especially when the option is a plastic garbage bag for a few cents. I certainly have seen moments where pack covers work well. But knowing that they won’t last as long as I want isn’t something I can justify spending money on.
Starting in fall and through the hunting season I have an international orange pack cover. But it's function is primarily signaling. I always hang my pack from a tree in camp, usually one of the trees I'm hanging from. And it's covered with the orange then too. But the important things to keep dry (hammock, quilts, clothing) are in a dry bag inside the pack during the day. Just keep water outside of that bag and you'll be fine.
As someone who lives and hikes in the PNW and BC’s Lower Mainland, the most effective piece of waterproofing gear I’ve ever used is a contractor bag. Husky brand. Use a pack that is one large compartment and use the contractor bag as a roll-top liner. If you need the liner to be smaller, cut it to size, overlap your cut edges, and tape your seams inside and out with Tuck Tape.
Way back when I was in the Marines we learned to pack anything we didn't want to get wet in plastic bags, trash bags for big stuff and ziplock bags for smaller stuff. We spent weeks in the woods and had to keep our gear in good condition. The bonus to using bags inside is that the pack would float. If you fond yourself in a pond, lake, river or any other body of water a floating pack will save your life. Side bonus, having trash bags in your pack is it makes it easier to gather trash and hike it out.
Ziplocs, dog poop bags, and dry bags for anything that shouldn't get wet is pretty much a no-brainer. All it takes is one time of setting up camp in a rush then realizing you left the pack open and it's now got an inch of water standing in the bottom, and suddenly all those extra grams to have everything in its own individual waterproofing are well worth it. Plus I generally have one emergency packet inside my cook kit, with a couple books of paper matches, a firestarter block and some iodine tablets in a vacuum sealed bag to make sure I still have a few minutes of heat and a way to make a couple liters of water safe even if everything else is soaked.
Good quality rain cover does work. First, as you said, simple nylon doesn't work. You need to have the proper material. You can also impregnate it (they sell e.g. spray cans for this). Second, a well designed cover has a hole on the bottom, where the water can leak from and not sag, as you said it, like a dirty dipper. :D I'm using Deuter, which has PU layer (Polyurethan). In addition one can get one with a nice reflective colour, which is always a plus, when hiking. Sea To Summit is also a good brand (I have several water proof bags from them). But I can see why some people don't like bringing this. Poor quality cover is absolutely useless and does more damage then good. I do have to admit that a poncho is more useful since it protects not only the backpack but a great part of your body.
I like to bring something that can be used as a bright, visible flag as I'm something of a wilderness camper. My orange jacket is reserved for hunting season and I otherwise prefer browns, greys and greens, so those red or orange pack covers that usually comes with a backpack can do the job nicely. Other than that, it's an extra layer protecting my backpack from getting excessively wet, even when I use both waterproof backpacks and waterproof pack bags inside of that. Never trust a single layer to keep your gear dry.
As I listened to you very thoughtful critique of pack rain covers it occurred to me that by carrying my umbrella I can avoid most of the problems you mention at the expense of additional weight.
I spray my pack with a water resist spray and let it dry and do that over several times. It worked! I've done the same thing with down jackets on the shoulder season in Anchorage of April/May where it is still snowing but a warm front could come in and cause torrential cold rain instead of snow. I wore a jacket and it got soaked. I washed and let the down jacket dry and sprared it several times with water resistant spray. The next week it rained and was 35 degrees and I was out there over an hour, dry and not hypothermic like before. I use a waterproof stuff sacks inside my pack just incase my pack leaks.
My pack cover came with my pack. I treated it with a hydrophobic nylon treatment also installed 2 large grommets in the bottom to drain water. Works very well and weighs less than an ounce. Don’t know what your deal is but maybe it’s you and your choice of cover and lack or prep.
Amen. I thru hiked in 2015 too. Lined my pack with a trash bag. Anything on the outside of my pack didn’t need to stay dry anyway. All my down and clothes stayed inside and dry. 👍
I have a silnylon cover. That covers my shoulders and the pack. It’s from lightheart gear. I love it. No more water between my back and pack. It keeps most the rain off and if I wear a rain skirt with it it’s great for warm to hot rainy days.
You have such a darlin accent and are so beautiful. You are so right about pack covers for hiking. But,if you are camped already and you want dry straps and you actually hang up your pack just toss your poncho over it,or just go ahead 😮 wear it dry. I use waterproof bags for everything inside the pack anyway because it's just easier and more organized to use dry bags like that with a few exceptions that I might need immediately that I keep to the outside and in easy reach.
They have their place. Good for winter to keep snow off the gear on the outside of your pack , and I mean real winter where you need boots not trailrunners . Also it can be used as a floor in your vestibule
I've seen both good and bad pack covers. The good ones have a little hole at the bottom to drain any water that does get through. Even then it's a good idea to have the gear in the bottom of your bag in waterproof sacks. The bad covers have various flaws. I've also started carrying all my gear in waterproof stuffsacks. Together, they work great.
Great point Dixie! I used to work at REI, and you cannot believe how difficult it is to talk customers out of pack covers! Compactor bags and zip lock/trash bags for critical to stay dry items have always worked for me. BTW, the “saggy diaper” effect is often made worse by the manufacturer putting a drain hole at the bottom of the cover. Guess where all that trapped water ends up draining into… yeah, you got it!
Funny, my pack cover has never failed to keep my stuff dry, not even after being rained on for days 🤔 But I guess that's probably due to the cordura fabric of my pack, which is a lot more water repellent then the more common fabrics used. Works together with a cover really well.
I always put my tent in one trash bag, sleeping stuff in another and my clothes in a third. Then I lined my entire pack with another. That always worked perfectly for me if I went anywhere it may rain. Mostly, I go on trips where it won't rain. I live in the southwest, so that's pretty easy peasy.
I have used garbage bags as pack covers. There are also treatment chemicals to make your pack water proof that cost WAY less than those pack covers. But for the most part, if there is something inside my pack that I don't want getting wet, I pack those items in plastic trash bags then put them inside the pack.
Timely video. After having notebook (yes, it was out of its plastic bag) and other stuff get wet (except sleeping bag in its compactor bag) in my DYNEEMA pack on last year's trip, I just tested it: stuffed it with newspapers and put it in the shower (yes, extreme test), and, yep, the newspapers were soaked. So, not wanting to give up after spending so much money (with about 10 weeks of use so far) I've sprayed silicone on pack, and I've pulled out my REI pack cover for consideration (tempered now by this video), and ... we are in testing phase still. Thanks, Dixie. You're the best!
I don't share the same experience as Dixie, but I mostly use backpacks that come with their own back cover included, and it covers the backpack very tightly. I believe oversized covers are the real issue, since if they allow too much space between the cover and the backpack, then water will inevitably permeate, if only due to air humidity, and collect at the bottom. Think about this the same way as you approach thermal underwear - the tighter it is to the skin, the more effective it is. I do share Dixie's advice on inner insulation, though, it is a very effective way to keep your backpack contents dry, especially on long trips. Also, $40 for a backpack cover alone sounds crazy, I just checked what is on offer where I live, and the most expensive cover is $28 (€26 to be precise), which is good for a 90-litre backpack (almost 24 US gallons). It uses a water-repelling material, which I would say is more effective than nylon. If a nylon cover costs $40 in the US, then I must say you are being ripped off. Here is a link to what I have in mind, I have used it in poor weather conditions, and it works fairly well. Of course, if it rains heavily all day, I don't believe there is any rain cover that will provide you with full protection, but I would argue this is well worth the money: www.deuter.com/int-en/shop/accessories/p226552-rain-transport-cover-rain-cover-iii Edit: I forgot to add, this is final price, 20% VAT included.
The only use I ever found for a pack cover is to waterproof it and use it as a “boat shell” around my pack when I used it as a floatation device when swimming across a lake. I had never even heard of a pack cover until I decided to buy one of the new internal frame packs I had started seeing on the trails. (This was back in the day). The salesman threw one in to sweeten the deal. It was nylon. Of course the first thing I did was test it in the shower. It failed miserably, so I got some RTV and coated it with a thin layer on the inside. Modern spray coatings weren’t available back then, and “ultralight” was a term for a type of experimental airplane. I used the cover on my backpack for two days before it became too much trouble, and was stuffed into the bottom of my pack. I was playing an orienteering game with my friends where we raced to an off trail location with no maps, so you can imagine my dismay when I saw the lake. I was on the eastern shore, and I could see the northern and southern shores were about 5 miles away, but I could see the western shore about a quarter mile away. That made the lake a quarter mile wide and at least 10 miles long (I later found out it was a reservoir). I estimated my pack to be 3 cubic feet. 1 cubic foot displaces just over 60 lbs. I stripped down, put everything in my pack, put the cover around it and lashed the opening shut. Then I put it in the water, opening up, and went for a swim. It took a while, but I made it across and everything was dry. The only problem was that I found out that the middle of lakes can be very cold even if the edges are warm.
Good points - Amazon has backpack covers which are made with heavy-duty silver coating-lined 190T polyester fabric that is waterproof, UV-resistant and tear-resistant. My Osprey Exos 38 cover weighs 2.2 oz., and the cost is $7.00 US dollars with Amazon Prime shipping. Fitment is critical, and in a heavy rain you had better have grommeted drain holes. I believe that the best use for these style covers are protection from thorns and branches tearing at the pack itself - Lived in Arizona for a bit...
I am with Dixie on this on almost point except the lone 60L (3-5) day backpack I have from Gregory that is multi-compartmented, not a big open racksack single compartment of current popular design. And it has a unique top lid that is a dry sack. It still gets its pack cover. STORY: My old work day pack, Osprey Kestral 38 was blue/gey. The OEM rain cover was blazing pink. Every rainy afternoon I broke it out, I was attacked by Broadtail Hummingbirds, often right up in my face. It was so bright it often was used as a back sight target during a survey.
Think you hit on a point that maybe justifies a small case for some folks to carry a pack cover. My wife and I have super large (for versatility), cheap nylon, though very comfortable and moderately light [when dry], back packs. We are budget campers, even to the point that use one (1) two-person tent for our trips. We did the FT in the Fall and got rained on 3/4 the time. Obviously, due to space we had to hang our packs in lieu of bringing them indoors. We did have a hammock tarp covering the tent opening and a portion of our packs. And from seeing it with sideways rain, areas where the pack cover "covered", the contents of the pack were much dryer than exposed parts. Of course the dampness spreads like wildfire and takes forever to dry. But given the circumstance, I'm not sure the weight of water on the cover exceeded the weight of the extra tent and likely the water that would have otherwise been in our packs. The question is embedded in this situation: From a weight perspective, is is better to have individual tents and bring your wet pack inside every night or to try to go with one tent and keep your wet packs outside? Comments welcome.
I usually just put a draw-string trash back in the pack and put everything I don't want to get went into the bag. It seems to work quite well and its a lot cheaper than the other options listed save maybe the zip lock bags. As far pack covers, they work well if you need to camouflage your pack and are using a cammo pack cover. Also they likely help to limit how much the pack gets soaked.
A pack liner makes more sense. The Back Pack itself is abrasive resistant, at least mine are. For more years that I can remember I have used 10 mil clear plastic bags designed for asbestos disposable. A garbage bag is 1 mil. They last for years and will fill the inside of your backpack. I bought a roll of them at a company that sells hemp and plastic bags for all kind of business needs, when I was a wilderness outfitter, and I gave a bag to everyone on the trip. They are tough enough to meet EPA standards for hazardous waste. They have never failed me.
My current pack happens to be bright orange (hey, it was on sale!), so for the times when I want to be a little more stealthy (or just to lessen my visual impact/conspicuousness) I pack along a camouflage pack cover made from silpoly, which doesn't seem to absorb much, if any, water.
I usually carry backpack cover anyway for light showers when I don't want to wear poncho (mine is quite waterproof) And use it while camping to cover things left outside overnight or use it like ground sheet over wet grass inside tent (the outer part without floor)
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Absolutely right, thank you. we suggest a compactor bag, (thicker than a trash bag) inside where the strap cuts can't cause a leak. Ponchos leak around the edges, pack covers leak between body and pack.
When you go salal surfing the PNW, a pack cover is great for protecting the pack against abrasions, snags, tears. Salal and other shrubs also like to grab things out of the exterior side pockets. A friend lost a sit pad exactly that way just today. It’s also good for keeping things clean when you have to put your bag down in mud or a muddy vestibule overnight. And like someone else said, good for keeping morning few off the bag and contents of the outer pockets. Maybe it’s not great for waterproofing in downpours, but everything has a breakthrough limit and there are a lot of benefits.
I have a daypack that had a cover attached to a bottom compartment with elastic. It never worked. I ripped it out & filled the compartment with a poncho. I love ponchos. They cover me, my pack, provide circulation, and can be used as shelter in survival situations
I am a former Royal Marine....walking (Yomping) in the pissing rain with my house on my back was our 'relaxation'....🤣😇 we used pack covers but only to break up the outline NOT as waterproof protection...the only real way to water proof your gear inside your pack is a bag INSIDE the pack that is waterproof. we used black bin liners then I bought a waterproof pack liner and 'zip lock' bags. just my 2 cents...what ever you do enjoy it.👍
I use a trash compactor bag inside the bag at the bottom. Everything I don't want to get wet goes in there. Never had any problem, and I've swum rivers with the pack floating in front of me. Super cheap, and if it develops a pinhole just toss it and put in a new one. The bag also acts as a kind of compression sack for my down quilts and puffy stuff. I press it down as much as I can and then twist the top to seal it.
Another option that Decathlon (and, I am sure, some other brands) offer is laminated polyamide fabric. It is on the heavier side, but I need one piece to serve for hiking, as well as for hitchhiking (being tossed around truckbeds and such, so abrasion resistance is of importance) and it has to endure flight handling as check-in too (so far so good, but it's all luck, I know). Waterproofing is great, but then again, of course, in continuous rain situation shoulder straps and corners will compromise it. But it gives you time to find shelter or do something about it, such as whipping out the umbrella (for non-windy conditions). Lots of disclaimers, lots of nuances for particular uses, but just thought worth mentioning it's out there. Peace all!
Great video as always!. My Fjall Raven rain cover is made of polyamide and works like a charm, it doesn't soak any rain. It's oversized and I can strap it around my backpack just fine. I wear a poncho over it with heavier rainfall. A bit over the top perhaps but when hiking in the autumn with winds blowing, this gives me total peace of mind. Love from The Netherlands!
Nope, according to Winton Porter, the Pack Man and former owner of Mountain Crossings, the most pointless piece of gear is zip-off pants. He despised them. Said they didn’t protect you from wind, rain, or cold. That man was a genius. BTW, his book “Just Passin’ Thru” is a classic.
I wore an REI pair in 17 and 19 on the PCT. Think I only zipped them off twice over both treks! Ended in snow and low teen temps in WA in 19 didn’t suffer too badly. Granted, I kept moving most of the day and had solid sleep cloths. They were a lot more durable than I thought they’d be and were super fast drying. I’ve since switch to full leg pants, especially since I carry a lightweight pair of swim trunks anyway.
Yep, everyone is different. Winton was a big fan of the “Pippy Longstockings” look- hiker shorts over base layer tights. I don’t carry zip-offs because they’re just too darn heavy.
Absolutely! Great advice. I use a pack liner and carry a rain poncho large enough to cover me and my pack. Not only do the contents of my bag remain dry but my pack isn't taking on water weight either. The only downside is if it's warm and humid I start basting in my own juices in short order. For every pro it seems there is always a con tucked in there someplace. ;-)
I carried a large yard waste trash bag, uncut. Most times I used it to cover my pack at night while sleeping. If I did get caught in a rain storm I could quickly cut the bag for my straps. A large garbage bag is handy and can be repurposed for many things.
