Using a dry bag in place of a pack.

[AK Troutbum]

I've been toying with the idea of having my son use a large, heavy duty, cuben fiber, roll top dry bag on his SG Krux frame this sheep season instead of a SG pack. My thought process is that the only stuff that he will be carrying will be things that we will not be needing/using except when we are in spike camp, and he could potentially reduce his pack wt. by close to 3 lbs. He will still be using a SG Krux frame with hip belt pockets, for easily accessible small items, and have the ability to carry out meat in the load shelf. If he used a pack, it would probably be a Sky 5900 with a lid. He would also carry a rain cover to keep his pack dry in case of rain. By using a CF dry bag it would cut the total bag wt. down and also allow him to eliminate the wt./hassle of a rain cover. The CF bag I'm looking at is approx. 3.5 oz. for an approx. 4,000 ci capacity vs. the Sky 5900, with rain cover, would weigh approx. 49 oz. If you have used a dry bag instead of a traditional pack, what did you think?

 

[AKironhead]

I run a setup like that whenever I want to go really light. I run an OR dry bag (cuben fiber is terribly noisy) on a kifaru frame with a grab it. I have 3 different sizes so I can just grab whichever one I need for the task. Sometimes I'll run a guide lid so when I drop the dry bag at camp I can just lay the lid flat against the frame and have 1k cubic inch day pack that will haul a hundred pounds of meat back to camp with ease. Fantastic setup when you want to go minimalist.

 

[Texizona]

I'm going to do the same thing this year on a fly in caribou hunt. With a 55lb weight limit each, the weight savings will be appreciated. My only concern is possible condensation issues inside the bag, since it won't breathe. Has anyone had trouble with that?

 

[AK Troutbum]

My only concern is possible condensation issues inside the bag, since it won't breathe. Has anyone had trouble with that?

I wouldn't think that would be an issue. I've been using dry bags now for all my water activities and also in my pack on hunts, for well over 25 years, and have never had condensation inside the bags. If there's nothing wet inside the bag to begin with, and the bag is sealed properly, condensation shouldn't form from inside.

 

[fatrascal]

AK Troutbum, which cuben fiber dry bag are you looking at? Fatrascal.

 

[5MilesBack]

That's exactly how I use my SG. That way I can just dump my camp, and then it's all ready to go in hunt mode.

 

[AK Troutbum]

AK Troutbum, which cuben fiber dry bag are you looking at? Fatrascal.

It will be a custom made bag and I have feelers out to a few different manufacturers to do the work. I’m thinking 1.43oz/sqyd CF, and something along the lines of the size of the SG load cell, only deeper (like 10” instead of 4”), and maybe a little taller by a few inches.


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[AKironhead]

I'd be very interested in that bag Troutbum. Keep us posted on the progress

 

[AK Troutbum]

So right now I'm leaning towards a Zpacks "Airplane bag" ($65), that is almost the size of the Solo 3300. It seems like most folks (cottage companies), don't want to do anything custom and, so far, John at BPWD is the only person that I've found that will do custom work. The only problem is I'm not really wanting to spend $120-140 on a CF bag that is only going to save me about 4 oz. over a light wt., 55L (3350 ci), OR dry bag that I currently have. I did a 9 day goat hunt with my son a few years ago and he used a Solo 3300 bag that worked perfect, so I think something approx. 3300 ci should work for him on this hunt as well.

 

[mtnhmr]

I like the heavier CF material although the OR Dry Bag is a nice $50 substitute (as AKironhead mentioned).

The CF bag I'm looking at is approx. 3.5 oz. for an approx. 4,000 ci capacity vs. the Sky 5900, with rain cover, would weigh approx. 49 oz.

I'd say the weight savings of 45oz is worth any price point on a CF bag?

PS: Factor in weight when cordura gets wet vs CF (does not become saturated).

 

[AK Troutbum]

I like the heavier CF material although the OR Dry Bag is a nice $50 substitute (as AKironhead mentioned).



I'd say the weight savings of 45oz is worth any price point on a CF bag?

PS: Factor in weight when cordura gets wet vs CF (does not become saturated).

Yeah, good point. I could wet-out the OR bag and see what it weighs wet, just for curiosity sake. The chance for rain, in Aug, in our neck of the woods is probably close to 100%, unless we get super lucky, so CF would also be an advantage there as well. As far as CF being louder, I'm not too worried about because we'll be way above tree line (so nothing brushing up against the CF material), and I don't really see noise being an issue.

 

[mtnhmr]

To follow-up, I like the idea of drybag spike camp and keeping the frame to pursue. I use a MR Guide Light frame, not sure on modding out the frame to accommodate a drybag.

It's heavy, but I'm playing around with the idea of strapping a river barrel to my frame. When you have a harvest, fill the barrel and use it to slide the meat out. All dependent on the terrain though.

 

[Mike7]

No one makes the pack that I would like, even though there are a lot of excellent frames now. So this year I am trying a Sea to Summit Big River bag for my pack on an X-curve frame that has a Kifaru hip belt. I have a waterproof center zip that I put on the Sea to Summit bag, and plan to have a large removable homemade lid (like a guide lid but which is a large hip pack) that will carry all my quick access/stalking items. So far, so good.

 

[mvmnts]

No one makes the pack that I would like, even though there are a lot of excellent frames now. So this year I am trying a Sea to Summit Big River bag for my pack on an X-curve frame that has a Kifaru hip belt. I have a waterproof center zip that I put on the Sea to Summit bag, and plan to have a large removable homemade lid (like a guide lid but which is a large hip pack) that will carry all my quick access/stalking items. So far, so good.

Sounds like a SO Goshawk.

 

[beachbunny]

I've thought of doing the same around where i am, it is all soaking wet marsh.so yeah,if i already did not have a bunch of packs,i would do that.

 

[JeremiahH]

I've thought about that type of setup in the past and really liked the idea of using a kifaru camp bag. Nice that it has a zipper.
Not sure how water resistant they are though since I've yet to own one.

There are a couple in the classifieds right now actually.

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[Mike7]

Sounds like a SO Goshawk.

I just looked at the Goshawk. That is fairly close. I really like side pockets though that go along the entire length of the side of the pack. I like lower vertical compression straps to close off the sleeping back compartment when day hunting, and to allow attaching a pack raft. I like the lid to cover the tops of the quick access side pockets and also be floating so one can pack straight upward if needed. I don't need any pockets on the front of the pack wear the center zip is, and where a bow might be attached. A hybrid Kifaru Timberline - Reckoning pack with a single midline waterproof zipper and a modified guide lid would be close to perfect.

 

[twall13]

I just looked at the Goshawk. That is fairly close. I really like side pockets though that go along the entire length of the side of the pack. I like lower vertical compression straps to close off the sleeping back compartment when day hunting, and to allow attaching a pack raft. I like the lid to cover the tops of the quick access side pockets and also be floating so one can pack straight upward if needed. I don't need any pockets on the front of the pack wear the center zip is, and where a bow might be attached. A hybrid Kifaru Timberline - Reckoning pack with a single midline waterproof zipper and a modified guide lid would be close to perfect.

Sounds like you know what you want. Why not have Pods8 sew one up for you exactly how you want it?

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[banishd]

I run a kifaru frame with a cargo panel and dry bag. I like the setup. I use a guide lid with it so I have my kill kit and day hunt gear/food packed seperately from the dry bag. That way I can drop my bag with my camp in it and I am ready to hunt. The downside is organization. I ended up making diy versions of kifaru ultralite pullouts to keep stuff in the dry bag more organized.

 

[mfllood3800]

Sounds like you know what you want. Why not have Pods8 sew one up for you exactly how you want it?

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Same thing I was thinking..... Get your needs met, w/o compromising anything to get them