Waterproof pack cover recommendation?

[Nate_Beres]

Hunting the coast range of Oregon things can get pretty wet. Inside my day pack are 3 little dry bags which negate all the organizational features of the pack.
There are a million different waterproof pack covers out there. I'm looking for one that is:
-completely waterproof
-durable (can handle all kinds of sticker bush)
-preferably camo
-quiet, as a waterproof cover can be
-preferably $30 or under

Let me know if I'm dreaming on the price. Amazon has plenty for $5-$10 so seems like this isn't unreasonable. Any suggestions?

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[camelcluch]

There are a ton of companies . Kifaru, Bearpaw Wildernesses, Outdoor Research and Jimmy Tarps to name a few. None of them are camo and none are $10 but they are quality.

 

[Battleguy]

I did a little test on the patio a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to see how much added weight a fully-soaked pack would have. I used a 42 L. pack, with one of Lawson's cuben pack liners stuffed with fleece jackets. Rain drizzled nearly all night, fully drenching the pack. The next morning, I emptied the pack and hung it up for 30 minutes to let the excess water drip off. It turned out that the roll top liner had fully protected the contents, and that the drenched pack was 11.0 oz. heavier than when it was completely dry. So…this might support the case for using both a liner AND a pack cover when you know that you will be hiking in full-on rainy conditions. A 3 oz. pack cover could lighten your pack weight by a net of 8 oz.

 

[Runningwater]

Since they don't cover the whole pack they only do a marginal job of keeping everything dry in my experience. I just either put stuff that needs to stay dry in dry sacks or use a contracdry bag as a liner. Actually this year I'm trying out my new SO 6300 Fortress. Its xpac with a roll top bag and no zipper- so seam sealed should be quite weatherproof. I'll be up on the Kenia likely getting rained on daily, so I'll still have my sleeping bag and clothes in a drybag as insurance.

 

[katdaddy2013]

A 55 gallon heavy duty drum liner ought to work. Can double as a rain poncho. And carry a couple of extras in your pack.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have a couple of Dana Design (now Mystery Ranch) covers - a PackFly for larger backpacks and a KB Fly for my hunting pack. I got them in the late 90s and I still use them. Both of these have an incorporated hood (for my head) that really helps keep the water from running down between my back and the pack. If it isn’t raining too hard and I have the PackFly on, I often don’t even pull out my rain jacket.

Mystery Ranch now offers a similar product called the Hooded Pack Fly. It looks sleeker and possibly lighter than my DD covers. It comes in medium and large sizes, the specs of which appear to be close to my two covers. It costs $65 which I realize is more than double the price you were wanting to spend. Also, the only color is Charcoal (looks to be a very dark gray in the photo, not sure what it is like in real life). Still, it is an accessory that has worked very well for me.

Even if I was using a pack cover, I would still put anything that I definitely needed to keep dry in some type of dry sack.

 

[Nate_Beres]

I have a couple of Dana Design (now Mystery Ranch) covers - a PackFly for larger backpacks and a KB Fly for my hunting pack. I got them in the late 90s and I still use them. Both of these have an incorporated hood (for my head) that really helps keep the water from running down between my back and the pack. If it isn’t raining too hard and I have the PackFly on, I often don’t even pull out my rain jacket.

Mystery Ranch now offers a similar product called the Hooded Pack Fly. It looks sleeker and possibly lighter than my DD covers. It comes in medium and large sizes, the specs of which appear to be close to my two covers. It costs $65 which I realize is more than double the price you were wanting to spend. Also, the only color is Charcoal (looks to be a very dark gray in the photo, not sure what it is like in real life). Still, it is an accessory that has worked very well for me.

Even if I was using a pack cover, I would still put anything that I definitely needed to keep dry in some type of dry sack.

Thanks for the insight. I'll check those out. Im heading out tomorrow so I went Amazon for one last weekend.
I have everything in or dry bags now and it's a hassle. Day pack is kuiu icon 2200 with awesome storage/organization but I don't use any of it.

With a birthday between now and late season deer, when I really need it, I may make the plunge.

As a diy-er I thought it'd be easy to make a shock-cord net, circle with 2 rows and 2 columns to put outside the rainfly and stuff some ferns into as a ghillie type approach.
Fly wouldn't need (doesn't really anyway) to be camo and I'd blend right in.

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[PantherCity]

I have a Jimmy tarps one that is 3 oz, I wouldn't say its supper tough, its very thin Silnylon. I think it was $30

 

[ChrisAU]

The one I got off eBay from Jimmy Tarps is an XL and only weighs 1.1 oz.

UL PACK COVER Sil Poly 1.1 oz DARK Olive 4000-7400 CUI | eBay

 

[PantherCity]

I have a Jimmy tarps one that is 3 oz, I wouldn't say its supper tough, its very thin Silnylon. I think it was $30

Edit: Its actually 2.4 oz

 

[PantherCity]

The one I got off eBay from Jimmy Tarps is an XL and only weighs 1.1 oz.

UL PACK COVER Sil Poly 1.1 oz DARK Olive 4000-7400 CUI | eBay

I believe the 1.1oz is the materiel spec, One yard of plain cloth weighs 1.1 oz.

 

[ChrisAU]

I believe the 1.1oz is the materiel spec, One yard of plain cloth weighs 1.1 oz.

Makes sense.

 

[Mt Al]

I use a rain cover made for the USMC pack. You can search "woodland cover for large packs". It's in camo, isn't light weight, appears to be quite heavy duty. Doesn't fit the cost criteria but meets the rest.

Doesn't rain much where I live but I've used it twice and worked great.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I've tried a bunch of covers and non worked as well as a dry bag inside the pack.rain and wet foliage in the PNW is relentless