Review of Dry Bags from Cascade Designs
By Matthew Smith

The first time I came across a Kodiak Sac was in Zion National Park. One of the guys who was hiking with us had one and offered to put my rappelling gloves in it to keep them dry. Naturally I obliged. After a couple of hours and a little abuse, my gloves came out of the bag nice and dry. It didn't take long for me to get a hold of a Kodiak Sac to test.

I tested the Kodiak Sac 25 and Kodiak Sac Journal 10. Several sizes of Kodiak Sacs are available, and come either tapered or straight. Weights and sizes vary according to model. Kodiak Sacs are coated lightweight nylon.

I used the Kodiak Sacs in a variety of situations ranging from backpacking and simple floating to rappelling through waterfalls and white water swimming. After a little experience with the Kodiak Sac I quit putting my camera equipment in a Ziploc inside my dry bag. I have had no problems with the Kodiak Sac leaking under any circumstance.

Compared to other dry bags the Kodiak Sac is extremely light and packable. The watertight roll down closure makes the bag fully a djustable. A D-ring on the clip makes it easy to clip the Kodiak Sac to your harness, your backpack or a rope.

Summary: The Kodiak Sac is very lightweight and compact. I have found it to be very reliable. Under the demanding canyoneering circumstances, I have been able to count on the Kodiak Sac to keep my things dry. Prices vary by model, but are very reasonable.

The Black Canyon dry bags are slightly heavier nylon than the Kodiak Sac. They are also somewhat less packable than the Kodiak Sac as the nylon is a little stiffer. Weights and sizes vary according to model.

I used the Black Canyon 30 primarily to keep my clothes and sleeping bag dry on backpacking and canyoneering trips. The heavier nylon seems a little more durable, and I wanted to make sure my essential items stayed dry. Also, most 3-season sleeping bags are just a little too big to fit in the largest Kodiak Sac.

Under normal circumstances I didn't have any trouble with leakage. However, when my backpack was shallowly submerged intermittently throughout the day, often for five or ten minutes at a time, I did notice a small amount of seepage along the main seam by the end of the day. The seepage was minor and did not penetrate my sleeping bag stuff sack.

Summary: The Black Canyon is relatively lightweight, but not extremely packable. For surface water conditions such as kayaking, backpacking, etc., the Black Canyon is a viable alternative.

The See Bag is thick transparent vinyl. It is very convenient for when you need to know what is in your dry bag without having to unpack everything. As with the other dry bags, weights, prices and volumes vary by model.

Most of the time I put my odds and ends in the See Bag. It was very handy for clothes, toiletries and small items. You can easily see what is in the bag. The vinyl is a little heavier than the nylon; however, it is quite flexible. Often I rolled up the See Bag and threw it in my pack just in case. On one occasion I even used it to put wet things in to keep the rest of my gear dry. It occurred to me that this would be very useful if you had to break camp in the rain. Your soaking wet tent could go right in the bag. The rest of your stuff, including your pack could stay neat and tidy.

I never had trouble with leakage while using the See Bag. I never had occasion to immerse the See Bag and therefore have no experience with how the bag would perform under such circumstances. The one caution I would give is that the vinyl tends to stick together like plastic wrap. If the item you are putting in the bag is a snug fit, it tends to stick to the sides of the bag. The bag works great for smaller items.

Summary: The See Bag is very useful as it is transparent vinyl. If you need to see where your gear is, the See Bag is great.

The Pro Pack is a full suspension waterproof pack. It is made of durable 20 oz. vinyl. The bottom and lower sides of the pack are 34 oz. nylon. Weighing 5 lbs. 1 oz and boasting a capacity of nearly 7000 cu. in., the Pro Pack is big enough for almost all your gear. The Pro Pack was designed as a portage pack for canoeing, kayaking and rafting. I have no doubt that it performs well under those circumstances. In search of a waterproof backpack for canyoneering I decided to give the Pro Pack a try.

I chose the Pro Pack because it is the only dry bag backpack with a full suspension. I took the Pro Pack on a few short hikes with moderate loads and was satisfied with its performance. So, I packed it full of gear and jumped in the car. I took the pack on a grueling 12 mile hike through a wet slot canyon in Southern Utah. The pack as tested weighed approximately 40 lbs.

The first day I did very little hiking with the pack. I spent most of the time dropping, throwing, and sliding the pack into pools from drops up to 15 feet high. I also dragged the pack up, down, over, and around countless sandstone obstacles. The rest of the time, it was suspended from my harness as I negotiated the technical sections of the canyon. Needless to say I abused the pack by taking it well outside it's intended uses. When I opened the pack at the end of the day I fully expected to see some leakage. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was none. All my gear was dry.

The following day I spent 8 long hours with the pack on my back scrambling down a dry wash and scrambling over river rocks. It was a very long day. I found it virtually impossible to get any of the weight off my shoulders. I sorely missed a sternum strap to keep the shoulder straps properly positioned on my chest. No matter how tight I pulled the waist belt it just seemed to ride up into a neutral position. Exacerbating the problem was the fact that the padding on the waist belt is only sewn about half way out to the buckle. After just a little hiking, the un-sewn padding squished out of the way leaving the bare webbing around my torso. By the end of the day, my shoulders were killing me and I couldn't wait to get the pack off.

It is important to recognize that this pack wasn't designed to be used in the situations in which it was tested. It is designed for short stints around obstacles and getting your gear from the canoe to camp. In such situations I found the pack to be reasonably comfortable. Unfortunately, canyoneering specific packs are hard to come by in the US and we are forced to use what we can find.

Summary: For keeping your gear dry and moving it short distances under demanding circumstances, the pro pack is excellent. For packing much weight for very far, you might be better off choosing a different pack.

Matt Smith is the canyoneering specialist at GearReview.com.

For more information, contact:
Cascade Designs
4000 First Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(800)531-9531