Dry bags and cases are designed to keep your gear dry while you're kayaking, camping or hiking. Unlike freezer bags and other temporary solutions, dry bags and cases are very durable. If your dry bags and cases get caught in thorns or rocks, they'll still hold up and protect your stuff.
Do You Need a Dry Bag or a Dry Case?
Dry bags are made of soft, water-resistant material, and they have watertight closures. Most dry bags close with special clips or straps, and some styles have backpack straps for increased portability.
Dry cases are typically made of hard plastic. In general, dry cases can hold more items than dry bags. Some dry cases include inner compartments that you can use to organize your stuff.
Since dry bags tend to be easier to carry than dry cases, they're ideal for hikes or other walking activities. However, since dry bags hold less stuff than dry cases, you might want to use them for short trips.
With their larger storage capacity, dry cases are recommended for group trips. They're especially helpful if your trip will last several days. Since they're bulkier than dry bags, you might need a friend to help with transporting your dry cases.
How Much Stuff Do You Need to Carry?
When you shop for dry bags and dry cases, you'll see information about carrying capacity. At Public Lands, this information is provided in quarts. In addition, you'll see information about the number of cans an item can hold.
If you only have a few items, a dry bag with a carrying capacity of under 12 cans would work. For the largest loads, opt for a dry case with a carrying capacity of 19 to 30 cans.
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