Funny how we get attached to our equipment. Dry bags seem to be my thing. I’ve got a couple of old olive barrels full of them. Empty and flattened with scuff marks and faded lettering scrawled on their sides, they are the tangible icons of expeditions past and the germ of expeditions yet unborn.

I loaned a bag to a buddy the other day and noticed the writing in white Mean Streak marker across the side: Resupply Bag #2 and beneath that: Haida Gwaii Expedition ‘99. I can still remember rendezvousing with the helicopter deep in Princess Maria Inlet as I left the ledgey coast of Graham Island behind and started down the deep water coast of Moresby. Although the living was good aboard the SS Salmon Seeker with prime rib and excellent merlots while dining with the captain, not to mention sleeping in a real bed, I was happy to see the bags. Stuffed with Clif Bars, fuel canisters, film, the next library installment, a board game covering the Russian Revolution of 1918, fresh batteries, a supply of MRS organic freeze dried meals to augment a diet of fish, crab and barnacle and, not in the least, a two week supply of good Canadian beer, I was good to go for the next leg.

Strewn around your kayak like a pack of small dogs, your bags begin to take on personality. Some are supple and slightly faded, others stiff and shiny, one has a hole with a patch, another is missing a buckle. Some are fat and heavy, others light and trim. Some you invite into your tent for the night while others are relegated to the vestibule or the clammy hold of the boat. Along with the scavenge driftwood/carry water themes of kayak trekking, are the litany of baggage you catalog and haul around the beach.

Leave a couple of supply bags in the boat, then pull half a dozen others out and toss them on the pea gravel. With your tent bag slung over your shoulder, you prowl around hunting for just the right site. When it’s pitched you stash the empty bag in the rear vestibule and bring over the bags with sleeping gear, clothes, library, your breakfast stuff and your toiletries. You arrange them in the front vestibule or the sanctum sanctorum according to content.

Over the course of an expedition it seems as if we are always stuffing, digging through, hauling to and from the boat, loading or unloading from the always too small hatches or rummaging through our baggage train. Bags are the currency of our material and can represent a pleasant experience in order and material transport, or the bane of our time afield.

In my book the two most important features of a good sea kayaking bag are the integrity of the bag and the ease of use. I’ve become ambivalent about a bag’s ability to seal up completely water tight. The most common threat, far and away, of moisture to gear stored in dry bags in a sea kayak is from the inch or two of water in the hold. That said, I still make sure half of my bags are Zip-Lock type and completely water tight if submerged, as a back-up safety precaution in case of a punctured hull or faulty hatch cover. The problem with the Zip-lock bags though is they can be a pain in the ass to keep clean and to use. Instead, I prefer a bag that is more ergonomic and user friendly and waterproof to 500 ft be damned.

My favorite bag is an Ortlieb Rack Pack and I’ll tell you why. They are the easiest to use, both mechanically and in terms of design, and viscerally I like the feel of the tough, heavy-weight (PVC PD620) fabric. They have a tougher model in a hybrid material but I don’t like the hand nearly as well. The PD620 is tough enough for years of use and in the event of a hole, I can patch it (or send it in and they’ll do a seamless job). The buckles are soft to the touch and easy to open, no small advantage when your fingers are nicked and numb, and the closure is quick and reliable and even self cleaning to help flush out sand and dirt.

The design upside with Rack Packs is they load horizontally, so you can get at your stuff without having to dump it all out. This may not seem a big deal at first, but after a while it will be. You can keep a bag full of stuff and leave it open in your tent like a drawer...library bag, clothing bag, electronic bag, all ready at hand.

The down side of the Rack Pack (other than price) is largely theoretical. They are not as thoroughly water tight as some styles of dry bags. They have a roll down opening; with buckles at either end of the bag and two crossing over the top, they seal effectively and easily. They will not serve as flotation (should you fill the boat with water) as well or as long as other bags.

Made in Germany, Ortlieb is a company big into waterproof panniers, messenger and motorcycle bags, backpacks, travel and city bags, camera bags and, of course, dry bags. Dry bags are their thing. Not to be confused with cheaper bags with inferior materials and hardware, Ortlieb is comfortable in the top shelf niche. You will pay a little more for a bag with the Ortlieb logo on it but it will pay dividends in the long run in the field.

I spoke today with Jeff Scully, Ortlieb’s main man in the states. I was looking for some new scuttlebutt for 2005. Jeff gave me the same spiel as the year before. I pointed that out to him and we laughed. They had some new accessories for some of the bags but no new changes to the core line or newer, better bags to replace the tried and true. Frankly, that was refreshing to hear. One of my pet peeves as a gear guy is that some companies don’t know when to leave well enough alone. Leave fashion for the runway I say.

PD 350
The low-price drybag for use in camping and easy trekking tours; provides a balance between acceptable weight and good durability. The base is made of the tough material PD620. All drybags are supplied with D-rings and a base loop.

PD 620
New sturdy drybag made out of the extremely strong PD620 fabric with a section of transparent folding resistant foil material. This way you will know always where your gear is stored. No more searching and looking for a special item that could be in anywhere.

PS 17
High-quality drybag made of an extremely lightweight and compact high-tech material. Despite its low weight you will be amazed how abrasion resistant and durable the PS17 fabric is. The roll closure ensures waterproof closure of the drybag.

PS 490
Bags designed for heavy duty use; where toughness is more important than considerations of weight. All drybags are supplied with D-rings and a base loop for additional fastening. The base is made of even tougher fabric PD620.

For more information on Ortlieb bags, go to www.ortliebusa.com.