Following a soggy, four-day trek in Ecuador’s Andes Mountains this June, I found myself in the thick of a debate: stuff sacks or plastic trash bags to organize a backpack and keep its contents dry? At the time, I wasn’t in a place to offer input. My pack contained a lot of wet clothes after the trip. Now, after a summer of testing, I’ve found Sea to Summit stuff sacks, dry bags and compression bags great for keeping gear safe, but also revolutionary for pack organization. Increasingly, I don’t travel without them. —Greta Clo
Sea to Summit Ultrasil Dry Bag
$23-40 | Sizes: 3L, 5L, 8L, 13L, 20L, 35L
My go-to for simple, stowable, safe organization, these dry bags, much like Marry Poppin’s bag, are seemingly bottomless. I used Ultra-Sil Drybags for a weekend of camping in the White Mountains to separate my camp clothes and trail clothing. I put socks, underwear pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a lightweight hoodie, hat and a tank top in the 5-liter. In the eight-liter, I put my waterproof anorak as well as running and biking clothes. With the excess air forced out, the sides of these bags’ openings simply close and seal. They can be rolled up and buckled closed to stuff into a backpack or duffel bag, reducing the amount of space.
