Dry Bag choice and sizing
 

I'm looking to get a dry bag to store part of my gear in for this year's tour in Europe. In the past I used a normal travel bag I use for shipping my riding gear in by aircraft.

I've seen a brand called 'Ortlieb' and I think there's another called 'Lewis'. The Ortlieb looks to be very good.
The size I am thinking of would be around the 70 litre mark.

What do others use and what size for the bag that sits behind you each day?

I would like to organise to purchase it somewhere in Europe and have it posted to where my bike is in storage before I arrive back there at end of June.
_____
Paul

Ortlieb = made in Germany
 

I use an Ortlieb which is probably about 1/2 of your proposed size; according to the label it's "article number" K32 of PD350 material and it is very, very waterproof + I have never managed to puncture it.

The size suits me; flung over the back of the bike and hanging in there with just a bungy, it carries the tent and sleeping mat easily, with a bit of space to spare. It's the first thing off the bike when camping and the last thing to go back on.
There is a loop arrangement at the closure end and another, less obvious, one at the closed end for fixing with bungies.:thumbup1:

Ortlib is the brand, probably the best on the market.

I have a 70l which I use for my tent, mat, sleeping bag, and a few other small camping items (it is very snug).

They are close to being unbreakable, and actually not that expensive.


Casper

I have been using a brand for the past few at work and on my bike, I have found it to be very well made and well designed, with an exceptional price.

LOMO

Wetsuit, drysuits and dry bags - Lomo Watersport UK. Kid's & adult wetsuits

Dry bags for kayak, sailing & motorcycle use.

They initially made stuff for the proffesional diving sector,sailing and kayaking before being asked by quite a few bikers who started using their gear, to design bike specific equipment.

40L Motorcycle Drybag

IS the 40 litre bag....Price is £11.50

40L Motorbike Drybags - YouTube

They also do a 30 litre daysack that has a Ride magazine best buy rating for £ 25.....which OXFORD bike gear seems to have made a clone copy of, and charged you and extra £50 for the same product.

Drybag daysack

http://youtu.be/Pt1kynPMiAU

And they do a really useful collection of small, tough rollover bags that are ideal for fitting inside panniers or to seperate items out in a bigger bag.

Their 10 litre first aid bag goes for £5.00

First Aid Kit Dry Bags

I have used them for years, and reckon they are top notch and affordable in the extreme.

My local outdoor shop had the 107l Ortlib again, last time I was there.

This one: ORTLIEB Produkt-Details

Which I might get for my self, as the 70l is very very snug, and it would be nice to have space for a few extra things.

Casper

I've got several sizes of the Sea To Summit - Adventure, Outdoor, Camping, Hiking, Gear and Accessories, Perth, Australia, Sea To Summit USA bags. Love them.

They were a bit more expensive, but seemed to hold together better than a couple of others my friends had. We used them on an Africa trip and worked keeping out water and dust.

Not sure how they are priced outside of the US, but my 20L was about $15 or so.

I initially bought the Sea to Summit waterproof bags and at first they worked fine. I could roll the top down and it would stay compressed all day.
BUT after just 3 months use they refused to stay compressed longer than 10 minutes - and if air is getting in, it means that water can get in.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/sc...s-to-this.jpeg

I replaced them with Event bags which have the straps on the side and stay compressed.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/sc...mpression.jpeg
I don't worry about my outer bags or panniers being 100% waterproof.

I have used my Ortlieb 80l (?) rollbag for over 10 years. It has been used on and off the bike and for both camping and family holidays. Over the last 5 years it has been used almost every weekend. It has been tossed into the boot of the car and through many an airport terminal. It is still waterproof and all the straps are still in good condition.
Well worth the expense.

Maybe I have been lucky? or you were just unlucky? All of the sizes I had worked quite well in dust, sand, water, etc. I definitely recommend them. They even made it on a whitewater raft down the Zambezi...after 5 months of use in desert areas. That was enough to sell me :D

I'll definitely check out Event though. Always looking for better equipment!

How about one of these?

Ortlieb 100% Waterproof Grey Rack Pack X-Large 89 Litre Shoulder Duffle Bag | eBay

I've just purchased one from Les at TravelDri Plus but not had a chance to use it yet.

Steve

Overboard is another make to look out for. Cheaper than Ortlieb, more expensive than Lomo, but personally I reckon better than either as the fabric used is a Cordura like weave bonded in the manufacture to a vinyl waterproof material.

I use their 70l rolltop waterproof duffle. It's got handy loops on the outside to help strapping it on a couple of useful mesh pockets inside for bits and pieces, and overall a sturdy, quality feel.

Their full range is here: Waterproof Bag – Waterproof Case – Waterproof Bags – Dry Bag | OverBoard

The loop holes on the Lomo product are certainly a good feature and not one that is on the long side of my Ortlieb (but the latter is very old and the design could be different nowadays).

The tiedown feature is also on the Overboard products, some of them anyway, via the inclusion of D rings - they may be even more useful than the loops, but the pricing is very different. The Overboard items vary in their "weatherproof" and "waterproof" designations; the latter use the same fold-over system as their competitors (which is simple in design, easy to operate and not too susceptible to failure). "Weatherproof" equates to the use of zips in the design which are more technical and, arguably, more liable to mechanical failure (just at the worst possible time, as per Murphys' law).

My main tip is try to get a bag that opens lengthways, rather than just at the end. Its infinitely more convenient for accessing your luggage.

The 89 litre (XL) ortlieb bag is huge. Maybe use it if you have no other luggage with you on the bike, but make sure the bike has a sturdy rack to take it.

If you have side luggage of some sort, I would really try to go for the 49 litre (L) ortlieb or less.

Not tried other brands, so cant really comment on them.

Definitely, although they're not without their issues. I used to find that in rolling up the bag I'd get the contents trapped in the roll unless they were packed in further smaller bags. To get round this I bought a sheet of plasticard (often used to stiffen panniers) and tucked this inside so that there is a small overlap at the opening. You then pack all your stuff as normal, with the added benefit that it keeps the bag stiff and open) then tuck one end over the other inside the bag so that it forms a roll and fasten the bag as normal. It also keeps a loosely packed bag stiff so it won't flop every which way. And you can pull it out and use it as a sit mat.

While I'm on the "top tips for roll-bags" I always seem to get air trapped inside. To get round this I've put in a Boston valve as used in inflatable boats.

http://www.bluewatersports.com/shop/...ton_valve2.jpg

I just melted a hole the right size with a soldering iron and screwed the two parts together, no glue needed. OK so the valve is designed to keep air in, but a push on the central core lets air out as you squeeze the bag.

The other perk when installed in a roll top bag is that you can use it as a pillow, just trap air in as you close the bag and then let the correct amount out for you as you lay your weary head upon it. I've even blown extra air in my bag, stood it on end and used it as a rudimentary stool and have contemplated trying it as an airbag jack by inflating it with a compressor, although perhaps not with my bike for the first attempt.

The blue bag is from a company called Overboard and that one is 90L.
It carries all the 'soft' items on my trip and was bones dry inside, despite Scotland's best attempts to breach it.
I got it from Amazon.

www.foxiles.co.uk/conkers.jpg