UKC

Ive got two decent backpacks / daybags which have a waterproof raincover and they work well. However, I struggled to get a pair of axes / poles on the gear loops and cover it with the rain cover, plus theres always the chance that the points will rip the cover.
So what to do? put everything in dry bags and let the backpack get wet, buy an expensive waterproof bag (not an attractive option), or be forced to carry poles/axes when its raining / snowing?

Any thought / comments welcomed

Edit - Ill revise my use of the word 'waterproof' as so few things actually are

In reply to owena:

surely you can work that out....cut off the rain cover and just use dry bags!

In reply to An Triubhas:

well that is the most obvious solution, im just wondering if others have come up with useful solutions other than those ive mentioned

In reply to owena:


Dry bags.. Doesn't matter if your bag gets wet as long as you keep the kit dry. Can see no reason why these shouldn't be sufficient.

Don't buy a waterproof bag, you'll only get water in the top and end up with it sloshing around soaking everything.

Rain covers are not a very good invention; they snag, blow in the wind, don't keep your bag dry and are too much faff when trying to get in and out of your bag. I reckon it's better to go with tried and tested and just use dry bags.

In reply to owena:

Pull poles apart but in sack?

Use the poles?

Buy some boungies and strap poles on?

I use a fairly waterproof sack with a dry bag, ie crux AK47

Although nice to use a cover to keep ur sack dry but find them to faffy

In reply to owena:


You could buy modern poles that easily fit inside your rucsac when not in use.

However, I can't thing of many times I'd ever be carrying axes in heavy enough rain to be worried about the lack of a raincover.

In reply to owena:
I've used dry bags for many years and with different sizes for different things, it's easy to keep things sorted and dry in the worst of weather. Don't worry about the sac getting wet!
In my early years long before dry bags, the good old black bags you got for the rubbish were great. Used two, one inside the other, and as the ones in them days were thick and strong they lasted ages. Who needs dry bags .

In reply to owena:

I've been trying out a dry-bag style rucksack (this one http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/walkers-drybag-rucksack.html ) for a bit now after someone on here recommended it. It's ideal for gully scrambling because it needs to be very waterproof for brief moments under waterfalls, etc. and I try to only open it when in a dry section. In heavy wind and rain it performs much better than a rain-cover. If it's raining hard water could get in the top if you open it, but unless you're holding it up to catch rain it really doesn't collect much (not more than any other bag) but if you were to put a very wet jacket (e.g. a soaking primaloft) it might be a problem though.
It is, however, a faff if you need to keep getting stuff from it (rolling and unrolling the top) and isn't water bladder compatible.

I've been thinking about getting a new sack with a waterproof liner instead of cover so I can still get to all the little pockets (with dry bags in these) and loops but the main compartment stays pretty dry. I'm still searching for the ideal bag for all possible conditions...

In reply to owena:


Why not just use carrier bags like most people have done for decades without incident? If you have something you are really worried about, put it in two carrier bags!

In reply to TobyA:
This. It's lighter option and separate into different areas of the bag.

I still use few dry bags, one for over than 50 years old camera (it's not waterproof at all and film can get ruined easily), one for survival kit and first aid kit and another one for sleeping bag with liner and thermal clothing (I usually sleep with them, so it's always dry).

Oh, and the bivi bag I use comes with waterproof bag too.

P.s. I have never had problems with poles being attached to rucksack under the rain cover. I use Berghaus Freeflow Pro 40 rucksack with internal cover. What about buying a little bit bigger cover (most of them have adjustable volume) if the one you have does not work well?

P.P.s. Rubber tips for poles might be a solution, too. Or even something DIY would work too. Like blue tack maybe, just to cover the tip.