Conserving dry. It’s an vital but difficult process whereas backpacking. There are the inevitable moments the place you’re going to should make your peace with moisture: wet mountain climbing days, tent condensation, stream crossings, and humidity meets profuse sweating, to call just a few.
However regardless that getting moist is considerably inevitable throughout backcountry journey, there are key precautions to take, like guaranteeing your most important items of substances—sleeping bag, camp garments, and electronics, for instance—stay dry. That is the place pack liners and pack covers turn out to be useful.
Do you want each a pack liner and a pack cowl for backpacking? In all probability not. It’s extra weight and each roughly accomplish the identical factor. (Plus, a poncho and pack liner combo affords the true profitable choice—keep tuned for extra on why!)
However, if not each, which one is best for you? We’re right here that can assist you determine!
Beneath, we’ll provide the full rundown on pack liners and pack covers, together with:
- Methods to Use Pack Liners and Pack Covers
- Professionals and Cons of Utilizing a Pack Cowl
- Professionals and Cons of Utilizing a Pack Liner
- The Verdict: Ought to You Use a Pack Liner or Pack Cowl for Backpacking?
Methods to Use Pack Liners and Pack Covers
Pack liners are sometimes plastic baggage which might be massive sufficient to fill the primary compartment of your backpack. They are often trash baggage you’d use to your kitchen’s rubbish can, or one thing extra fitted for backpacks and comprised of stronger plastic, resembling Gossamer Gear’s clear waterproof pack liners.
Pack liners get inserted into the primary compartment of your backpack earlier than you pack your whole gear into it. So, primarily, you’ll be packing your gear into the liner bag. The pack liner creates a water-proof wall between your gear and the surface of your backpack.
Pack covers may be commonplace plastic baggage, however are additionally generally comprised of nylon, polyester, or different materials much like your backpack. They’ll usually embrace elastic across the opening or some kind of cinching system to make sure it suits snugly to your pack.
Pack covers match over your entire again of your pack everytime you want them. Except it’s raining out, it’s seemingly saved in one in every of your pack’s outer pockets for straightforward grabbing. As soon as it begins raining, you’re taking it out, stretch it over your pack’s exterior, and hold mountain climbing. It creates a reasonably waterproof shell to your pack.
Professionals and Cons of Utilizing a Pack Cowl
There are drawbacks and advantages to utilizing a pack cowl.
A number of the professionals of utilizing a pack cowl embrace:
- Easy to placed on. Placing on and taking off pack covers is a fairly fast course of. You simply have to stretch it over your pack should you want it.
- Retains the outside of your pack dry. Since pack covers go on the surface of your bag, they provide water safety to each the gear inside your pack in addition to the outside of your pack.
- Don’t have to recollect to place it in first when packing. Since pack covers are a use-as-needed merchandise, you may deploy them each time, whereas pack liners should be put into your bag earlier than you pack your whole gear.
A number of the cons of utilizing a pack cowl embrace:
- Dripping water. As water hits your water resistant pack cowl, it beads us and drips down. In lots of instances, this may imply it drips down onto your behind. For those who’re not carrying rain pants, this regular added stream of water could make wet mountain climbing much more tedious.
- More durable to seize issues from aspect pockets. As soon as your pack cowl is on, you don’t have quick access to the outside pockets of your pack. So, should you’re attempting to succeed in again to your water bottle, you’ll have some extra hurdles to face.
- Can snag on branches. If you must do any bushwhacking or should you simply end up on an overgrown path, pack covers can simply catch on brush as you stroll by. This may journey you up, make you lose your cowl with out realizing it, and even transfer your pack cowl in order that it’s now not totally defending your gear.
- Potential for leaks. For those who don’t suit your pack cowl securely round your total bag, it’s potential for water to get underneath it nonetheless and soak by means of to your gear.
- Further weight. Since pack covers want elastic or different closure gadgets, they usually weigh greater than pack liners. Moreover, since they’re on the surface of your pack, they accumulate water weight. For those who’re unable to completely dry it out after use, you’ll have to hold it moist in your pack.
- Gained’t hold hip belt pockets dry. Pack covers solely cowl your major compartment, so your hip belt pockets can nonetheless get drenched. In the event that they’re not waterproof and also you’re retaining your cellphone in a single, beware!
- Should cease to place it on. To correctly deploy your pack cowl, you’ll should take off your pack, which could be a little annoying should you’re attempting to maneuver by means of the rain as shortly as you may.
Professionals and Cons of Utilizing a Pack Liner
As with pack covers, there are drawbacks and advantages to utilizing a pack liner.
A number of the professionals of utilizing a pack liner embrace:
- Light-weight. Pack liners are easy: a skinny plastic bag. There aren’t any elastic bands or clunky clips that add weight. Additionally, because it’s on the inside of your pack, it received’t accumulate water weight and also you don’t have to fret about drying it out at camp.
- Low cost. Pack liners are a no frills piece of substances. You’ll be able to even use a trash bag you have already got, although it may not match fairly as properly as a liner particularly made for backpacking.
- Retains the underside of your bag dry and protects gear whatever the climate. Even when it’s not raining out, your pack liner will turn out to be useful for retaining your gear dry. For those who set it down on moist grass, for instance, or occur to take a wee tumble right into a creek as you’re crossing, the liner is already in place to guard your gear from any water soaking by means of.
- Creates a pleasant divider inside your pack. If you find yourself with a moist tent within the morning or in any other case have gross gear you’d wish to separate out of your cleaner, dry gear, a pack liner will help with this. Merely slip your moist tent or different gear into the house between the liner and the surface of your pack and place all the things else within the liner bag.
A number of the cons of utilizing a pack liner embrace:
- Have to recollect to place them in first when packing. It may be a little bit of a ache to have your pack totally loaded and then keep in mind you forgot to place your liner in.
- Utilizing one can take some getting used to. For those who haven’t packed your bag with a liner earlier than, it would take a while to regulate to the texture of it. You continue to have the identical house to work with in your pack, however it could not appear that manner at first.
- May not match as effectively with some packs. For those who’re utilizing a backpack that has a number of compartments, utilizing a liner could be tougher, because it received’t slip as simply right into a major compartment.
- Doesn’t hold the surface of your pack dry. Whereas your gear inside your pack might be cosy as a bug, you must do not forget that the outside of your pack remains to be uncovered to the weather. So, be aware of what you’re retaining in your exterior pockets and contemplate storing objects in Ziplocks or different waterproof baggage. (There’s one other professional tip within the subsequent part, although, that may additionally assist with this!)
The Verdict: Ought to You Use a Pack Liner or Pack Cowl for Backpacking?
In the end, the selection is yours! Do what works finest for you and your hike. Our vote, nevertheless, goes to the pack liner. In relation to retaining it light-weight, low-cost, and sensible, the pack liner really will get the job carried out. And, most of its drawbacks have simple fixes.
Listed below are a pair professional tricks to additional enhance your pack liner expertise:
- Having bother retaining your pack liner in place as you load gear into your bag? Set your pack on the bottom and stand it upright as you place the liner into the primary compartment. Alter the liner till it fills up your entire house contained in the bag and stand it up parallel with the highest of the bag. Subsequent, roll the liner and high of your bag down collectively three or 4 occasions. This retains your liner in place and affords a large opening for loading your gear. As soon as all the things is loaded, separate the highest of the liner out of your pack and roll it down earlier than closing your high lid.
- Frightened about retaining gear in your exterior and hip belt pockets dry when utilizing a pack liner? This may be simply solved by selecting a mountain climbing umbrella or poncho as your private rain apparel, each of which is able to cowl the surface of your pack. An umbrella can play double obligation retaining you cool on sizzling days and even provide some reprieve to your doggie. Additionally, with Gossamer Gear’s hands-free attachment, it will possibly clip proper onto your shoulder strap. A poncho is straightforward to deploy from a aspect pocket in your pack and covers you and your pack, together with hip belt pockets. It could actually additionally double as a makeshift tarp if wanted and affords better breathability than many raincoats.
Hungry for extra backpacking gear and planning information? Take a look at a few of our different articles on the Gentle Ft weblog:
And, should you’re searching for an superior, light-weight pack liner, you may snag our Clear Waterproof Pack Liners on-line! They’re offered in two-packs and match most backpacks, particularly these within the Gossamer Gear line. They weigh simply 1.2 ounces and are manufactured from tremendous powerful 2 mil clear virgin polyethylene movie.
