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DPChallenge Forums >> Out and About >> Dry Bag???
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 07/15/2010 10:46:13 AM · #1
What do you guys/gals recommend for a good dry bag to go canoeing/kayaking? We are going to be doing more of these kind of activities in the future and I need to keep my camera (Nikon D80) dry and "safe"...and I don't know much about Dry Bags at all...

Any advice is appreciated!!!
 07/15/2010 11:14:58 AM · #2
I love my Coolmax Extreme gitches, by Tilley Endurables, for a dry bag.



Message edited by author 2010-07-15 11:15:18.
 07/15/2010 11:16:18 AM · #3
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I love my Coolmax Extreme gitches, by Tilley Endurables, for a dry bag.



great...I'm SURE those will keep my camera dry with all the "coatings"....hmmm
 07/15/2010 11:37:24 AM · #4
Are you looking to haul a lot of gear? If not, you can go to a sports store and pick up a simple one. I have a dry bag I use when I'm fording rivers etc. I've swam up rivers with it trailing behind me and never had any problems. I can't give you the brand though, because I'm at home.

07/15/2010 01:16:02 PM · #5
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Are you looking to haul a lot of gear? If not, you can go to a sports store and pick up a simple one. I have a dry bag I use when I'm fording rivers etc. I've swam up rivers with it trailing behind me and never had any problems. I can't give you the brand though, because I'm at home.



Thank you Jason, that sounds about right...I've never tried this before. My husband wants to get a Ganoe Example (sp) it's like a canoe crossed over with a boat....so we would like to do come canoeing around the area (FL) and I want to take my camera with me (not all my gear-to much stuff) so I can get some shots out in the water without endangering my camera...

Since I don't know a thing about this I don't want to get something and find out it's all wrong...
 07/15/2010 02:43:30 PM · #6
Outdoor Research makes some that I've been pretty happy with, though I don't use them for as extreme of uses as the Doc. They come in various types and sizes.
 07/15/2010 02:54:08 PM · #7
not to ask the ultimately stupid question...but with this style Bag is it intended to take pictures THROUGH the bag? so that the camera remains inside the bad at all times???

does anyone have any examples of what their pictures look like through one of these bags?
 07/15/2010 04:11:44 PM · #8
Originally posted by Ja-9:
not to ask the ultimately stupid question...but with this style Bag is it intended to take pictures THROUGH the bag? so that the camera remains inside the bad at all times???

does anyone have any examples of what their pictures look like through one of these bags?


Nah, you'll need an underwater housing for that sort of tomfoolery..
 07/15/2010 04:41:54 PM · #9
Originally posted by coryboehne:
Originally posted by Ja-9:
not to ask the ultimately stupid question...but with this style Bag is it intended to take pictures THROUGH the bag? so that the camera remains inside the bad at all times???

does anyone have any examples of what their pictures look like through one of these bags?


Nah, you'll need an underwater housing for that sort of tomfoolery..


ahhhh yep that's what I want to avoid!!! So looking at that link that I posted you DON'T leave the camera in the bag to take pictures???
 07/15/2010 04:46:21 PM · #10
Janine, don't know how good these are but saw an article in a magazine on top summer gear with waterproof bags for electronics The Water Proof Store ...can anybody vouch for the quality (I am kinda curious too)
 07/15/2010 04:58:14 PM · #11
Originally posted by CNovack:
Janine, don't know how good these are but saw an article in a magazine on top summer gear with waterproof bags for electronics The Water Proof Store ...can anybody vouch for the quality (I am kinda curious too)


I just cked that out and it seems that several of those are designed to put your camera into them and take pictures through them. I'm just not sure of what it does with the quality of the pictures.

And I really don't want to do "underwater" stuff...I just want to go in a canoe and get pictures of nature....up close, not from a boardwalk...
 07/17/2010 10:47:05 AM · #12
bump???
 07/17/2010 08:56:18 PM · #13
I found a previous thread that I answered the same question in and cut and pasted my reply from there. My answer starts off stating that a waterproof housing is not necessary because someone had suggested it. The rest should help you out with what you are looking for:

Originally posted by yakatme:
I have a lot of experience shooting from a kayak, and I would say that something of a compromise between the first two posters is reasonable.

For me, a waterproof enclosure is not a must unless you are shooting while in splashing conditions. If you are, then it's probably too rough to get a good shot anyway. I don't take my camera out of the drybag while I'm in those conditions because I can't get a steady shot while bouncing around in the waves or rapids. The waterproof housing gets in the way somewhat and you have to shoot through the housing which takes away from the quality of the image.

I do, however, highly recommend an oversize drybag with several dish towels and a microfiber towel stuffed inside it. An oversize drybag (large opening) allows easier access to the camera. The towels inside offer protection in the way of cushioning and moisture absorption. With your hands wet from paddling, you need plenty of dry towels to dry off before taking your camera out of the towels that you wrapped it in. I use different colored towels so that I can tell which is which and I don't return my camera to the dry bag wrapped in the towel that I dried my hands on.

A problem with using a drybag is the difficulty of accessing the camera and returning it to a safe, dry place. This is why I use a very large drybag. When I take a shot and I expect to take another soon afterward, I'll put the camera back in the bag, but I might not fully close and secure the bag. I usually just fold the bag over a few times (again, the oversize bag allows this) to prevent splashes and drips from getting to my equipment. I'm confident enough in my kayaking skills to
paddle and reposition myself to temporarily allow my equipment to be less than 100% protected. When it's time to move on, I then fold the bag and secure it properly.

Another problem is the humidity that on a hot day will condense inside the bag. Try to keep the bag out of direct sunlight so that the contents do not heat up. You'll minimize the condensation of humidity this way, but not necessarily eliminate it. This, in addition to cushioning your equipment, is why you should keep lots of thick, absorbment dish towels in the bag. Larger towels such as bath towels and beach towels are too long and cumbersome to retrieve your camera from. It's best to be able to pull your camera out while leaving the towels in the bag. The only towel that comes out is the one that I dry my hands with prior to handling the camera.

The microfiber towels come in handy when you need to wipe down anything that you don't want to wipe down with a dish towel, mainly your lenses. Trying to keep wiping water drops from your lenses with lens tissue is almost futile and a lot easier with a microfiber towel. The microfiber towel can be kept in a gallon size freezer ziplock bag.

Speaking of gallon size ziplock bags, these are great for serving as compartment within the drybag to organize your accessories like extra batteries, memory cards and filters, etc. They are clear so that you can find the bag containing the accessories that you are looking for.

An extremely short handled paddle, even a canoe paddle with most of the handle cut off is useful for adjusting the kayak's position while holding the camera with the other hand. If you try to maneuver with a full size, double ended paddle while you are trying to get a shot, you are likely to drip water on your equipment. This short paddle also will help you reposition with less risk of scaring away any wildlife or waterbirds that you may be trying to get pictures of.

I think that I covered more than what I intended to, but if you have anymore questions, then fire away.
07/17/2010 09:03:32 PM · #14
Somewhere in the forum archives is another thread in which I answered but I can't find it. In that I thread I added that I often keep my drybags inside a boat bag. These boat bags are like a huge purse with a zipper and are fairly waterproof. With a drybag inside of a boatbag you can leave both bags opened while paddling between shots and be confident that you camera will remain dry unless you totally flip your canoe or kayak. You can find boatbags at boating supply stores and specifically at Bass Outdoor Pro Shops.

edit to add

Here is a picture of my drybag inside the boat bag in action on my standup paddleboard. I paddle a lot on the board and I am in a dwarf cypress forest in the Everglades getting some shots here.





Message edited by author 2010-07-17 21:12:33.
 07/17/2010 10:23:25 PM · #15
They make underwater bags that attach like a filter to the front of the camera.. so that the image quality does not get ruined... they are pricey (the one I saw the guy said he paid $200 for on Amazon) but would be worth it if this was something you are truly going to be using a lot. Its something I am thinking about because I am always having to switch between my canon and my underwater camera and it would be nice to be able to use my canon underwater LOL

eta for spelling

Message edited by author 2010-07-17 22:23:48.
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