So I'm in Walmart shopping for some forgettable item. I found myself passing through the camping section, which I normally don't pay any attention to, but noticed a package of dry bags. My first reaction was to keep moving, thinking that these things have got to leak like a sieve, plus be heavy as lead. But, I stopped & looked - $10 for 3 bags ... Um? Made by Outdoor Products - I've heard of them ... Um? Still, they must leak! Well, OK! $10 to prove my suspicion.

I get home, open the package and find 3 dry bags labelled 2, 4 & 8 liters. I measured them and sure enough, the volumes looked accurate. Then I weighed them, 3.5 oz. for all three bags, total! Hey! This is getting interesting, but what good is a "dry" bag that's all wet?

So, it's time for the tee shirt test. I loaded each bag with gray tee shirts (obvious discoloration when wet) and turned on the shower and threw them in. After letting it run a few minutes, I got in and while taking my normal shower, kicked the bags around to make sure they got varied exposure. Note: my shower can easily match a real downpour.

Time for the results. I dumped the contents of the bags onto the bed & inspected the tee shirts. NOT A DROP OF WATER!

3 bags, $10, watertight, 3.5 oz. total - Hey, I'm ending this post: gotta go to Walmart and buy some more UL camping gear! :)

I have been using them for about a year. They work good. Mine have not been well cared for, but they do not show any signs of abnormal wear. However, they are not completely watertight after time. The treatment must have worn off after so many washings or something. I usually hang my food in the green one (8 litre) and if the contents are not in a gallon bag they will surely be damp after a night of rain. The fabric and hardware have held up fantasically -especially considering the low cost.

Anyone rushing over to WalMart -- whatever you do -- don't buy the Ozark Trail (i.e. WalMart's own store brand) dry bags. I canoed with a friend and after one flip over that caused our packs to float on the river for maybe 38 seconds -- there was a sizable puddle of water in my friend's Ozark "dry" bag -- whereas the inside of my heavy duty garbage bag was bone dry.

Edited by ben2world on 06/14/2008 17:28:10 MDT.

I did the paper towel test

I packed the small one with paper towels and then held it under water in the sink for a minute or two

No moisture inside the bag

i try to minimize my WM spending, but these little dry bags are an undeniable bargain. we use the big one for stuffing my 6-year-old's quilt - he tends to fall in creeks a bit more often than we do. ;)

Listen to Ben (see post above)

Trash bags (heavy duty, compactor, etc) are the true UL dry bag.

That's a cheap price for dry bags. (Thank goodness for those child laborers, huh? oops, sorry.)

I wondered when I read that one commentator's bags started to leak after 'too many washings.' I know I'm not the most pristine of campers, but help me out: how much washing do stuff bags need??? Even the food bag is usually just holding lots of packages of food sealed in mylar or zip locs, right? So a quick rinse of the dust ought to do it? All coated/waterproof fabrics dislike washing, and if it's not smeared with ick I suggest you let it be, or wipe it with a damp cloth or sponge. Your gear will last a lot longer, performing as you want. In my experience, only exception to this general rule is when you're exposing zippers to volcanic ash or glacial flour- they really wreck a zipper.

I won't spend any money at WalMart and feel that if I find their labor, social, environmental practices objectionable, then 'but THIS is a great deal!' is not a good reason to shop there. But that's just me, trying to backpack and live with integrity in my own way and on my own hike.

Like the poster above, I wont spend my money at Wal Mart because I don't like they way they run their business.

Aside from the politics, which I agree with, just what are these dry bags waterproofed with and what kind of fabric? Urathane coated nylon, silnylon? Do the seams come sealed or did you seal them? Putting them in the shower is probably an adequate test of waterproofness, but to give them the 'ol acid test, try subjecting them to some greater degree of hydrostatic pressure. To do this test just fill them up with water and see if it starts to bead through after a while. Let me know!