Whether you’re heading off on a hiking holiday or to a festival, keeping the contents of your rucksack dry is a must. Unfortunately, most rucksacks with seams and zips won’t be waterproof but there are helpful things to do to keep everything dry in a rucksack liner.
This is a large bag which has sealed seams and goes on the inside of your rucksack. You can then slide in your kit and off you go. If you can’t find yourself a rucksack liner to buy – or want to save money – use heavy duty bin bags or compost bags instead.
Dry bags
If you are expecting extremely wet conditions or you are planning on doing extreme sports or the likes of canoeing and kayaking where your backpack may be completely submerged in water then you’ll need dry bags to keep your kit dry. These have fully taped seams and seal tightly.
These dry bags can also become a really useful buoyancy aid if they have enough air in them. They are also available in a wide range of sizes, meaning that you can use them to split up your belongings and ensure that you have packed your Vanquest Skycap Duffel Backpack in the most efficient way possible. Find out more about how best to pack a backpack on the British Mountaineering Council website at https://www.thebmc.co.uk/how-to-pack-a-rucksack.
Ziplock bags
These can be a useful addition to your Vanquest Skycap Duffel Backpack or whatever rucksack you choose as they are great for keeping your smaller items dry. They can be used for anything from phones and cameras to cash and keys. What makes them really useful is that, because they are normally clear, you can often still see your phone and use it while it’s inside. This is ideal if it is raining.
Raincovers
You could get a raincover to go over the backpack to offer some resistance to water, perfect if it rains moderately. Many larger rucksacks have attached rain covers but you can buy them separately. They are usually elasticated on the edges to make them fit around the edges of your bag.
Proofer sprays
These work in the same way as the sprays you might use to reproof a jacket or shoes, although water can still get in through zips and seams.
