Re: [Paddlewise] 'Dry Bags"

At 07:57 PM 5/24/99 -0600, rdempsey wrote:
>Oh....and before we leave for each trip, I also stick the dry bag (empty)
>over my head, and stand in strong sunlight looking for pin hole leaks, and
>patch any I find with either duct tape of bicycle tire inner tube patches.
>My wife has accepted these antics, as "normal".... please do not let her
>know otherwise.....It too a VERY long time to meet her.

Hi Rich et al!

	See?!? I knew it! An arcane pre-packing ritual that I have totally
ignored; no wonder my stuff got wet. Next time I'll be sure to perform the
above ritual with each and every bag. Rich seems embarrassed to say so,
(probably concerned lest his Ms. find out) but I'm sure the ritual involves
more than simply standing in the bright sun with the drybag over ones
noodle; perhaps a three-step in cadence while chanting "hydrophobia
hydrophobic hydrophobe hydro-no" and holding the roll of duct tape aloft in
one hand and the patch kit in the other . . . ;-)
	But seriously, folks, thanx for the input. Several suggested "burping" the
bag; this is rather counter-intuitive. I had been more or less compressing
the air inside the bag as I rolled it up, in the vague hope that a positive
pressure on the inside would keep the water on the outside. Guess I need to
experiment a bit down at the local puddle, hmmm? Also, someone put in a
plug for the Watershed bags. Ouch! They be pricey li'l dudes, but sometimes
you actually do get what you pay for. Any other satisfied Watershed
customers out there?
	Also, someone from over at RBP chimed in suggesting that the only real
sure-fire way to keep dihydrogen monoxide (DHM, see
<http://www.cis.udel.edu/~way/DMRD/index.html> for more on this silent
killer) from the river from permeating your supplies is to rigorously
double and triple bag your gear, and then stuff the entire mess into a
roomy canvas bag. I am forced to admit that this has a certain primitive
allure, especially after seeing the price sheet for the Watershed products.
Not exactly the hot ticket for quick -n- easy access tho. Perhaps a
combination of tactics is in order, where items likely to be needed in the
course of the day are kept in one of the high dollar guaranteed waterproof
Watershed sacks while the remaining gear is confined within multiple layers
of PVC and canvas. 'Course I always seem to drag so much s*** along that my
day-bag would need to be dufflebag sized anyway . . . so it goes! 
ByeBye! S.
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