Re: [Paddlewise] Do your dry bags deflate air

> And disagree slightly __here:__   although I would not rely on gear-filled
> drybags for all my flotation, they do provide flotation buoyancy, and
their
> leak rate is very slow.  I always complete filling a bulkheaded
compartment
> by inflating a genuine air bag,

Here it becomes more academical, but yes - anything lighter than same
vlolume of water (i.e. almost any gear item)  will provide *some* buyoancy
when placed in a dry-bag (and there is always additional air pockets between
the items).  That's elementary physics.  Of course, it may not be enough -
that's why *float-bags* are neeed, especially in kayaks without bulkheads.

> I also do not drybag my tent.

Well... I think dome-tent poles should be dry-bagged.  Their metal sleeves
are not aluminum and get rusty. Dave, do you dry-bag a Thermarest pad? It's
heavy, provides little floatation, and bulky like hell, and becomes even
more bulky in a dry-bag, not to mention that a special size (narrow) is
needed; they are available narrow, though.  And it dries fast.

> Minimizing drybagging makes for better ability to fit stuff into small >
holes. > One last piece of iconoclasm:   for years I have put all my
on-shore dry > stuff, including sleeping bag, in a large dry bag, instead of
two or three > smaller ones.  This has worked because my boats have very
large hatches in > the rear, and cross-sections that make the single large
dry bag fit very
> snugly.

Yes, it's good if the boat is wide, and should work in a hardshell.  But in
a folding kayak I find it more difficult than 2-3 smalller bags - lots of
ribs, nooks etc inside.  Btw, those items that tolerate water, - food cans
etc, can be placed in a nylon bag for easier loading-unloading, if for some
reason they can't find place in a drybag.

Alex.

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