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Reviews > Stuff Sacks > Dry Bags > Sea to Summit eVent Compression Bag > Test Report by Michael Pearl

SEA TO SUMMIT - EVENT DRY SACK
TEST SERIES BY MIKE PEARL
LONG-TERM REPORT
October 28, 2011

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Mike Pearl
EMAIL: mikepearl36ATyahooDOTcom
AGE: 37
LOCATION: Woodstock, Vermont, USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
WEIGHT: 155 lb (70.30 kg)

My backpacking experience began six years ago, after years of car camping. Most trips are for two or three days, some lasting a week. I hike with a group of two to four, with plans for a multi-day solo hike this summer. I pack a tent or tarp depending on availability of trail shelters. An average day is 12 miles (19 km). While aware of weight, it is not my primary concern. I strive for enjoyable outings with functional, reliable gear. I usually travel in woodland mountain terrain. I am a three-season camper, but enjoy hiking all year.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

IMAGE 1
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
Year of Manufacture: 2011
Manufacturer's Website: www.seatosummit.com
MSRP: Not Listed

Listed Weight: 5.2 oz (147 g)
Measured Weight: 4.8 oz (136 g)

Listed Dimensions: 8 x 18 in (20 x 46 cm)
Measured Dimensions: Fully Loaded 8 x 18 (20 x 46 cm)

Listed Volume Min/Max: 14/4.5 L (14.75/4.75 qt)
Size tested medium. Others sizes available XS, S, L, XL

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The eVent Compression Dry Sack arrived packaged in a thin plastic sleeve. Also included was a product information sheet. The provided information is similar to that found on the company website.

Materials
Body and lid - 70 Denier Nylon, 210T nylon with polyurethane coating
Base - 3-layer eVent laminate
Roll-top seal - Hypalon
Compression Straps - nylon webbing

Features
Body-10,000mm hydrostatic head
white inner coating for better visibility
base-30,000mm hydrostatic head
double-sewn, taped seams
triple-bartacked compression straps


The eVent dry sack stands out from other compression sacks because of its lack of a purge valve. It instead uses the waterproof yet air permeable eVent fabric. This material lines the bottom of the sack. The outside body of the sack is 70 Denier nylon. The roll down closure is a strip of Hypalon fastened with a side release buckle. Hypalon is a synthetic rubber noted for its resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes, and ultraviolet light. The lid is attached to the bottom of the sack with four nylon straps with a ladder lock on each. Printed in five languages on the inside of the lid are closure and cleaning instructions as well as a warning against submersion. The bottom has a well placed handle made of nylon webbing with the eVent brand logo on it.


READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

IMAGE 2
The instructions are short and sweet.
Fold roll-down closure at least three times and clip buckle, position cap, and pull straps tight.

Further advisories include as far as the "Do's and Don'ts".

-fold the Hypalon strip at least three times before closing the buckle
-avoid contact with sharp objects and high abrasion surfaces
-double bag any sensitive electronics
-not intended for underwater submersion

TRYING IT OUT

The eVents compression is impressive. I stuffed two down sleeping bags in and easily compressed them to half their size. The eVent worked best when the two opposing straps were pulled together. The sleeping bags slid in and out of the dry sack without any resistance.

TESTING STRATEGY

In less than two weeks I will be backpacking in Yellowstone National Park for eight days. I will use the eVent Dry Sack to hold my bulkier and water sensitive gear. I will be testing for ability compress gear while keeping it dry. Also of interest is how will things be organized inside the sack, how it works with my pack and durability.

SUMMARY

The eVent Compression Dry Sack is a well made item. It is well designed, applying innovative materials in clever ways. Yet it's simple and easy to use.

This concludes my Initial Report. I will report on the eVent Compression Dry Sacks performance in the field in two months. I would like thank Sea to Summit and BackPackGearTester.org for making me part of this test series.


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Day hike in the rain on Mt. Tom, Woodstock, Vermont
Elevation 700-1,350 ft (213-411 m), temperature 70 F (21 C) and raining


Seven Days Backpacking Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
Weather encountered; overnight lows around 40 F (4 C) and daytime highs ranged 50 - 85 F (10 - 29 C), one night of rain that began as marble size hail just after dinner. One full day of rain and a second with intermittent showers. The balance was partly sunny to clear and hot.

Terrain traveled; distance 80 mi (129 km), elevation range 7,300 - 8,000 ft (2,225 - 2,438 m), conditions varied greatly from dry hard packed trails to gravelly shoreline to knee deep snow pack to fjording waist deep streams.


Three days and two nights in Adirondack Park, New York
Camp - Heart Lake, elevation 2,165 ft (660 m) temperature highs around 75 F (24 C), lows around 50 F (10 C) with light breezes and clear skies
Hike Day 2 - Mt Jo, elevation 2,876 ft, 2.6 mi (4.2 km) round trip from camp to summit
Hike Day 3 - Marcy Dam, elevation 2,362 ft, 4.2 mi (6.8 km) round trip from camp to Marcy Lake

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

My first time in wet conditions with the eVent Compression Dry Sack was close to home. I woke to a beautifully rainy morning and hiked up my nearest neighbor hill, Mt. Tom. I packed the eVent Sack with a change of clothes, trail map, two energy bars, and cell phone. The eVent Sack along with a second dry sack and a water bottle went into a day pack. It rained the entire time during the 8 mi (13 km) hike. I stopped to eat a bar around the halfway point. The inside of my pack was slightly wet and moisture could be felt on the outside of the eVent Sack. On the inside everything held in the eVent Sack remained dry. I quickly closed the eVent Sack to prevent any rain from getting in and had a snack. When I returned home I removed and emptied the eVent Sack. Every item that was inside the eVent Sack was dry.

The next trip was my big one for the year, in the back country of Yellowstone National Park. The eVent Sack got to show off right away on day one and two. The bragging rights are dry clothes to change into before bedding down thanks to the eVent Sack. When packing up on day two I decided to shuffle some things. All clothes not being worn stayed in the eVent Compression Sack and I added my sleeping bag, bag liner and pillow. The need to hang all odorous items was also a factor. So all such items went into a different dry sack, see Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil report for more information. With the reorganization I gained more pack space via compression. And quicker camp set up by having my gear better organized.

Two separate camera issues on the both trips prevented photos. But here's what I have.

IMAGE 1IMAGE 2 The clothes packed on the Yellowstone trip.



Here's before and after compression. IMAGE 3IMAGE 4


My last trip thus far was with the family to upstate New York. This was car camping but we did have a 0.25 mi (0.4 km) walk to our lean-to. So I appreciated being able to get as much hauled in as possible in one trip. Not a drop of rain fell on this trip, so keeping things dry was not an issue. There was a fair amount of clothing though. The compression of the eVent Sack was great for maximizing space in my pack. I was able to get two days worth of clothes for two adults and two kids down to a easy to pack size. This included sleeping and swimming attire. The eVent Sack filled about a quarter of my 65 L pack when compressed.

SUMMARY

Thus far I am very impressed with the eVent Compression Dry Sack. It quickly and easily compresses and keeps it's content bone dry. The eVent Sack is easy to place in and remove from my pack. The handle or compression straps provide strong attachment points to pull and push while loading and unloading. The eVent Sack has helped me use the space in my pack more efficiently. It has also helped to better organize my gear. There is only one small trouble I've had with the eVent Sack. Sometimes if the lid flops around the compression straps get twisted. This causes the lid and the closure to improperly align preventing compression. A minor annoyance that is easily corrected. The eVent Sack has performed well under all condition experienced. It has no signs of wear or tear anywhere.

This concludes my Field Report. Please check back in two months for the Long Term Report.
I would like thank Sea to Summit and BackpackGearTest.org for making this test possible.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I have used the eVent Compression Dry Sack on two more occasions during long-term testing.

A 10 mi (16 km) day hike on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont.
Weather encountered, temperature of 55 F (13 C) and rainy.
Terrain traveled consist of mud and rock covered trails, through heavily wooded steep ascending and descended hills with elevations of 1200 - 2600 ft (360 - 790 m).


Overnight on the highest peak in Vermont, Mt. Mansfield elevation 4395 ft (1340 m). Camped at Taft Lodge at 3600 ft (1097 m).
Weather encountered on Day 1 - Temperature a high of 44 F (7 C) and low of 31 F (-1 C), with a 0.5 in (1.25 cm) of sporadic rain and non stop fog with light winds turning into 25 mph (40 kph) gust with snowfall at and above treeline.
Day 2 - Temperature a high of 46 F (8 C) and low of 31 F (-1 C), clouds breaking early and skies turning partly sunny with light breeze.

Terrain traveled varied with change in elevation. The trail began in dense hardwood forest with many muddy and root strewn sections. As the trail climbs many areas of large, bare rock slabs are covered, some vertically. Once at treeline following the trail involves scrambling over large rocks and boulders. Nearing the summit the trail crosses the largest of three alpine tundras in Vermont at about 200 acres (81 ha). Here the trail is bare rock, many having very limited traction or wood puncheons.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

On the Appalachian Trail hike the eVent Sack held a full set to clothes (T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, underwear, socks, pants, light gloves and fleece hat) and insulating jacket liner. The addition of the jacket made for a bulky load. The eVent Sack with very little effort reduced the volume by half. It rained continual throughout the day with brief downpours. By the end of the day my pants were wet and my socks damp. Once back at the car I removed the spare pants and socks from the Sack. I find being able to change clothes trail side while keeping body and clothing dry and clean almost an art. The eVent Sack makes the dry, clean clothing part less challenging. Each item stays out of the rain and off the ground and easily accessible in the Sack. I was comfortably dry in clean clothes for the drive home.

IMAGE 1


Above is a picture taken on the Long Trail approaching The Chin, the summit of Mt. Mansfield. Just follow the white blazes!?

On the Mt. Mansfield hike the eVent Sack held two pairs of socks, base layer bottoms, long sleeve wool shirt, sleeping bag, bag liner, and compressible pillow. The items fit into the Sack with room to spare and compressed to an easy to pack size. After hiking all day in various forms of precipitation the outside of my pack was visibly wet. Moisture could be felt on the outside of the eVent Sack. The contents and inside of the Sack were totally dry. I emptied the eVent Sack, hung it up inside the lodge and by morning it was dry.

SUMMARY

My experience with the eVent Sack has been extremely positive. Being slightly befuddled by tangled straps my only negative. It has kept everything I have placed in it completely dry under all conditions. I really like the way it compresses and holds it tight. The eVent Sack has become a key component in organizing my gear and maximizing pack space. Best of all I never worried about not having a dry sleeping bag or dry change of clothes.

This concludes a very enjoyable test series. I would like to thank Sea to Summit and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test eVent Compression Dry Sack.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

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