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Reviews > Stuff Sacks > Dry Bags > Seal Line BlockerLite Dry Sack > Test Report by Kelsea Krawetz

SealLine BlockerLite Dry Sacks

TEST SERIES BY KELSEA KRAWETZ

INITIAL REPORT 

FIELD REPORT


Reviewer Information

Name: Kelsea Krawetz
Email: KelseaDOTkrawetzATgmailDOTcom
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Height: 5' 9" (1.8 meters)
Weight: 125 lbs (57 kilos)
Date: August 2, 2017

 

Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking my whole life, all over Colorado and British Columbia.  I enjoy glacier, mountaineering, and ocean based backpacking trips.  I carry a 65L pack; however I tend to pack lightweight gear.  I hike with groups of friends, and I try to cover as much distance and elevation as I can in a single day.  By the evenings, I like to cook hot meals, enjoy warm drinks, and relax under the stars in my hammock on clear nights.  When the weather gets more aggressive, I carry my freestanding tent.   

 


INITIAL REPORT

 August 2, 2017

Manufacturer Info

Manufacturer: Cascade Designs
Website: https://www.seallinegear.com/
Year of Manufacturer: 2016
Warranty: Lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects

 Product: BlockerLite Dry Sack

 
Manufacturer Description

  • Waterproof, tight packing ultralight dry sack
  • Patent-pending block shape packs 20% more efficiently than round shapes
  • Strong 20D silicone/polyurethane-coated nylon
  • Welded, no-stitch seams are 50% stronger than sewn seams
  • Easy roll-top closure with tight durable seal

Manufacturer Dimensions

Seal Line Dry Sack

Listed Weight

Listed Dimensions

Listed Capacity

Colour

Price

2.5L

1 oz (28 g)

5.3 in (13.5 cm) X 2.8 in (7.1 cm)

153 cu in (1.5 L)

Coral

$15.95 USD

5L

1.2 oz (33 g)

6.5 in (16.5 cm) X 3.4 in (8.7 cm)

305 cu in (5 L)

Coral

$18.95 USD

10L

1.6 oz (44 g)

8.3 in (21 cm) X 4.4 in (11.1 cm)

610 cu in (10L)

Orange

$21.95 USD

15L

1.8 oz (52 g)

9.3 in (26.5 cm) X 4.9 in (12.4 cm)

915 cu in (15L)

Yellow

$23.95 USD

20L

2.1 oz (59 g)

10.4 in (26.5 cm) X 5.5 in (13.9 cm)

1220 cu in (20L)

Blue

$26.95 USD


Note: All of my measured weight and dimensions matched those of distributor

Manufacturer Instructions and Care

Dry sacks should be washed (using a soapy sponge) and aired out after each use.  Sacks should be stored completely dry.  When stuffed, avoid pushing sharp corners into the fabric.  Minimize fabric contact with repellents and solvents.

My Description

Each dry sack comes individually packaged.  An instruction and care manual can be found wrapped within the tightly rolled dry sack once unraveled.  Each sack is made of a thin, silicone/polyurethane-coated nylon, which gives them a “parachute material” feel.  The sacks are brightly coloured and display the SealLine logo in white.

 

Impressions

Wow are these sacks light! The material is so thin it is hard to believe these are dry sacks.  I like the hardy plastic seals and buckles; they gave me some assurance that this product is well-built.  The hardy tops seems a little aggressive for how light the sacks are, but that’s more of an aesthetic issue than anything.  These sacks are seamless, which SealLine claims makes them stronger.  I’m interested to see if these seams withstand all of the stuffing I put them through.

 

Trying it out

Stuffing these sacks could not have been easier.  A quick squeeze to the top of the bag released all the air, suctioning the sacks to my belongings.  I’m not quite sure how this shape is more efficient, but I will be stuffing my SealLine sacks alongside some other brands to better understand packability.  I really like how bright they are, if I have anything loose in my bag, I can easily see objects against these sacks.

 

Quick Shots:

Light weight, packable, durable


FIELD REPORT

September 24, 2017

Testing Locations

Shangri La, BC Canada
When: July 2017
Length: 3 days/2 nights (one night spent in my hammock)
Mileage: 6.2 miles (10 km)
Elevation: 8,400 ft (2,560 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, cool in the evenings- High: 80 F (27 C), Low: 50 F (10 C)
Trail Conditions: steep, dirty and scree trails with glacier travel and scrambling

 

Smith Rock Oregon, USA
When: August 2017
Length: 5 days/4 nights
Mileage: 3 miles (4.8 km)
Elevation: 3,000 ft (914 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, hot and dry at night - High: 100 F (38 C), Low: 65 F (18 C)
Trail Conditions: well-maintained trail but steep and dusty, easy route finding

Juan de Fuca Trail, BC Canada
When: August 2017
Length: 4 days/3 nights
Mileage: 31 miles (50 km)
Elevation: sea level
Weather: Hot and humid in the day, cool, breezy, and humid in the night - High: 75 F (24 C), Low: 50 F (10 C)
Trail Conditions: lot of boardwalks and ladders, muddy sections, and roots

 

Performance in the Field

I would like to start this report by saying these dry bags are my favorite new addition to my backpacking must-have list.  I’ve never used multiple dry sacks to organize all of my clothing and gear before, and let me say, they are life changing.  Being organized in the backcountry has always been a challenge for me, but as I have worked through the process of designating different sized bags to different backpacking gear, my backcountry life has become so much easier.

 

My first use of these bags was on a short backpacking trip to Shangri La, BC.  The hike in required some glacier travel and lead to a stunning valley of glacier lakes and steep mountain faces.  My initial bag sorting, proved not to be the most effective.  I used the 15 L for clothing, 10 L for cooking supplies, 5 L for snacks and day lunches, and the 2.5 L for headlamps and other small supplies.  I left the 20 L at home not sure what to use it for on this trip.  I absolutely loved the satisfying feeling of knowing all my gear was sorted and easy to find with the use of these sacks.  They were easy to fill with my belongings.  I don’t know if the square design really makes packing more efficient or not.  My only issue was when I would try to shut the bags, sometimes the air would be trapped.  Fortunately I figured out a system to squeeze out the air before I closed the bag, which made packing more efficient for me.  I also like the buckle closing feature on these dry sacks.  I think this is common for most dry sacks, but used the feature to hang them from trees for quick access.  It didn’t rain during this trip, so I wasn’t able to test their ability to repel water.  Sadly, after this trip I noticed that the “Seal Line” logo began to peel off (pictured below).  This didn’t affect the performance of the bag, but made me second guess the durability of the bags if the simple logo began to come off after first use.

During my extended trip to Oregon, organization was key.  My partner and I were rock climbing and scrambling every day and much of our trip was based out of my car or out of my pack.  Moving clothing and gear from one location to the other was easy when I knew what belongings were in each sack.  I used the 2.5 L sack for my toiletries which I found to be a perfect fit.  It was nice to hang it on a tree while I brushed my teeth.  I did happen to have an apple-sauce and pepperoni explosion on my food bag (10 L), which was as not-pleasant as could be imagined.  After a quick wash with some soap and water, the bag was nasty-smell free and good as new!  I put clothing in the 20 L, pots and pans in the 15 L and used the 5 L as a miscellaneous sack.

 

At the end of August I moved from Fernie to Vancouver, but first decided to hike the Juan de Fuca trail with my mom from Colorado.  She was fascinated with the dry sacks and she wanted to give them a try herself.  She used the 5 L to hold some of her clothing.  I used the 15 L to protect my tent and strapped it to my pack (pictured below).  The week called for rain so I figured this would really put the dry sack to the test.  By the end of the week, the dry sack had some rips in it which I assume were from snagging on trees.  We were never bush whacking, so it was disappointing knowing that these sacks could easily rip with small amounts of rubbing on trees.  I suppose their intended use is for inside the pack, but nevertheless I would say that these sacks aren’t incredibly durable.  I again used the 20 L for clothing, 2.5 L for toiletries, and 10 L for food.

 

In the heat of July, I decided to take the 5 L dry sack on a little float down the Elk River through the town of Fernie.  In it I kept all the essentials: sunglasses, sunscreen, a cold beer, and a light jacket.  Unfortunately my boat was from Canadian Tire and it capsized in a series of unfortunate events.  Luckily for me, the river was very tame.  Not so luckily, my dry sack was completely submerged and wet for 5-10 minutes.  When I opened it, I found that the inside of the bag was rather damp, and it looked as if some water had penetrated the sack.  I suppose this made sense, this bag isn’t intended to be submerged, just repel water.  I assumed the water got in through the opening of the sack, not the material.

 

Pros: Colourful, lightweight, easy to clean

Cons: Lacking durability

 

Summary

These dry sacks have been a wonderful addition to my backpacking adventures this summer.  They are incredibly lightweight and easy to use.  I love the variety of sizes and colours.  Unfortunately I have had issues with the logo wearing off and I have some rips in the 15 L sack.

A big thanks for SealLine and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test this product.  My long term report will follow in 2 months.

 



Read more reviews of Cascade Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Kelsea Krawetz

Reviews > Stuff Sacks > Dry Bags > Seal Line BlockerLite Dry Sack > Test Report by Kelsea Krawetz



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