Reviewer Information

• Name: Cora Shea
• Age: 24
• Gender: Female
• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
• Weight: 150 lb (70 kg)
• Email address: cahhmc "at" yahoo "dot" com
• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Date: November 16, 2004

Basic Product Information

• Manufacturer: Imlay Canyon Gear
• Model: Canyon Dry Kegs
• Year of Manufacture: 2004
• URL: http://www.imlaygear.com/
• Listed weight:
  • 15 oz (425 g) for the 6.4 L keg
  • 12.4 oz (352 g) for the 3.5 L keg
  • This was exactly equal to weight as delivered... wow!
• Listed capacity: 6.4 L (390 cu in) and 3.5 L (214 cu in)

This report covers long term use, care, and maintenance from August to November 2004. For field testing performed during May to August, 2004, please see my Field Report. For more general product information, more visual details, more reporting on appearance, structure, and items that can be tested and commented on without field testing, please see my Initial Report.

Long Term Testing

Field Comments

Overall, the kegs themselves performed very well. Once I got the knack of gripping the kegs between my feet or knees and twisting with my hands to open them, the opening and closing went very smoothly. Over time, I learned to pack different sizes of hard items and padding inside the kegs to more efficiently use the space. The kegs are super durable, and have proven to be very waterproof. I have taken to sitting on the taller one as a chair, and cutting on the lids as a cutting board. All in all, they are versatile and exactly as advertised.

The most frustrating part of the kegs was certainly their ability to destroy those packs that they fit badly in. The relatively pointy and hard corners of the keg handles press against the outside pack fabric and put it under tension. Once rock rubs against that spot, I found that the fabric cuts like butter. I've put two major holes in my packs and a few minor ones over the testing period. This equaled about $60 worth of pack repairs, which for me is a lot.

Thus, until I find a pack which fits these kegs better, I will stop using them for canyoneering and other abrasive sports. I've put a single hole over a year in my pack using soft dry bags, and many holes in two packs over six months using the kegs. To me, this makes the choice obvious, especially since I would rather have a squashed sandwich in a soft dry bag than be without a pack for two weeks due to repairs.

This is not to say that the kegs are without merit. I do feel bad saying that I found them frustrating in canyoneering, especially since the kegs themselves did not fail, rather, they made my other gear fail faster. My favorite use of them by far was on trips where I needed to bring my lunch on an all-day trip, but my pack did not face any overly abrasive situations. The smaller keg fit a decadent lunch for two days perfectly. In this situation, the keg provided the nifty ability to cut cucumbers on the lid, keep strawberries unsquashed, and bring many other luxuries I would have never considered without the keg to protect my food.

I also very much enjoyed the kegs on the kayaking trips I took them on. Again, the kegs fit easily in the hatches, protected food, kept the food dry, and also were less icky and easier to clean than dry bags after extended periods in slimy and salty water. Additionally, I added a small piece of 3 mm (0.12 in) diameter cord between the lid and handle of the small keg (long enough to actually allow the lid to twist off) to hang the keg off the ground at night to protect food from animals.

Durability

Despite being rather abused, the kegs look much the same as the day they arrived. They have a few dents and scratches from me using the lid as a cutting board and from me sitting on them and dropping them down from trees after hanging, but nothing more than cosmetic.

Care and Maintenance

I always wiped down the kegs with fresh water and allowed them to dry with the lids off after each trip. I performed no maintenance on the O-rings under the lids. With this, the kegs perform as well as the day they arrived. The O-rings are still rubbery and create a good seal against the keg body. The plastic is still quite white except in various scratches where dirt has literally been ground into the plastic.

Summary

The kegs have been durable and reliable waterproof storage. They have protected whatever I put in them, especially when I followed instructions and added some padding to the inside. They unfortunately do not fit well in any pack I own, and thus tend to quickly destroy my packs in abrasive situations such as canyoneering. However, I did enjoy using the kegs on more simple day hikes and kayak trips.

• Upsides for me:
  
  • Durable and waterproof
  • Well-sized for lunch, warm hat, camera, and other day-trip items
  • Big and easy to use grips on the lids

• Downsides for me:
  
  • Can put holes in packs if the kegs fit badly in the pack
  • Difficult to pack items into the kegs to use all the space

Read more reviews of Imlay Canyon Gear gear
Read more gear reviews by Cora Hussey

Reviews > Stuff Sacks > Dry Bags > Imlay Canyon Gear Canyon Dry Kegs > Cora Hussey > Long Term Report