Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.

Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 16 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the BSA and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I currently live near Washington D.C. and have made the mid-Atlantic mountains my playground. I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink, but I have become a lightweight hiker.

Product Information:
Manufacturer: Imlay Canyon Gear
Model: Canyon Dry Keg
Size: 6.4 L (1.7 gal) / 3.5 L (.92 gal)
of Manufacture: 2004
URL:www.imlaygear.com

For more background information please refer to my Initial report. From here on if I need to reference a specific canister I will use only 3.5 L and 6.4 L. For measurement information please reference the product information section of the review.

Summary:
These kegs have performed as advertised - they keep stuff dry! The only drawback in my opinion is the weight of the canisters. They are much heavier than a dry bag.

Field Test Conditions:
These kegs have been hauled on backpacking trips in Shenandoah National Park and the Dolly Sods wilderness in West Virginia. As required to test the waterproofness of a product, I have been blessed with the uncanny ability to attract rain, and lots of it.

Field Test Results:
The kegs have proven to be very durable. I have squished and cinched them down in my pack with no ill effects. I have also dropped them on the ground and been generally rough with them and they have taken it all in stride. There are various scratches on the body and lid which are a typical result of plastic coming in contact with rocks and the like, but nothing that effects the performance of the keg. The lid screws on tightly and stays that way.

The kegs are easy to use. Most of the time, I just stuff whatever is needed into the canister and move on. I am able to fit them side-by-side in my two backpacks without any trouble. The kegs are easily labeled using a permanent magic marker, but the markings didn't last very long. I labeled them before I went on an eight-day trip and by the end of the trip the markings had either been rubbed off or faded so that they were unreadable.

How can I use the canister? Let me count the ways… One - Clothing container. The 3.5 L canister works great for me. I can stuff an extra t-shirt, socks, shorts, and a cold weather cap in here. On the Dolly Sods trip, it rained for 2 days straight, a pure West Virginia gullywasher. My pack had water puddles, but my clothes in the keg were nice and dry. I even tempted fate further and set the canister out in the rain for an entire evening with my clothes in to see if it would leak; it didn't.

Two - bear bag. On a quick overnight trip into Shenandoah National Park, I was able to stuff all of my food into the 6.4 L canister. I ran "kite" string through the holes in the lid and made a four way webbing (see picture below) that I could attach to a carabiner. I would then attach the carabiner to my bear rope and hoisted away. The result was a hanging food container that was also rodent resistant.

Improvements:
I don't really have any improvements.

Testing Plan:
I will continue to use the canisters on my future jaunts to include another trip up to the Dolly Sods and a multiday backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail this fall. I am also trying to do a white water rafting trip this fall and will bring these kegs along if I do. I will focus on finding new and amusing uses for the canisters as well as the long term durability of the canister and parts like the rubber lid gasket.

Thanks again to BackpackGearTest and Imlay Canyon Gear for the opportunity to participate in this test.

Read more reviews of Imlay Canyon Gear gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle

Reviews > Stuff Sacks > Dry Bags > Imlay Canyon Gear Canyon Dry Kegs > Jason Boyle > Field Report