Imlay Canyon Gear - Canyon Dry Keg
Long Term Report - November 28, 2004
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 am an aspiring lightweight hiker, but I just can't seem to leave behind all of my gadgets.
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:
They do exactly what they are supposed to: keep stuff dry! However, they are also a bit on the heavy side and require precision packing to keep from getting poked in the back.
Long Term Test Conditions:
Since the field report these kegs have been hauled on a 3-day backpacking trip in Shenandoah National Park and a 6-day 100-mile jaunt on the Appalachian Trail through central 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.
Long Term Test Results:
The kegs have done a good job time and again keeping stuff dry whether clothes, medicine, or whatever. I know that I can put my gear in the canisters and leave it sitting in the rain and my gear will be fine. They are very durable; surviving the whole six months with nothing more than a few surface scratches. One new use I found was a using the kegs as a seat. I have used them both as seats and the 6.4 L canister makes a better seat because it is taller. I turn the canister upside down and sit on the bottom, which is smooth and makes a better seat than the top.
I still have the same dislike; the extra weight that I am carrying by hauling around the canisters. Dry bags or zipper lock bags provide a better waterproofness to weight ratio. However, I know that the temperate east coast is not where the canisters were designed to be used. They were designed to be used in canyoneering applications where serious waterproof gear can be needed.
I only have one other nitpick and that is packing the canisters. I had to be careful how I packed the canisters to make sure the edges on the lids did not poke me in the back or hips depending on where and which pack I was using. With careful packing, this is not a problem, it was just in my lazy moments when I was rushing that it would surface and I would have to stop and repack.
Improvements:
Can they be made lighter?
Thanks again to BackpackGearTest.org and Imlay Canyon Gear for the opportunity to participate in this test.
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