Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack
Field Report – July 17, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 18 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
Model: Ultra Sil Dry Sack
Size: 13 L/ 793 cu in
Color: Lime Green (received), also available in blue or red
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL:www.seatosummit.com
Listed weight: 1.4 oz/40 g
Measured weight 1 oz/ 28 g
**Disclaimer: the closest my scale will measure is in whole ounces**
Listed Dimensions: 21” x 12”/53 cm x 31 cm with a round base.
Measured Dimensions: 20 ¼” x 7 ¾”/51 cm x 20 cm. I measured the round bottom seam and the bag seam length. I am not sure why my dimensions don't match Sea to Summit's. See pictures below.
Fabric Content: Siliconised Cordura
MSRP: Not listed on manufacturer’s website
Country of Manufacture: Made in China to Sea to Summit standards.
Product Description:
The Ultra Sil Dry Sack is a dry sack with the following features:
Roll Top Buckle Closure
Fully Taped Interior Seams
Waterproof Coating
For more information please see my initial report.
Summary:
The bag seems to be performing as advertised. I have subjected the spacious bag to snow and rain and it has yet to leak. My only complaint is that it is hard to remove all of the air from the bag.
Field Conditions:
I have used the bag 11 times over the past two months. I have carried it on backpacking trips and day hikes in the following locations: Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest, Buckhorn Wilderness in the Olympic National Forest, and in Olympic National Park. Weather consisted of snow, rain and lately lots of sunshine. Elevation ranged from sea level to 8507’ (2593 m) and temperatures ranged from 80 F to 30 F (27 C to -1 C).
Field Test Results:
The sack is performing well. I have not experienced any durability issues to this point and have used the sack to carry many different items: sleeping bags, clothing, various small pieces of gear and food. My current setup for using the sack is to stuff my sleeping bag and extra clothes inside of the bag. I think this makes the best use of the bag for me. On a group trip where my normal bear bag was not large enough for all of our food I used the sack as an extra bear bag. Both bags where then suspended in a tree. I attached the sack to my bear bag rope via a carabiner attached to the sack via the closed and buckled top loop. I did this for two nights and the bag seems no worse for wear after the bear bag use.
I have had a couple of chances to test the waterproof qualities of the bag. During a trip up to the Tubal Cain Mine in the Buckhorn Wilderness, I left the bag by itself out in the rain for 3 hours. After the 3 hour soaking, I opened the sack and found everything inside to be nice and dry. I have also hiked with sack inside of my backpack in a snow storm and during a 5 hour day hike in the rain with the same results as before – everything inside the sack stayed dry while the rest of my backpack contents were wet.
My biggest problem with the sack to date has been getting all of the air out of the sack. If I don’t get all of the air out of the sack it tends to balloon up when I am stuffing it inside of my pack. As it balloons up it takes up more space than is necessary. I try to counter problem by compressing all of the air out of the sack and trying to roll up the top closure as quickly as possible. This has worked with decent results. I have also tried to fill the bag as much as possible so there is less to compress.
Improvements:
I would like to see a handle added to the bottom of the bag. The fabric is slippery and makes it hard to remove items from the bag. A handle would provide something to hold on to while removing items from the sack.
Test Plan:
I evaluated the Ultra Sil Dry Sack on the following characteristics over the past two months. My answers are in blue.
Durable:
- How durable is the Siliconized Cordura® fabric? So far it has been good.
- Can I stuff multiple things in the bag and not bust it? Yes, I have been able to stuff a 20 degree down sleeping bag and an extra set of clothes without any problems.
- How strong are the double stitched and taped seams? Strong enough to resist my stuffing of gear into the sack to this point.
- Can I toss it into my pack or on the ground when I get to camp not worry about punctures? I have been doing this and have not noticed any issues.
- How durable are the mechanics of the bag, such as the closure? So far so good.
- Sea to Summit recommends avoiding abrasion, does this mean inside of my pack too? I have not had any abrasion problems with the sack in my pack.
Usefulness:
- What can I get into the bag? Anything! I currently use it as a storage sack for my sleeping bag and extra clothing, but have also used it as a backup bear bag.
- I plan on putting at the very least my down sleeping bag in the sack; can I stuff more into the bag? Yes.
- I have never used a dry bag, how easy is it to compress? It is very tricky to get all of the air out of the sack. I try to squeeze it all out and roll it up quickly to minimize this.
- Is the sack actually waterproof? Yes, see my paragraph above about my rain experiences.
- Sea to Summit recommends not washing the bag with detergent or hot water. How well am I able to clean/remove smells from the sack if necessary? I have not needed to clean it yet.
- Does the sack lose its water resistance if it is washed? I have not needed to wash it yet.
Thank to Backpackgeartest.org and Sea to Summit for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Sea to Summit gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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