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Field Report: SealLine Storm Sack
21 September 2006
About Wayne Merry,
the tester:
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 1.8 m (5' 10")
Weight: 90 kg (200 lb)
Email address: wayne underscore merry at yahoo dot com dot au
City, State, Country: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Backpacking Background: I started backpacking about five
years ago, although I did day walks in childhood. I hike in various
terrains from moderate/hard track walks to some off track (including
river walks). I generally like the temperature to stay above freezing,
and have not camped above the snow line during winter. I enjoy going on
multi day walks up to about a week as well as day walks. I carry a
moderate weight pack to enjoy a few creature comforts at camp. I use a
tent for shelter. I would
normally do at least 2 overnight or multi-day walks every three months,
in addition to a number of 20 km (12 mile) or so day walks.
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Field Test Locations:
I have tested the SealLine Storm on the following walks. Walks are
multi-day unless otherwise noted:
- Lerderderg George - a river that forms a deep narrow george
with surrounding hills. The entire area is forested. Elevations varied
from 200 m (650 ft) to 500 m (1650 ft). This walk was mostly on track
in mostly dry conditions. Temperatures
ranged from 5 C (41 F) to 15 C (59 F), with moderate humidity.
- Mt Torbreck - a mountainous area that the peak is normally
above the snow line. Some lower areas are logged. Most areas I walked
through had not been recently logged. Elevations varied from 800 m
(2600 ft) to 1500 m (4900 ft). Most of this walk was off track in damp
/ wet / icy conditions. Temperatures ranged from 0 C (32 F) to 10 C (50
F), with high humidity.
- Ferntree Gully - a hilly national park area with regrown
native forest. Elevations varied from 200 m (650 ft) to 500 m (1650
ft). This day walk was on track in dry conditions. Temperatures
ranged from 10 C (50 F) to 15 C (59 F), with moderate humidity.
- Churchill/Lysterfield: - a hilly national park area with
forested and clear areas. Elevations varied from 200 m (650 ft) to 400
m (1300 ft). This day walk was on track in the rain. Temperatures
ranged from 5 C (41 F) to 10 C (50 F), with high humidity. Being a day
walk, I carried the Storm Sack in a day pack that was not waterproofed.
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Product Details:
- Manufacturer: SealLine
- Web site: www.seallinegear.com
- Year of manufacture: 2006
- Place of manufacture: China
- MSRP US$18.95
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Item Field Performance:
I used the SealLine Storm Sack inside a 80 Liter (85 qt) backpack on my
multi day walks. I placed a sleeping bag, clothing and small
miscellaneous items inside the sack. I found it easy to put items into
the sack, and the handle (shown in the left of the picture) helped in
removing items.
During my walk at Mt Torbreck, my group became (slightly!)
geographically challenged. To resolved this we walked down a steep
slope of the mountain, which involved much sliding and negotiating
heavy scrub. The contents of the pack became quite wet and muddy as a
result of this, but the inside of the Storm Sack remained completely
dry and clean. My pack and gaiters took many washes to get clean (that
mud was simply amazing!), but the outside of the Storm Sack cleaned
easily. The outside material did not show any signs of wear and tear,
given that the tumbling down the mountain would have tested the
material more than I had originally intended. Other stuff in my pack
did not fare as well!
The walk at Lysterfield Park resulted in a saturated pack due to rain,
but the Storm Sack kept its contents fully dry.
I found the I had to take care in positioning items in the Storm Sack
to order to be able to get air out when sealing. When properly
enclosed, the Storm Sack appears water and air tight, so if hard bulky
items are placed on the side of the sack, it is more difficult to get
air out. With soft items such as clothing, getting air out is easier.
The roll down mechinism works quite well, even if the sack is
reasonably full. Overfilling the sack results in not being able to
obtain a good seal when enclosing.
Overall, I have been happy with the performance of the
SealLine Storm Sack. If the material proves durable, and at this stage
I have no reason to suspect it is not, the Storm Sack works well as a
dry bag. |
Likes and Dislikes:
Things I like about the SealLine Storm Sack:
- It works as advertised, keeping water and mud out.
- The handle helps get gear out of the sack.
Things I dislike about the SealLine Storm Sack:
- Nothing in particular, as testers can't make stuff up!
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My Long Term Report should be completed in late November 2006.
Read more reviews of SealLine gear
Read more gear reviews by Wayne Merry
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