Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	I started backpacking nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I have moved to northern Quebec a couple of months ago in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Lac-Kenogami (QC), Canada

Product information Manufacturer Watchful Eye Designs URL http://www.watchfuleyedesigns.com MSRP $7.79 (pack of 3) Listed size 9" x 10" (22.86 x 25.4 cm) Actual size 9.2" x 10.6" (23.3 x 27cm) Weight (actual) 0.53 oz (15 g)

Product description

The O.P. Sak is described as a "leakproof / airtight seal, 100% odor barrier polymer" bag. It is a simple clear rectangular bag, with a kind of Ziploc-like closure system, and opening / closing instructions written on it.

Testing plan

During the four-month testing period, I will use the O.P. Sak for all my hiking, backpacking, kayaking or canoeing trips. In it I will put the food I usually eat during day-time: home-dehydrated fruits and fruit leather, home-made bread, home-made jerky, cheese, gorp, etc. Evening meals are usually vacuum-sealed, but I’ll be sure to make some rehydrating tests with boiling water in the O.P. Sak, as the manufacturer says that is possible.

I intend to spend quite a lot of time exploring the trails and lakes of the region Saguenay – Lac St Jean (province of Quebec) I settled in a few months ago. The terrain is mainly composed of forests with plenty of lakes and rivers. Altitudes usually remain under 1475 ft (450 m), but can sometimes reach 2950 ft (900 m) in some hilly areas. As for now, the weather conditions are very variable, still rather warm (more than 77°F / 25°C during the day) but with frequent heavy showers and/or quite strong winds.; however, the evenings are already getting cooler (down to 55°F / 13°C) and I expect we'll get freezing temperatures and snow before the testing period ends.

In order to test the odor proofness of the bag, I will take advantage of the few squirrels that constantly pilfer the bird feeders in my yard: I intend to conceal their favourite seeds and nuts in some paper wrap, before putting them in an O.P. Sak I will leave under the bird feeders.

When testing the O.P. Sak, I intend to address the following issues:

 

1) Ease of use:

Is the O.P. Sak easy to close so it is air and water proof? Is it easy to fill, or does it tend to close when not held with two hands? Does some food tend to stick to the bag, or clog the opening?

 

2) Maintenance and care:

Is the O.P. Sak easy to wash? Does it remain stained with some food, for example, if I use it to pack blueberries I pick on the trail? Will it keep strong odors, such as fish jerky or cheese?

 

3) Durability:

How will the O.P. Sak stand up to the four-month test? Will it remain as transparent as on its first day? Will there be food marks? Will it be nicked by sharp bits?

 

In addition, I will report on anything else I might observe that could be useful for a potential user / buyer of the O.P. Sak.

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I would like to thank Watchful Eye Designs and BackpackGearTest for giving me the opportunity to test the O.P. Sak.