Did you ever find yourself smiling after seeing a photo of sunset by the beach? Or have your thoughts flown a thousand miles to the sea after you’ve talked to your old pal about the big catch he had from fishing? While in the middle of a business meeting, does daydreaming of competing with your friends in canoe and kayak charged you up?
Do you crave for sumptuous grilled seafood served on your favorite beach restaurant while you’re watching a cooking show on the television? Do you get pumped up just by thinking of swimming, riding a jet ski, swinging in a hammock or drinking margaritas while sun-bathing?
Well if these thoughts made you happy and excited, you are definitely an aquaphile! Any adventures in the water, on the water or by the water are definitely a food for your soul.
So pack your bags and make sure that all essential items are not left behind. You’ve got to tick these off on your list – swimsuits, action cameras, shades, sun blocks, food and many more.
However, you have to secure these important items while doing water activity. You can either leave them at home or in the car, or bring them with you on the beach!
You just need to make sure that they are properly sealed with a dry bag or dry sack.
Now, if you’re wondering and trying to differentiate the two from each other, we will help you compare dry bag vs. dry sack.
Dry bag vs. dry sack: Materials
A dry bag is a type of flexible container that protects your belongings from getting wet. It’s basically a watertight bag often constructed with a plastic film or fabrics that are plastic-coated or waterproofed.
Most commonly used material for dry bags is nylon because of its durability. It is also coated with siliconized cordura to create an impermeable, water-ingress protected bag.
It also fights abrasions so that dry bags will surely be in a good condition even if used several times for a long period of time. While using a dry bag, the roll-top closure must be folded at least three times to ensure that a watertight seal is created.
Dry sack is also made of nylon materials covered in waterproofed fabric or polyurethane. It features waterproofed & air permeable fabric that allows air compression without letting the water inside.
Similar to dry bag, rolling the top of a sack a few times and fastening its clip will create a water-resistant seal. This is more light-weight than a dry bag.
Dry bag vs. dry sack: Denier
Denier is a measurement of the thickness or fineness of a fabric or thread. The higher the denier of the materials is, the thicker, sturdier and more durable they are.
Low denier means sheer, soft, and silky fabric. It is denoted by a number followed by “D” appended to the object.
Assessing dry bag vs. dry sack, the former is more denier. Hence, a dry bag is better for submersion. It has greater water resistance compared to dry sack.
The latter one is perfect for wet environments but it’s not recommended to be submerged.
Dry bag vs. dry sack: General use
Dry bags are used to protect bigger items and can work as a backpack. You can store a few days’ worth of clothes or a long weekend’s worth of food, or anything that a person needs on a weeklong trip.
Dry sacks, on the other hand, can be used to protect smaller items. These are used to compartmentalize objects within a dry bag without adding too much weight to the load. Electronic gadgets such as cellular phones should be put on a dry sack so it won’t rub against other items inside the dry bag.
Moreover, covering your belongings with a dry sack prior to stacking things inside your dry bags creates and gives you more protection.
With all of this being said, you should stop using go-to alternatives in keeping your stuff from getting wet. Classic Ziplocs or plastic bags can easily be torn and may just pose higher risks for you.
Therefore on your next trip, be sure to bring your most durable dry bags and compressible dry sacks. These items are the most reliable and versatile must-haves for almost any water activity, adventure and escapade!