Dry Bags, Stuff Sacks and Pack Liners (2026)

Keeping gear dry on a wet trip takes two different jobs. Inside a backpack, the pack fabric and its seams will let water through in steady rain, so something inside has to be waterproof: a liner around everything, or sacks around the things that matter. On a boat, the bag itself sits in spray and puddles and has to take abrasion. The seven picks here split along that line.

How we chose: we did not test these bags; we read each listing and the makers' product pages, and kept only bags sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store and in stock when we checked on September 29, 2026.

Seven bags and liners side by side

Prices are Amazon's, as of the time shown, and subject to change. Details

Sea to Summit's figures come from its pages for the Lightweight Dry Bag, Big River Dry Bag and Ultra-Sil Dry Bag.

Pack liner, stuff sacks, or both

A pack liner is one big roll-top bag that sits inside the backpack. Everything goes in it, you roll the top, and the rest of the pack can soak without reaching your sleeping bag. Six Moon Designs' 50L liner is Sil/PU-coated 40D nylon with taped seams and weighs 3 ounces.

Stuff sacks do the same for one item at a time: the sleeping bag, spare clothes, the first aid kit. They also organize, which a liner does not. The Ultra-Sil sacks are translucent, so you can see what is in each.

Our approach on a wet trip: line the pack, then put the sleeping bag and the camp clothes in their own sacks inside the liner. Two layers of protection cost a few ounces, and a torn liner or a sack left open does not ruin the night.

A pack cover or a poncho helps, but neither closes against the back panel, where the pack sits against your wet jacket. Our ponchos vs rain jackets guide covers ponchos that go over the pack.

What the hydrostatic head on a dry bag means

The number is the same measure used for rain jackets: how many millimeters of water the fabric holds back before it leaks. Sea to Summit puts the figure on each bag and says plainly what it is for.

Its Lightweight and Big River bags are rated at 10,000 mm, and Sea to Summit calls the Lightweight "absolutely" suitable for paddle sports. Its Ultra-Sil bags are rated at 2,000 mm and marked "not intended for paddle/watersports use"; Sea to Summit sells them to "organize your gear inside your backpack or duffle."

So match the bag to where it rides. Inside a lined pack, 2,000 mm is plenty. On a kayak deck, pick the 10,000 mm fabric and, for rough handling, the Big River's 420-denier face and triple-coated base.

Roll it three times, and do not sink it

Every roll-top works the same way: squeeze the air out, fold the stiff strip at the top over on itself, and clip the buckle. Sea to Summit's listings give each bag's volume "with closure rolled three times," which is a good minimum for any brand.

A roll-top keeps out rain, spray and a splash in the bottom of a canoe. It is not built to go under. Sea to Summit's FAQ says the bag body is waterproof "however, avoid submersion since water can seep through the roll-top closure of any dry bag." If a capsize is likely, put the most important items in two bags, one inside the other.

Where an IP rating fits in

IP codes come from the International Electrotechnical Commission. The IEC describes IEC 60529 as the standard that grades the enclosures of electrical and electronic equipment against dust and liquids; the second numeral, from 0 to 9, rates protection against water.

That makes IP codes a good fit for phone cases and electronics, and a poor fit for a fabric bag with a folded closure. None of the Sea to Summit or Six Moon Designs bags quotes one. Earth Pak quotes IPX8 for the phone case in its kit, not for the dry bag. We quote an IP rating only where the maker states it, and only for the item it names.

Our picks

To line a backpack: the Six Moon Designs 50L Pack Liner. A roll-top, taped seams and 3 ounces for a whole pack. The Osprey Ultralight Protective Backpack Liner is the Amazon.com-sold alternative, but its listing gives no size or weight, so check it against your pack.

For the sleeping bag and electronics: the Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag. The 70D fabric is rated to 10,000 mm, so the same bag works in a pack and on a kayak.

To sort gear inside a lined pack: the Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL Dry Bag Set, or a single 8-liter Ultra-SIL sack. At 0.07 to 0.09 pound each, per the listings, they add little weight.

On a kayak, canoe, raft or motorcycle: the Sea to Summit Big River. 420-denier nylon with a TPU lining, reinforced taped seams, lash points and grab handles.

For a beach or boat day: the Earth Pak 20L, a 500D PVC roll-top with a shoulder strap and an IPX8-rated phone case, per Earth Pak.

What goes in which bag

On a wet backpacking trip, this is how we would pack:

• Sleeping bag or quilt: its own sack inside the liner. It is the one item you cannot dry in camp.
• Camp clothes and a dry base layer: a second sack, opened only in the tent.
• Phone, battery and map: a small bag at the top of the pack or in a hip-belt pocket, where you can reach it without opening the liner.
• First aid kit and fire starter: a small bright sack, easy to find in poor light.
• Wet rain gear and the tent fly: outside the liner, in an outer pocket or on top, so they do not soak everything else.

On a boat, flip the order: the heavy deck bag holds everything, and the small sacks inside it add the second layer that a capsize calls for.

Care

Dry bags fail at the closure and at pinholes. Before a trip, fill one with air, roll it shut and press it: a slow hiss finds a leak. Rinse salt water and sand out of the roll-top strip after a paddle, and dry bags open so the coating is not stored damp.

A wet trip starts with the right shell on you. See our rain jacket guide and rain pants guide.

Related: rain gear for fishing and outdoor work and our rainy camping trip checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a trash compactor bag as good as a pack liner?

It keeps water out while it is intact, but thin plastic punctures easily and has no roll-top closure, so twist it shut and check it for holes every trip. A coated-nylon liner with taped seams, like the Six Moon Designs, is built to be reused.

What size dry bag holds a sleeping bag?

Check the stuff size on your sleeping bag's spec sheet and allow for the three rolls at the top. Sea to Summit's Lightweight Dry Bag comes in sizes from 1.5 to 35 liters, per Sea to Summit.

Will a dry bag float?

A closed bag with air in it usually floats, but a floating bag is not a sealed one. Sea to Summit still says to avoid submersion, because water can seep through the roll-top.

---

WildProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ratings, weights and dimensions are the makers' own.