how to keep your pack dry?

[bear bag hanger]

I've tried quite a few things. What seems to work is wrapping my gear in a light weight poncho I carry and putting it underneath my hammock. I once woke up after a long night of rain and found my pack wrapped up in the poncho floating around, but nothing got wet. I tried a thing similar to the Mollypack gear box, but working out the suspension of it below my hammock just didn't work for me. Maybe I need to work on it more.

Plus, I use a ULA Epic pack, which has a water proof dry bag for the gear. I use to recommend people not get waterproof packs, but it's worked out quite well for me.

[whayneneal]

I use a Granite Gear eVent Sil Ultra-Duty PackLiner. After emptying my pack (Vapor Trail), it will fit into the packliner and I just clip it to my suspension. I have rigged my pack cover to use as a small hammock to hold my other gear (cook set, tool bag, water containers, etc.). It is similar to the Gearbox mentioned earlier only it doubles as a rain cover for my pack. I store extra clothing in a peak bag and a fleece bag to use as a pillow. I usually bear bag my food. I know. I use double protection, but after having my gear soaked years ago and spending a cold night with wet gear, I swore that would never happen again.

[skyclad]

I ordered a Packa today. I like the idea of the whole thing fitting over your pack, and the stow-away jacket that you can put on and take off without stopping and taking the pack off. I have a dry bag for my sleeping gear, one for clothing and one for food. So if everything else gets soaked I can deal with it. And I still think a pack inside a Packa or garbage bag underneath the hammock covers it most nights.

Thanks again to everybody who responded.
sky

[ritzhenson]

Am I the only one that puts his pack in the hammock? I like the feeling of it under my knees. I don't hang in bear country...so, the food smell isn't a worry. I don't tote everything I own either, so the weight isn't a problem. The only downside I've found so far... When getting in and out of the hammock for night time nature calls, I have to push it to the end to get it out of the way. Am I missing something? Peace Y'all.

[DocBurN]

I use a small black waterproof bag, strong enough to hold my weight as a chair


Untie the bag at the top of the chair-tripod and I can fit my ULA Circuit inside and close the bag.. put it under the hammock. (in this pic I had a camping chair, but we can see the bag with pack inside under the hammock)


Sometimes, we use a few pieces of wood and make a platform for each of our pack.. cover by the tarp, and if the water runs under the tarp, the pack dosn't touch the floor.. (the wood platform took 5 min to make and we spent 5 concecutives days at the same spot.. for a 1 nighter, I usually just put it in my chair/packcover bag and tie the opening shut

[Redoleary]

I use a small black waterproof bag, strong enough to hold my weight as a chair


Untie at the top of the chair tripod and I can fit my ULA Circuit inside and close the bag.. put it under the hammock.


One this last pic, we can see that sometimes, we use a few pieces of wood and make a platform for each of our pack.. cover by the tarp, and if the water runs under the tarp, the pack dosn't touch the floor.. (the wood platform took 5 min to make and we spent 5 concecutives days at the same spot.. for a 1 nighter, I usually just put it in my chair/packcover bag and tie the opening shut

Brilliant! Nice dual use item and nice bushcrafty camp.

[Rockdawg69]

Anybody tried the Packa? What's the verdict on that?
sky

I have used the Packa for about a year. Works great for me and my ULA Catalyst. Covers the pack and you in one piece, when needed. But like all rain gear, it gets hot if you are hiking hard, so the sweat factor is a consideration. The full arm pit vents work better than most. In west Texas I'm guessing you have to deal with cactus and other sticky things. Holes in the gear from ground contact with that stuff?????
Under my tarp and hammock I use a piece of tyvek as a ground cloth and just set my pack on that. As mentioned above, it becomes my "rug" . If it is raining, I zip the pack in the Packa. So far, so good.

[TinaLouise]

Where I put my pack at night is determined by where I'm camping and the weather conditions. If I can get my pack up a tree or on bear cables, that's where it goes. I don't worry about rain because my pack is waterproof (it's an Aarn). Sometimes I've tied it to the side of trees and sometimes I hang it off the end of my hammock. The only times I'll leave it on the ground is if there is no chance of rain. Even then, I'll tie it to something or I'll have dreams all night of some critter dragging it off into the woods. Even at scout camps, with crazy scouts running about half the night, our camp site had critter visits before morning.
About rain, even though my pack is waterproof on the inside, the outside will get wet. If I'm hanging my pack off the end of my hammock on the suspension line, I'll tie my rain skirt over it. Sort of like I'm "skirting" my pack. When I get up the next morning, my skirt is handy for me to put on and the pack is ready for me to load up.
I have tried my pack inside the hammock with me. Worked out well but I prefer it hanging outside the hammock.
I read somewhere of someone that had his pack ripped off from his camp site while he slept. If I was in an area where I thought there were people to worry about, and I couldn't leave!!! I'd probably have it inside with me.

TinaLouise

[DocBurN]

We are worried that some beast may attack our packs but sometime I think that through the eyes of a black bear.. we are like a huge human taco sleeping in our hammock .. hook just at the right height for a bite!

[whayneneal]

You need a couple of Aussies! Great watch/guard dogs.