Ortlieb Dry Bag

[ondowntheroad]

I'm ready to buy an Ortlieb dry bag to keep my tent, sleeping bag and thermorest from the rain. My concern is with the tent. So often while touring, the tent is covered with dew in the morning and does not have time to dry if you want an early start. What happens when you put the damp tent into the dry bag and ride all day? Aren't there problems with mildew? Anyone deal with this problem before? Just wondering about the best way to transport the tent, keeping it dry but without mold or mildew.

[valygrl]

That's a problem with that Ortlieb bag.  The common strategy of putting sleeping bag & thermarest & tent on top of the rack doesn't work with it.

Don't put the tent in with those other items.  There will be days when you want to start riding with a wet tent.  It won't hurt itself by packing it wet for a day, but you can't let your sleeping bag get wet.

The tent bag doesn't really need to be that waterproof - i put it in a trashbag if it's raining, otherwise, just the stuffsack it came in.

In terms of it mildewing, it's ok to pack it wet, as long as you are unpack it pretty soon (that night, for example) and let it dry out.  A day isn't really going to do anything bad.  Just don't forget and leave it packed wet for days and days.

I got a Coghlan's Dry Sack at Canadian Tire for $16 to put my sleeping bag, thermarest and down jacket in.  It's definitely not as cool as the Ortlieb.  

http://www.coghlanscampinggear.com/codrysa.html

[staehpj1]

Valygrl is on target here, but I will add some comments about what has worked for me.

You can roll a tent in a way that it is a pretty waterproof package.  The floors are quite waterproof so with that on the outside I have never felt the need to protect the packed tent from the rain.  My tent is always packed on top of the rack and never in a pannier.  I never bother to cover it or put in in anything other than the sack that came with it (I'm not even sure if that is waterproof, but I think not).  It does not seem to ever get any wetter while rolled up even in the rain all day.

My sleeping bag always gets stowed in a waterproof pannier or in a plastic bag in a non waterproof pannier.

My sleeping pad travels usually travels in it's non waterproof stuff sack on the rack too, but gets a plastic bag over it when it rains.  I have also carried it in a pannier though.

It isn't the end of the world if my sleeping pad gets wet.  It can be toweled off pretty quickly and well, so of the three items the only one that is a huge deal about keeping dry is the sleeping bag.

[paddleboy17]

If you have a trailer with one bag, your wet tent presents a problem.   I might trash bag what I want to keep dry and not bother with a large waterproof bag.  I would be concerned about UV damage if you carry the tent on top.  Even getting the tent sack damaged by UV can be a pain in the butt.

I use panniers, and I designate one large rear bag as being stuff that I don't care if it gets wet.  Into this bag goes my tent, ground cloth, bike cover, Thermarest pad, and camp sandals.  Once I am in camp, and set up the tent, and the Themarest can be placed somewhere to dry off.  Michigan has morning dew, so your tent will almost always be wet when you pack it up.  And yes, the tent needs to be set up when you get home so you can pack it up dry.

Danno

Danno

[litespeed]

I pack my tent, sleeping bag and thermarest pad in a small duffle bag and load it crossways on the rear rack. Each item has its own bag. I don't worry much how wet the tent is when I roll it up in the morning. I have packed up a wet tent and sometimes not used it again for a few days for one reason or other. Never any problem. Oh yes, I also stuff my road atlas and KOA guide in there too.

Packing everything in a duffle or, as you do, an Ortlieb Dry Bag is a good idea. You don't have to worry about one item slipping out. I once lost a tent this way.

[bogiesan]

No reason to pack your thermarest in a waterproof bag.
If you pack your tent in a waterproof bag, do not put anything else in
the same bag. My sleeping bag is down; it goes in its own bag. If it
looks like rain or it will be in a bag or duffle with other wet items, my
down sleeping bag goes into a waterproof bag made of silicon nylon.

I often had to pack a damp tent backpacking. Since it's already damp,
leaving it on the outside of the pack was not an issue, even hiking in
rain. You want to protect items that are dry from getting and prevent
wet stuff from getting dry stuff damp.

Mildew isn't an issue where I live unless your stuff stays packed wet for
days which is just stupid. I have no experience backpacking or bike
touring in situations where it's raining every day. I've always had a day
or two to dry stuff out. it's worth taking a day off when the sun comes
out.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

[driftlessregion]

Six weeks of Northern Tier, rain many nights, lots of dew. BOB dry bag and no problems after putting wet tent into the BOB bag.

[Westinghouse]

If the day turns out to be dry, take the tent out and let it dry during pit stops at cafes, convenience stores, and the like. If it is packed wet all day it is no big thing. Just set up as usual at dusk or whenever.

I use a polyethylene tarp so I never have that problem, and I carry it on the back rack.

[Westinghouse]

You can also buy some tough plastic garbage bags, and put your gear inside them when it is raining. You should not get the cheap, flimsy kind that fall apart when you grab them, but more like the industrial strength kind. You can put them inside less expensive panniers and have waterproof dryness like others have with panniers that are much more expensive.

When it comes to racks, get good ones that fit properly to the frame of your bike.

[dab]

here's one:

i just ordered/received an Ortlieb duffle (medium size) with the intention of packing my sleeping bag (big agnes encampment 15 - synthetic), pad (thermarest) and tent (rei lightning).  what i had hoped to do was keep the pad and bag integrated so that i could expedite setting up/ breaking camp.  in looking to see how the tent, bag and pad would fit into the ortlieb duffle, it was clear that i could not compress the bag/pad small enough to fit with the tent; matter of fact, the bag/pad were a good fit alone in the ortlieb.

i suppose before swapping the ortlieb medium for a large, i was wondering if anyone had any practical thoughts on how to conveniently pack the bag and pad.  i see some of the posts on here suggest (and logically so) to pack the tent separately from the sleeping bag.  this may be my option, but other thoughts are welcome.  thanks.

[WesternFlyer]

In my working life I was a sail maker and an industrial textile designer, and I can say with certainty that nylon and other synthetic fabrics cannot mildew.  However, food and other organic matter that get onto and into the fabric can mildew.  Keeping a tent as clean as possible is more important than as dry as possible.

The silicon-impregnated nylons are a real advancement for lightweight camping.  Where urethane coated nylon is impenetrable to water it allows the nylon yarns to saturated with water and organic matter.  It takes time to dry out.  Silnylon keep water and organic matter from getting between the threads of the yarn by keeping rain, dew and condensation on the surface of the fabric on both sides.  I met a cyclist last summer who carried one of those synthetic chamois you see advertised on late-night TV.  He went completely over the fly of his tent in the  morning and I am telling you it was pretty close to dry to the touch when he was done.  That is more hassle than I want.  I just give the fly a good shaking and stuff it in with the rest of the tent.


Western Flyer

We must ride light and swift.  It is a long road ahead.

King Theoden