Sea to Summit Compression Sack Reviewed
The Review
When you are packing up your survival gear, weight is not the only concern. Space is equally important. Whether you are packing your Every Day Carry (EDC), your 72-hour Bug-out Bag (BOB) or your vehicle, space is a valuable commodity. Just like every ounce, every cubic inch also counts.
Some items like food, medical supplies and even ammo can be vacuum-sealed into small water-tight packets. You can save a lot of room simply by getting rid of all that bulky packaging, and even more by getting rid of the excess air. Obviously, this only works well with items that are compressible. The drawback to vacuum-sealing is that once it has been opened, it is no longer compressed or protected from the elements so it works best for items that are typically used up once the seal has been broken.
Bulky gear like shelter materials, bedding and clothing are really not well-suited items for a vacuum-sealed solution, but they tend to consume the most space. Compression bags are the perfect solution for reducing the amount of space used by this kind of bulky gear, allowing the gear to be used, and then recompressed.
I picked up two different lightweight and waterproof compression bags from Sea to Summit, based solely on their high-rating. So how well did each of them fair?
I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the eVent® Compression Dry Sack. The body and lid are made from a rugged 70D nylon material, and all of the seams and stress points are double stitched and tape sealed. The sack is sealed by a roll-top Hypalon® closure, capped and protected by a lid and 4 durable nylon-webbed straps for compressing the contents.
I chose to fill the medium eVent bag with 2 pairs of convertible pants, 1 pair of sweats, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, and two T-shirts followed by two 8′ x 10′ survival tarps and 100′ of 550 Paracord on top. All of these items completely filled the sack. Once I rolled and sealed the closure, I set the lid and pulled the straps snug.
Next, I began to push the air out with my knee pushing down from the top, pulling all four straps tight as the air escaped. After all the air was pushed out, the sack was less than 1/2 its original size. The four straps keep the lid secure and the sack compressed.
To test its ability resist water, I simply hosed it down with a garden hose. Since I already know these bags won’t hold water the out when completely submerged, I didn’t even bother trying that. After hosing the bag down for a couple of minutes, I shook the off the excess water and opened the bag up. I was glad to see that all of the contents remained completely dry.
I was also impressed with the quality of the UltraSil Compression Dry Sack. The body and lid of this sack are made from a lighter 30D nylon material. As a result, this sack does not feel quite as durable as the eVent® Compression Sack did. However, it is nearly half the weight. Like the eVent sack, all of the seams and stress points are double stitched and tape sealed. The UltraSil sack also implements the same roll-top closure, lid and nylon-webbed straps as the eVent sack.
To test the medium UltraSil dry sack, I filled it with the same 2 pairs of convertible pants, 1 pair of sweats, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, and two T-shirts followed by two 8′ x 10′ survival tarps and 100′ of 550 Paracord on top. Like the eVent bag, the gear also completely filled this sack as well. Once I rolled and sealed the closure, I set the lid and pulled the straps snug.
Using the exact same method, I began to push the air out with my knee, pulling all four straps tight as the air escaped. Like the eVent bag, this sack also reduced down to about 1/2 its original size, with the four straps keeping the lid secure and the sack compressed.
To test its ability resist water I performed the same method as before, hosing it down with a garden hose followed by shaking the excess water off before I opened it. Just like the heavier-duty eVent bag, all of the contents remained completely dry. So without any sacrifice of water-resistance, this bag was 2 ounces lighter.
While I do not have a regular Ultra-Sil Compression Sack to test, I thought mentioning its availability and featureset would provide value to this article. This sack is also made from the lighter 30D nylon material with double stitched seams, but without the Hypalon® roll-top closure and waterproofing making it a much lighter alternative for gear not requiring the heavier waterproof protection. While there is only a .2 ounce savings by weight, the real savings is in the cost.
Proper Use:
- Roll-top dry sacks must be closed properly to ensure water can’t get in. Fold the Hypalon® strip down first, then roll three times before closing the buckle.
- Keep the sack away from sharp objects or subjecting it to high abrasion, as this could compromise the waterproof fabric.
- Electronic devices should be “double bagged” for maximum protection. The use of a waterproof hard case should be considered.
- Not intended for situations where dry sack will be completely submerged under water.
To find the volume of your gear in liters, follow these steps:
- Put your gear in a cardboard box
- Press your gear down until it is level in the box
- Measure the depth that the gear is occupying in inches
- Measure the length and width of the box in inches
- Multiply length x width x depth = volume in cubic inches
- Divide the total by 61 = volume in liters
Which compression sack should I choose?
If you need compression and waterproof protection and weight is not critical, look to the eVent Compression Dry Sack. If you need compression and waterproof protection, and weight is critical, look to the UltraSil Compression Dry Sack. And if you need only compression but not waterproof protection and weight is critical, the Ultra-Sil Compression Sack is likely for you.
Final Thoughts
There are three key reasons why I really like using these bags:
- First and foremost, the reduction of space necessary to store your gear is nothing short of amazing. I have a very limited amount of space to store my survival gear, and the use compression sacks make my limited space much easier to accommodate.
- The second reason is clearly the protection that these bags provide your gear. Dirt and water are no longer a concern. Your gear is protected from the elements so when you need it fast, you won’t have to wash first.
- And finally, the third reason is simply the ability to organize your gear. Whether it be a hurricane, earthquake or civil unrest, keeping your gear well-organized, and distributed amongst smaller, more manageable “kits” make it much easier to grab just what you need in a hurry.
As I continue to collect and further organize my gear, I will definitely be picking up many more of these bags, and in various sizes depending on the gear going in them.
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit, www.seatosummit.com
A completely new concept in compression dry bags – there is no valve. This innovation uses an air-permeable base made of eVent® waterproof fabric, which allows air to be pushed out of the sack, but won’t allow water to get back in. Suitable to keep contents dry in any wet situation where the bag is not submerged.
Features
- Rugged 70D nylon body and lid
- Waterproof seams – double stitched, tape sealed
- Roll top Hypalon® closure with lid and 4 straps
- Reinforced stitching on all stress points
- Pull handle on the bottom
- Compact and lightweight
Description Size Weight Volume Max/Min eVent Dry Sack – XS 6″ x 14″ / 15 x 36cm 3.7oz 107g 6/2 Liter eVent Dry Sack – S 7″ x 16″ / 18 x 40cm 4.5oz 129g 10/3.3 Liter eVent Dry Sack – M 8″ x 18″ / 20 x 46cm 5.2oz 148g 14/4.5 Liter eVent Dry Sack -L 9″ x 20″ / 23 x 51cm 5.9oz 168g 20/6.7 Liter eVent Dry Sacks – XL 10.5″ x 23″ / 27 x 58cm 7.4oz 210g 30/10 Liter
Ultra-Sil ® Compression Dry Sack
Based on the success of our Compression Dry Sack, we’ve made a lighter version from 30D Ultra-Sil®. We retained all the clever functionality of the original design with all the lightweight touches of our Ultra-Sil® technology. The Ultra-Sil® Compression Dry Sack compresses gear to one-third the volume while keeping it dry.Features
- Waterproof seams – double stitched, tape sealed
- Waterproof and air-permeable eVent ® fabric base
- Hypalon® closure does not wick moisture
- Reinforced stitching on all stress points
- Air compresses out, water can’t get in
- Roughly half the weight of the original Compression Dry Sack
Description Size Weight Vol Max/Min Ultra-Sil Comp Dry Sack-2XS / 3.3L 5″ x 10″ 2oz 3.3L to 1.3l Ultra-Sil Comp Dry Sack-XS / 6L 6″ x 14″ 2.3oz 6L to 2L Ultra-Sil Comp Dry Sack-S / 10L 7″ x 16″ 2.6oz 10L to 3.3L Ultra-Sil Comp Dry Sack-M / 14L 8″ x 18″ 3.2oz 14L to 4.5L Ultra-Sil Comp Dry Sack-L / 20L 9″ x 20″ 3.4oz 20L to 6.7L
If you need to compress down your gear into the smallest possible space while adding minimal weight, pack it into Siliconized CORDURA® Brand fabric Compression Sacks.
Features
- “Flip-Top-Lid” design prevents strap tangling
- 30D Diamond Ripstop Siliconized CORDURA®
- 4 straps for even compression (2XS and 3XS only have 3 straps)
- Extra long straps so these sacks can really be filled to capacity
- Bar tack reinforced stress points
- Pull handle on the bottom
- Slippery finish for easy packing
- Water resistant, not waterproof
Description Size Weight Vol Max/Min Ultra-Sil™ Comp 3XS 4″ x 9″ Ultra-Sil™ Comp 2XS 5″ x 10″ Ultra-Sil™ Comp XS 6″ x 14″ 2.4oz 6L to 2L Ultra-Sil™ Comp Small 7″ x 16″ 2.6oz 10L to 3.3L Ultra-Sil™ Comp Medium 8″ x 18″ 3.0oz 15L to 5L Ultra-Sil™ Comp Large 9″ x 20″ 3.3oz 20L to 6.5L Ultra-Sil™ Comp XL 10.5″ x 23″ 4.1oz 30L to 10L
About Sea to Summit
Sea To Summit is a worldwide manufacturer of high quality outdoor, backpacking and travel products and accessories. We manufacture and distribute products for camping, hiking, climbing, backpacking, travelling and many more outdoor activities. So if you are looking for storage sacks, sleeping bag liners, dry sacks, camp kitchen gear, paddling gear, compression sacks, hats or tons of other gear this is the place to start.
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