Here are some essential functions a dry bag should offer. The first one may sound obvious but wait until you read up on number 3! We at River Station Gear have innovated an essential piece of gear that should be in any serious boaters gear collection. We took our time, and made a product that we personally use and designed out of necessity for raft guiding, keeping organized, doing marketing while on the river and exploring side canyons. All those activities can be simply done with this one piece of amazing gear. Okay let's jump into this…
1. Dry bags should keep your gear…. DRY!
May sound obvious. Not all bags out there keep your gear dry. It’s really all about how the top seals and rolls, as well as the general construction of the bag. Dry bags that have needle stitched webbing across the top are not going to cut it. That is why we went with a 100% RF welded bag that is completely sealed and air tight with added nylon drip flaps. Not only does it keep all of your rafting gear dry when rolled, but flaps help keep out those pesky water drops when you open it up on the river. Imagine getting to camp after a long October day on the Colorado River and all of your gear is wet. Not going to happen with the River Station Gear Dry Thwart Bag. Now onto construction. If you have a dry bag that seals well but the seams of the bag are glued or the material is super thin that it is not going to hold up in any real situation that counts. I’ve personally had all sorts of dry bags and have seen seams just come apart, had screwdrivers poke through the material, or just seen them wear out super quickly. That is why when we designed the RSG Dry Bag we went with some thick PVC raft material with welded seams. The material is tough but still thin enough to roll the bag properly and offers a roll bar welded across the top for nice clean rolls. Which is also important in keeping your essentials dry. After 10 years of boating, I trust 2 bags to keep my gear dry. RSG and Watershed bags.
Both very useful and effective for different reasons.
2. They should be easy to Access
Nothing worse than needing to get something simple like a hat or sunscreen, and you have to spend 5 minutes de-rigging and re-rigging cam straps to get in and out of your dry bag. The River Station Dry Thwart Bag has padded straps that cam strap directly to your thwart. The bag cinches down to the bottom of itself, therefore completely eliminating the hassle of dealing with cam straps to get into it. It can just be opened and closed on the go effortlessly and quickly. Really makes a difference if you need something quick before the next rapid. Like a radio or a throw bag if you are a commercial guide. Or if like me, you like to take camera gear down the river and are constantly pulling it out, and putting it away. It has been described as a complete game changer in the dry bag world with pretty much every single person who has got one. If you are looking to make your river trips more organized and less complicated, you may want to consider picking one up for yourself! Now onto number 3…. This one is cool!
3. Dry bag that is multi-functional
We designed the RSG Dry Thwart Bag to function perfectly as a backpack or gear hauler. Makes taking your gear and rigging it a breeze! Not only that but it functions as a waterproof backpack for side canyon hikes, complete with padded, adjustable shoulder straps for all day comfort. Having a dry bag that functions as a backpack also eliminates the need to bring two bags when you can just bring one. What a great way to save space and keep your boat organized and clean. That is not all, this bag is loaded with other useful features. Like a splash proof external zipper pocket to keep small waterproof items, like packaged snacks, sunscreen or waterproof phones. This pocket allows for even quicker access to these things. In addition to the pocket, it also features 2 OS handles which makes it a great bag to grab for stability when the going gets rough in the middle of a rapid. These grab handles are also amazing if you are into R1’ing. Right below the grab handles are 2 stainless steel D-Rings for maximum clip-ability.
Easily attach water bottles, speakers and helmets via locking carabiner in a matter of seconds. This dry bag really does make boating and being organized easy.
Conclusion
Keep your stuff dry! It isn’t rocket science but it kind of is. If you want a long lasting, useful tool for your boating career, then you probably want to get a dry bag that someone has put a lot of thought into. Just to recap: This is all in one, attach to your thwart, 100% waterproof roll top dry bag, with built in grab handles, stainless d-rings, and splash proof zipper pocket, that also instantly transforms into a waterproof hiking backpack with padded, adjustable shoulder straps. WHEW! That is a lot of features for a dry bag. Okay I’ll stop ranting on about how cool they are and let you enjoy looking at all the awesome pictures of adventures that this thing can take you on. Stay dry out there!
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