Pack liner vs Stuff sacs?

[GPSGuided]

So many ways to pack a backpack and I am wondering what are your take on using one large waterproof pack liner or multiple smaller stuff sacs of various variety. I have always thought one pack liner is a more efficient use of space and potentially less weight than multiple sacs. But multiple sacs is very convenient for access of specific items. Also each sac can be better compressed.

Your take and choice?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Answered your own question beautifully.

I use both methods. For longer trips involving river crossings, always the larger pack liner. Shorter drier trips, small sacks.

Both work well.

[Moondog55]

Well being old and cautious and the sort of feller who would wear both belt and braces guess what I would say.

[neilmny]

I use multiple sacks. They weigh next to nothing and I can isolate anything wet or grundgy.
I think I'd go for minimum of 3 sacks, sleeping gear, other stuff and wet and grundgy.

[GPSGuided]

Answered your own question beautifully.

Yes, I am good at that. Thank you.

Still, it's of interest on how people perceive and decide on these choices. Or do some use both methods simultaneously?

[GPSGuided]

Well being old and cautious and the sort of feller who would wear both belt and braces guess what I would say.

Use both?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Well it seems moondog does... Too heavy and bulky for me to use both, but I do have a couple of small stuff sacs inside the pack liner, one for my Sleeping bag/Thermals, and one for Kindle/Camera/Wallet

[Scottyk]

one big one for me, just always the way I have done it

[GPSGuided]

The other point that needs to be said is the cost. Some of these UL sacs are going into $10-30 each. Loaded with a few, it gets expensive.

[Mark F]

For me a pack liner with four stuffs sacs - cook gear (pot, stove, canister etc), lunches and snacks, breakfasts and dinners and tent (so it can be outside the pack liner if wet). First aid, repair etc in a plastic box.

[icefest]

The other point that needs to be said is the cost. Some of these UL sacs are going into $10-30 each. Loaded with a few, it gets expensive.

Don't normal stuff sacks cost that much too?

I usually double bag. One large bag that doubles as a pump for my sleeping mat (two to three times and it's full) and smaller sacks for my sleeping bag, tent, food and clothes.

[photohiker]

I use a larger stuffsac that holds my dry gear - all the down and any dry clothes.

Most other gear is loose unless there is a good reason to keep it together, so I have a small drybag for odds and sods like pad repair kit, lighter, toothbrush etc and another for toilet kit. Electronics (batteries, cables etc) have their own bag which usually gets packed in with the down. I also carry a good drybag to stash the camera in if the weather turns.

[nq111]

I use multiple sacks. They weigh next to nothing and I can isolate anything wet or grundgy.
I think I'd go for minimum of 3 sacks, sleeping gear, other stuff and wet and grundgy.

Yep - similar - generally two sacks (1 for sleeping bag, 1 for dry clothes). Everything else is fine to get wet.

[Gadgetgeek]

I put most of my gear into mesh bags, and then into a waterproof liner. I also have a cheaper drybag for carrying wet stuff, one that won't delaminate from being wet. I'm still trying to figure out the most efficient use of stuff-sacks vs compression sacks. For travel, compression bags help me get things packed, but for bushwalking, I'm not sure they are as needed.

[wayno]

both, the liner keeps more water out of your pack and stuff sacks good for organising gear and making sure the things you really need kept dry stay dry... liners eventually get leaks in them. not a major if you have stuff sacks as well... i use ultrasil stuff sacks but a heavier weight pack liner

[awildland]

Well being old and cautious and the sort of feller who would wear both belt and braces

Guess I'm a belt and braces type too . Always use both, I have a waterproof liner which goes in every trip and is pretty lightweight and then clothing/sleeping bag/rain jacket/food are in plastic bags as well. cooker has a tougher old dry bag.

but we generally use tough plastic retail bags as our 'stuff sacks' (like the sort you get from jeans west etc and I steal them from work because our stationary orders come in good plastic bags from officeworks). Fortunately there is a teenager in the house and she keeps us well supplied with new plastic bags from her favourite clothes stores! They're pretty lightweight and do the job for a few trips.

does depend on the adventure though. The walk we did down washpool creek involved a macpac bag liner, plus two orange garbage bags inside that, and then each item bagged again inside in lightweight dry bags. !!! We were in the water a LOT though that trip, on top of the constant rain. Possibly overkill??!!

[kyle]

No such thing as overkill when it comes to keeping gear dry I reckon.

Another one for both, big fan of the "dead dog bag" as a large pack liner, cheap/sometimes free from vets, heavy duty plastic, easily replaceable, multiple uses (ground sheet). Then everything else in its own dry bag/other bags inside that. I dont use a pack cover and cant say ive had any wetness issues.

[GPSGuided]

Don't normal stuff sacks cost that much too?

Guess some can. Thin plastic garbage bags are very cheap though.

[RonK]

I've found pack liners to be a pain when I've used one.

Sleeping bag and camp clothes go into compression drybags. The rest is organised into colour-coded silnylon stuff sacks.

Last edited by RonK on Sun 27 Apr, 2014 9:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Strider]

My Aarn pack has an inbuilt liner but I also use a drysack for my quilt to be sure.

[photohiker]

My Aarn pack has an inbuilt liner but I also use a drysack for my quilt to be sure.

That's the problem with a whole pack liner - you still need to protect your sleeping gear from the other items in your pack that may become wet or moist. The Aarn Natural balance had a fix for this: separate lower section dry lined for the sleeping bag.

[Strider]

I never trust sleeping gear to a liner alone and always bag it as well.

[andrewa]

Depends what I'm doing, but I would normally use a Glad orange garden bag or equivalent as a liner, and then keep stuff in variably waterproof bags inside. If I'm hiking, I'm not too fussed about the bags stored inside, but, if I'm Packrafting, I would nowadays use home made roll top cuben fiber bags for keeping stuff I really need to keep dry, but still inside the Glad garden bag. I've made packliners from a variety of nylons, but, at the end of the day, the old Glad garden bag is so cheap, and functional, it isn't worth the effort trying to improve on it with DIY. And if you want to keep,something dry, its worth the effort. Mind you, if going hiking for a weekend when it was not likely to rain, I'd be more relaxed.

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[GPSGuided]

Yes, I've seen some just pack their sleeping bag in the big liner too. Always thought they are pretty brave.

[walkon]

Yes, I've seen some just pack their sleeping bag in the big liner too. Always thought they are pretty brave.

Thats why I mainly use stuff sacks. Only take a packliner hardly ever, mainly use a pack cover.

[photohiker]

mainly use a pack cover.

Having watched other people's packs in wet conditions, I don't subscribe to the idea pack covers are useful.

Pack liner and drybags make more sense

[icefest]

Having watched other people's packs in wet conditions, I don't subscribe to the idea pack covers are useful.

I think pack covers do have a use - they protect my bag from scrub and stop it getting too muddy.

 Silnylon also prevents snow from sticking.

[walkon]

Sorry should have said always use stuffsacks and mainly use pack cover on pack in the rain. My packcover does a great job, doesn't hurt that I sprayed extra waterproofing under the padding on my pack. Walked for half a day in the rain today and only my shoulder straps are wet and back pads(but these usually are anyway), nothing else.

[awildland]

but, at the end of the day, the old Glad garden bag is so cheap, and functional.

+1 - have even used the old orange Glad bag for a groundsheet (bit slippery but did the job for one night).

big fan of the "dead dog bag" as a large pack liner, cheap/sometimes free from vets, heavy duty plastic, easily replaceable, multiple uses (ground sheet).

we also once tried asbestos disposal bags (before they had any old asbestos put in them, mind you) - they are extremely heavy duty plastic, a little bit too heavy actually and difficult to seal up because they are so thick.

[Strider]

Pack covers also prevent canvas packs from becoming even heavier.