A rubbery duffel bag bobbed down a chute onto the airport luggage carousel. I was crisscrossing Alaska on a weeklong trip, and as such any old suitcase would not do.
Instead, my gear was packed in a dry bag from SealLine called the Zip Duffel.
Over the course of a week I’d be on boats, rafts, float planes, trains, ATVs and more with my group. With the watertight duffel, which had 75 liters of capacity, I never needed to worry about my gear getting wet.
Constructed of burly vinyl, the bag has a big-tooth drysuit zipper that runs diagonally across the top. Grab handles on either end and adjustable shoulder straps make it better than a standard dry bag for transporting a load through an airport and outdoors on foot.
I’ve owned SealLine dry bags for years and had great results. After repeated abuses by baggage handlers — and falling off of pick-up trucks, even — they are still watertight and tough.
In Alaska, the Zip Duffel’s low profile made it perfect for getting around. It can even slip into a hull for kayak and canoe use. SealLine cites the bag will remain watertight for 30 minutes underwater.
The bag weighs about 2lbs, 10oz when empty. It rolls up small when not in use. With its volume of 4,580 cubic inches (75 liters) it fits a few days’ worth of clothing and gear. It is made in the USA in Seattle.
At $170 retail, the Zip Duffel is not the cheapest bag around. But it is made to last and will outperform any average cloth duffel on an adventure travel trip, Alaska and points even further afield.
—T.C. Worley is a contributing editor.
