If you're talking about food, the barrels may be a good way to go if you don't want to hang your pack. (although I've never used 'em so...) If you don't mind hanging your packs, I'd suggest the big Rubbermaid containers and ziplocks as a really cheap but still excellent alternative. I use two straps to keep mine closed. I also put sticky backed foam weather stripping in the lid just in case. The Ziplock's purpose is more organizational and humidity protection than to keep actual water out. If you don't open it in a downpour you'll be OK.

As for all of the other stuff that we like to keep as dry as possible, I have always used coated, roll top drybags with perfect success. The only draw back with them is getting the air out when closing them. I use ziplocks with holes I've punched into them to organize clothes. The holes let the air escape so things pack - compactly.

I look at it this way. As soon as a pack opened, everything in it will get wet to some degree. When you're surrounded by water its a given. When you put something that is already wet into any pack, everything in it will share that moisture to one degree or another. How things fit into a pack, how that pack fits into your canoe and how it is to portage, is just as important as keeping things as "reasonably" dry as possible.

Posted by db on April 26, 2000 at 13:55