BAGS
The quest to find the perfect swim packing bag and what we learned in the process.

Prepping for and embarking on our first self-supported swim packing adventure involved a lot of trial and error. We learned alot from the moment we began packing our drybags to the time we got back to our car.
Here are a few key discoveries we wanted to share to help you prep for your next trip:
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Towing a bag is way easier than you might imagine
With airspace between your belongings a drybag floats and produces relatively little drag
Bigger is not
necessarily better
Towing a large 140 liter bag is doable, hauling said drybag onto a beach is not the most fun
55-65 liters seems to be the ideal size for towing and hauling
For extra space split the load between two smaller bags and tow them in a single file line
Making fast swimmers tow more makes it easier to stay in a group
Being able to pass off weight while out in the water is helpful for making adjustments
Don’t tow from the
mouth/top of the drybag
The less you can subject vulnerable parts of your bag to splash the better
Double bag important items like electronics, clothes, and sleeping bags
Using thinner drybags within the bag you tow provides for an extra layer of protection
Bags that can stay inflated produce less drag and protect better against leaks
Some drybags offer an inflatable valve that allows you to fully inflate
It is nice to have a quick access to store snacks, sunblock, and camera
Point is to not have to open the whole bag up out in the water
Personalize your set up to suit your needs
Make it work for where you plan to go and what you plan to do
We had a hard time finding exactly what we wanted in a drybag so we decided to produce our own towable dry bag purpose-built for swimpacking. After a lot of testing and revision we now have a design that we really enjoy and named it the Ventana 60. Feel free to check it out on our products page if you are in the market for a drybag that you can take on your next swimpacking adventure.
Have questions or comments?