Waterproof Storage + Bag Cover (a MUST have)

Gear
By Gems Of Travel
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In This Post

The key here is:  *PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES* from water & humidity.  The bonus is that these can also be used for packing – grouping things together – helping you stay organized while on the move.

Southeast Asia gets very wet & humid during the raining monsoon season. Over time, the humidity will cause surface mold, even on things stored-way in a closet or within a bag. This is even more true for those of us who have adapted to the heat, no longer using air-conditioning – using air fans only.

Tip

At the bare minimum, store your passport within a zip-lock plastic bag.

You do not want it to get damaged by water or humidity. Replacing it (or getting an Emergency Passport) is not something you want to go through.

Why Do You Need This

Rainy monsoon season

Southeast Asia has a rainy monsoon season. Rain can come down very heavily, and road flooding does occur.

Although the rain usually only lasts for a couple of hours each day, anticipate needing to protect your gear from water.

Another thing is that due to the way rooms are constructed, the humidity during rainy season can lead to some damage to your valuables.

Wet adventures

Beaches, waterfalls, kayaking, and the like. Oh, and the Thai holiday of Songkran, of course!

Wet adventures. Hiking through knee-deep water rapids in the jungle of Malaysia. The rapids has many rock boulders, and a rope connected to trees on each side for hikers to hold onto when crossing the rapids.
Passengers with baggage waiting in ankle-deep water close to the beach shore to board a boat. The boat captain gets front of the boat as close to the shore as possible, but passengers and their baggage will need to walk into the water to board the boat. This boat is a wooden long-tail Thai-style boat with 1 engine, and has an approximate capacity of 10 passengers. It is used to transport them from one beach to another in Ao Nang, Krabi province, Thailand.
Passengers with baggage waiting on the beach to board a boat. The boat captain backs-up the boat as close to the shore as possible, but passengers and their baggage will need to walk into the water to board the boat. This boat - with 6 outboard engines - has an approximate capacity of 50 passengers, and is used to transport them from one island to another, all located within the vicinity of Bali Indonesia.
Two people, a male and female, are walking through a shallow (ankle-deep) creek that is about three feet wide. The creek runs through a crevice with high rocky walls. Various green plant cover the walls, and there are two large boulders along the creek where the people are standing. The people are wearing clothing for wet conditions like sandals, and sports clothing. Sun shines through just enough to cleary see while walking in the creek.
A beach within a small opening between two steep, rocky, cliffs. In the foreground, two people are walking towards the ocean water with a surfboards held at their side. In the background, people are surfing on the waves. The cliff to the left has a wooden deck on top of it, at about three stories high, for a lookout viewpoint of the ocean. This beach is located in Uluwatu, which is on the south side of Bali, Indonesia. Uluwatu is pronounced "oo-loo-wah-too".
Two people, both male, are walking through a shallow (ankle-deep) creek that ranges from three to six feet wide. The creek runs through a crevice with high rocky walls. Various green plant cover the wall. The people are wearing sandals throught the water and day bags (i.e. small backpacks). Sun shines through just enough to cleary see while walking in the creek.

Waterproof or Water resistant

Don’t let wording deceive you!  Water resistant is not waterproof!  Basically, water resistant is less protective, but it is good enough for most situations.

If you dunking your things directly under water, than you want water proof.  If your things will get splashed with water (or if raining), then water resistant is fine enough most of the time.  That being said, waterproof offers the most protection and is preferred, if you can.  A waterproof pouch will provide a tight seal, preventing humidity inside the bag, so any delicate or valuable items will appreciate that.

Waterproof

= For bags, you can submerge it fully into water (sand and dirt, too). 

Because of the material used and having a water tight seal, water cannot penetrate through the waterproof bag, nor can humidity.

Note

If a brand claims ‘waterproof’ then they should have done testing on the bag to prove their claim.

Water Resistant

= You cannot submerge it fully into water – water (and humidity) will leak through.

This is due to the (1) bag material (and it’s inferiority) of water resistant coating, and also (2) a lack of water tight sealing.

The ‘water resistant’ protection will protect against rain water. But, it will not fully protect (or protect at all) against humidity.

Great Idea!

Layering: use a water resistant bag 👜 within a water resistant bag 🎒.

A bag within a bag – it seems redundant, but the moto here is “protection plus more protection!”.  

EXAMPLE: A practical example would be a rain cover (water resistant) on your backpack that has a stuff sack (water resistant bag) inside of it.

Don’t forget, they protect against dirt, too, not just water!

Warning

TEST THE BAG: Before purchasing and using it, test it – dunk the ‘waterproof’ bag inside of water and check if it leaks. Put a cloth or napkin inside, if it gets wet, then you know water leaked inside.

Of course, make sure nothing important is inside the ‘waterproof’ bag before doing this!

This checks if the bags are really as claimed – waterproof or water resistant.  A water resistant bag will fail to meet the needs of waterproofing – they are not the same.

Bag Covers

A bag cover should be in your arsenal of travel gear.  Don’t leave home without one!

Okay so, there are a couple versions of these.

Great Idea!

Travel hack : Pack a heavy duty trash bag to use as a DIY bag cover.

However, a rain cover for your backpack is much better.

Rain Cover

This covers the bag or backpack + strap onto it.

This kind allows you to wear the backpack with the cover on.  So, if it’s raining then your bag will have coverage.

Passenger wearing a 30 liter carry-on backpack with a rain cover stretched over it. The rain cover protects against rain and prevents theft by anyone reaching into the bag. And, since this rain cover has an elastic band around it's perimeter, the bag owner can stuff things inside, between the bag and rain cover. This acts as an extention of the bag, and/or a way to quickly access access things while on the go, such as a spare t-shirt and shorts for sleeping while traveling.
Two carryon backpacks (a.k.a in-cabin baggage) resting within a passenger's bus seat. The seat is actually a bunk bed on a sleeper bus in Southeast Asia. One bag is the main backpack (medium sized 30 liter bag), and it has a rain cover over it. The other bag is a smaller 18 liter day bag that is not full. This small bag has two velcro strap wrapped around it to compress the bag so that it takes up less space.
Large backpack (a.k.a in-cabin baggage) with a rain cover.
Carryon-sized 30 liter backpack (a.k.a in-cabin baggage) resting within a passenger's train seat. It has a rain cover over it that has an elastic band around it's permiter - good for stuffing things inside (between the bag and the rain cover), preventing theft. The rain cover, per the name, protects against water as it is made of water-resistant material. This picture shows a velcro compressor strap is used to securely strap the rain cover on, since the built-in straps & clips are not strong enough. Using the velcro strap allows the owner to use the cover as an extention - the built-in straps are often (but not always) not long enough when stuffing things inside.
Carryon-sized 30 liter backpack (a.k.a in-cabin baggage) resting within a hotel clothing & storage dresser. It has a rain cover over it that has an elastic band around it's permiter - good for stuffing things inside (between the bag and the rain cover), preventing theft. The rain cover, per the name, protects against water as it is made of water-resistant material.
Carryon-sized 30 liter backpack (a.k.a in-cabin baggage) resting within a passenger's train seat. It has a rain cover over it that has an elastic band around it's permiter - good for stuffing things inside (between the bag and the rain cover), preventing theft. The rain cover, per the name, protects against water as it is made of water-resistant material.

PROs

  • Protects against rain water and dirt & dust – keeping your bag dry and clean.
  • Prevents thieves reaching in and accessing your bag zippers.
  • Stuff things in between the bag & the cover – extra storage space & easy access!
  • Fits well. You can find a rain cover that fits snug on your bag, not loose fitting.

CONs

  • Not perfectly sealed – the side of the backpack that your back touches will be exposed.  *Solution: When it is raining you can also use and umbrella or poncho.

Rain and Transit Cover

This is for completely covering the bag for storage during transit, hence the name.

If you check-in your bag at the airport, or put your bag under the bus in the storage area, then this is a good option to consider.

While travel needs are different for each person, GemsOfTravel would conclude that the 2-in-1 cover is not worth it – the CONs outweigh the PROs.  The rain cover is good enough – add in an umbrella or cheap $1 rain poncho for when it rains.

Rarely will you need to use the ‘fully covered and zipped-up’ option, but again if you find the need then go for this option.

PROs

  • *same as for “Type #1:  Rain Cover”
  • You get the added benefit of the transit cover – full baggage covering.
  • Typically seems more durable then a standard rain cover since these are made by “higher end” backpack brands.

CONs

  • *same as for “Type #1:  Rain Cover”
  • No tight fit. Lack of elastic around the edges that force the cover to hug around your bag, getting a tight fit.
  • Extra durability not needed. While the cover is more durable, the rain covers are durable enough, and you can always buy a new one somewhere if needed.
  • Cost : more expensive.  These 2-in-1 bag covers are “higher end” and made by more expensive backpack brands.
  • Takes up more space in your bag when not in use. Being stronger and more durable also means that it is heavier and takes up more space than a simple rain cover.  This difference is noticeable.  So, if you are pressed for space and baggage weight, then skip this 2-in-1 option.

Dry Bag

Many dry bags are waterproof. Sizes range from 5 liter upwards of 40 liter.

They may not be useful as a main backpack, but they are good for kayaking and small trips to the beach or a waterfall.

This one also can wash your clothes!  It’s called “the Scrubba” and it has ribbing inside and an air valve.

Dry bag. This bag is fully waterproof. It maintains waterproofing when submersing into water at a maximum depth usually around 1 meter (or 3 feet).

Sealed Waterproof Pouch

There is a pouch shape & size for anything that you want to put inside. Nite Ize is a brand that has many great options!

*NOTE: We have used Nite Ize waterproof pouches for years and sincerely believe their products are the best – no affiliate, we just like them.

Examples:

-> Travel Pouch by Nite Ize (fully waterproof)
-> Toiletry Bag by Nite Ize (fully waterproof), but can be used as a travel pouch, too.

*See niteize.com/waterproof-protection for their full product offering – they’ve got so much cool stuff, so check them out!

A waterpoof pouch to protect valuables, and have better organization while adventuring. This pouch is made of waterproof material, and has a special zipper design to seal it, water-tight. This also prevent typical dirt and debri getting inside the pouch. This pouch is a flat, and is about 7 inch by 10 inch in size. The picture shows various valuables inside such as electronics, cell phone, etc, passport, etc.
A waterpoof phone pouch to protect valuables while adventuring with a lanyard to wear it around your neck. While it is made for phones, you can put anything inside that will fit such as cash, keys, and more. The intention is to use this when swimming, kayaking, standing under waterfalls, or any other wet adventure where you need to protect valuables from getting wet. This pouch is made of waterproof material, and has a clamp design to seal it, water-tight. This also prevent typical dirt and debri getting inside the pouch.

These pouches are perfect for 3 reasons:

(1) Organization : Group certain items together.

(2) Space : Compress the bag to save space.  Waterproof versions are air tight sealed.  This allows you to compress the air out of the bag and compress whatever is inside to save space.

(3) Protection : Protect valuables from humidity & water and dirt & sand.

Put valuables inside:

– Jewelry ;
– SSD drive or USB flash drive ;
– Small electronics ;
– Medication ;
– Documents such as passport , e-visa print-outs , travel itinerary ;
– Print-out copy of your passport , other IDs (driver’s/motorcycle license) Etc. ;
– Anything you can fit in here is fair game!

Stuff Sacks

Stuff sacks are essential. Make sure to but a water-resistant one (they will never be fully waterproof, fyi).

Use a [water resistant] stuff sack to:

(1) Cover docs & electronics: As a wrapper to cover electronics or paper documents;
(2) Clothes : stuff a bunch of clothes inside;
(3) Organization : grouping things together into different stuff sacks help you stay organized! Don’t loose stuff! ;
(4) Convenient : a convenient clip-on storage pocket (clip a small stuff sack onto you backpack).

A big plus with stuff sacks is organization and basic protection from the elements.  Stuff sacks come in sizes ranging from small to large.  The large sizes can fit a large laptop.

Two stuff sacks, a small and a large one. They are water-resistant, not waterproof. The large one is large enough to old a large laptop. The sacks will not hold a perfect air-tight seal for a long period of time. There is only 1 opening on each sack, the flap of the sack, which has clips sewn on the left and right-hand sides. The way it is closed is by rolling the opening/flap of the sack, and then clipping the two clips together.
A large stuff sack by Sea To Summit brand. It is water-resistant, not waterproof, and is large enough to old a large laptop. The sack will not hold a perfect air-tight seal for a long period of time. There is only 1 opening, the flap of the sack, which has clips sewn on the left and right-hand sides. The way it is closed is by rolling the opening/flap of the sack, and then clipping the two clips together.
A small stuff sack . It is water-resistant, not waterproof. The sack will not hold a perfect air-tight seal for a long period of time. There is only 1 opening, the flap of the sack, which has clips sewn on the left and right-hand sides. The way it is closed is by rolling the opening/flap of the sack, and then clipping the two clips together.

Some stuff sacks are water resistant, not water proof! So, they do not hold an air tight seal.  Therefore, if you compress the bag, purging the air out, to gain packing space then the air will come back in just like a ziplock bag, albeit slowly.

Great Idea!

Laptop 💻: Get a large stuff sack to put your laptop inside. Keep it protected against dirt, rain, and humidity!

What makes these convenient is that you can clip the bags onto something.

Two stuff sacks, a small and a large one, clipped onto a railing. This is to demonstrate that how they can be clipping anywhere for convenience.
Camping gear; a small backpack, tent, and stuff sack; hanging from a tree limb to suspend it off of the ground.

Umbrellas And Ponchos

For the sake of being thorough, umbrellas and ponchos will be covered in this post.

You can’t predict the weather.  Weather forcasts are not reliable in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia.  When it rains it pours, and pop-up showers come and go without warning at the least convenient of times.

Umbrellas : It seems obvious, but having an umbrella available is a quick and easy way to protect your gear when it rains.

Ponchos : A cheap poncho works great, your whole body will be protected from the rain.  Plus, you can cover the backpack on your back, too!  Pickup a cheap $1 poncho.  You can get them everywhere in SE Asia, too.  Keep the packaging and stuff the poncho back into it for use next time it rains.

A scooter rider wearing a clear poncho while riding in the rain. The rider is stopped alongside the road in Vietnam purchasing a bahn mi (a Vietnamese sandwich).

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