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- On a recent trip to Costa Rica, I brought a waterproof bag to keep my things dry in case I came across a rainy microclimate while hiking.
- Not only did my Earth Pak dry bag do that, but it saved my things from getting soaked after I accidentally kicked it into a pool. You can bet I'm taking it with me on future trips.
- Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bags have a 5-star rating on Amazon, with bags in several colors, sizes, and styles to fit your personality and needs. Each order also comes with a waterproof phone case you can wear around your neck.
Packing for a week-long trip to Costa Rica means you have to prepare for the unexpected. You're presumably going to the country to hike through rainforests and cloud forests dotted with various microclimates, swim around magical waterfalls straight out of fairy tales, and experience that Costa Rican pura vida. Except you don't know if you'll hit a patch of rain on your hike or if there are any dry rocks to place your things by the falls.
That's why my fiancé and I packed for every scenario and weather condition on our recent trip. In addition to our clothes (including hiking boots, water shoes, fleece jackets, and windbreakers), toiletries, camera gear, and a first aid kit, we also brought our Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bags. Basically, they're really durable waterproof bags with a roll-top closure and a cross-body strap or double book bag straps, depending on the size you get. We just needed a waterproof (not just water-resistant) bag that would keep our things dry in case it started raining while we were hiking - or in case I accidentally kick it into a pool.
During our trip, my fiancé and I hiked the Arenal volcano to visit the La Fortuna waterfall. We threw towels, camera gear, snacks, water, and an extra set of clothes into our bags and set off. Several people along the hiking trail commented on how useful the Earth Paks seemed and that they'd buy it for their next trip - except for one guy who questioned the usefulness of our bags while his regular book bag slowly leaked after his water bottle had busted open.
Just as we were about to swim around the base of the waterfall after leaving our things on nearby rocks, I accidentally kicked my bag - which included an expensive camera and dry clothes - right into the pool. Thankfully, when I grabbed my bag and checked inside, nothing was wet. In fact, my bag kind of bobbled around because the tight "seal" and waterproof material retained some air after packing my things. Whew.
The Earth Pak bags come in a variety of colors to fit any personality (ours are black because we're New Yorkers) and five sizes depending on your needs - 10L, 20L, 30L, and 40L. The smaller 10L and 20L sizes have a single crossbody strap and hold just the essentials like a cell phone, water bottle, keys, camera, and a towel or change of clothes. We didn't think these two sizes were useful so we went with the larger 30L and 40L sizes, both of which are equipped with book bag straps and can hold at least a weekend's worth of clothes and gear.
After you throw everything in, you compress the air out of the bag and roll the opening a few times to "seal" it, and then buckle it up. Now, there's no actual seal like a Ziploc bag, so if your dry bag is submerged in water for a while, your things might get wet. But because the opening is hidden within the rolls, nothing will really happen if you accidentally drop it into water - I can attest to that. In terms of aesthetics, let's just say they look like potato sacks with straps.
These bags aren't the prettiest but they're definitely durable, waterproof, and coming with us on our next trip to Hawaii - and that's kind of all we need. Pura vida, right?
Buy the 10L Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag for $20.97 from Amazon
Buy the 20L Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag for $24.97 from Amazon
Buy the 30L Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag for $27.97 from Amazon
Buy the 40L Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag for $31.97 from Amazon
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