Luggage/Dry Bag for Traveling

Moretti · Mar 21, 2022

Sea to Summit in Bolivia

For a six-day ride in Bolivia’s rainy season earlier this year, I went with two 35L Sea to Summit dry bags. They did their job well, keeping my gear dry (more than me) through several serious downpours. (My DR650 is in the back.)

https://www.rei.com/product/786436/sea-to-summit-big-river-dry-bag-35-liters

La Higuera on the Ruta de Che

Valley of a Thousand Llamas

brownie0486 · Mar 21, 2022

Bought a 40L in Colorado at a sport equipment store. Just about right for the extras that don't fit in panniers and top box.

88bmwjeff · Mar 22, 2022

skibum69 said:
I would keep looking at other brands for the size you think you need. I wouldn't worry so much about the colour and depending where the bag is you might not see it anyway.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. In order to fit my camping equipment, I would need a 45-50 litter bag. Bags smaller than 45 litters are too small for my camping equipment. However, not all my overnight trips will be camping. My question was about a 45-50 litter bag being rolled/compressed down to about 50-60% it's capacity. That way I would only need one bag.

pglaves · Mar 22, 2022

It will stay as long as it is but otherwise you can pretty much squish it down to whatever diameter it needs to be. It won't be pretty. But do you care?

88bmwjeff · Mar 22, 2022

PGlaves said:
It will stay as long as it is but otherwise you can pretty much squish it down to whatever diameter it needs to be. It won't be pretty. But do you care?

I wasn't trying to make a fashion statement. Functionality comes 1st.

pglaves · Mar 22, 2022

88bmwjeff said:
I wasn't trying to make a fashion statement. Functionality comes 1st.

I have one that is half full with just my camping gear but gets fuller if I add some other stuff like cold weather gear, etc. It works fine half full or full. When we travel for two or three months in the summer it is full. To a weekend rally, not so much.

guenner · Mar 23, 2022

Jeff, which ever way you decided, good chance it's not your final setup. Trail and error!

My development of gear:

<-35L+tent sack+20L duffle bagg under jacket (too small)

<-35L+ 90L~80% full (too big)

<-Not mine, but really?

<-49L+30L after reducing gear (about right for me)

skibum69 · Mar 23, 2022

What is the volume of your Ortlieb bag? I forget...

guenner · Mar 23, 2022

In the first picture it's a 90L, 49L in the last picture.

skibum69 · Mar 24, 2022

I guess mine looks about the same size.

88bmwjeff · Mar 28, 2022

After much consideration, I think I was comparing apples to oranges a bit [the amount of gear with and without camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, mattress pad, etc.)]. However, I think underestimated the volume of my stuff with and without camping gear initially. I also think it was optimistic to think everything (with camping gear) could fit into one bag including the Vario side cases (no top case). I will have to wait and see about that. Consequently, I decided that the larger bag would be best to start with, and if need a smaller one at a later date, so be it. The bag is on order and should be here in a few days. FYI, I decided on Touratech's 49L bag, although there are other equally good options.

Anyway, thanks for everyone's help.

075038 · Apr 16, 2022

Packing a GS for 2 Up camping: See pic. last summer

This worked for us, camping shown near Coeur d'Alene. ID for 2 weeks, moving every 2 or 3 days. We eat at diners, and non national chain eateries, i.e. no cooking.

I use home made tubular (rock climbing) webbing straps with double D rings, any color or length I want.

Might go back to Vario top case this summer as the Fabric BMW large rear pushed the back of both dry bags out too far.

r0ckrat · Apr 25, 2022

This is waht I'll be using for the camping gear, with sidecases and top box for clothing and food.

https://youtu.be/CE8WldI61Dg

Sent from my SM-N970U1 using Tapatalk

bicyclenut · Apr 25, 2022

I have 3 drybags - 28L, 40L and 70L, so depends on the trip and how much I need to carry and what type of trip. I also have a 6 or 10L bag that I sometimes bring if I need it to put wet items or something I might add on trip to strap on top of other bag. I'm on an RT.

88bmwjeff said:
Thanks for everyone's response so far. It's given me some good information to do more research.

I have an additional question. That is size. Does anybody have a recommendation on size? With that said, I know it's always easier to compress a larger bag into a small dimension vs trying to stuff your items into a too small bag.

JOELMARTIN · May 29, 2022

What happened to Helen2Wheels bags?

I have several of the Helen2Wheels bags (10+ years old now) - both roll-top dry bags and cord-pull wet bags - which I bought after seeing them at the vendor booth at an MOA national rally. I use different sizes depending on the trip’s parameters (camping vs AirBnB, for example). I found a website (helen2wheels.com) but no mention of motorcycle bags and seemingly no bags/luggage of any type at all for sale. Anyone in the forum know what happened to Helen and her bag business?

Paul_F · May 30, 2022

JOELMARTIN said:
I have several of the Helen2Wheels bags (10+ years old now) - both roll-top dry bags and cord-pull wet bags - which I bought after seeing them at the vendor booth at an MOA national rally. I use different sizes depending on the trip’s parameters (camping vs AirBnB, for example). I found a website (helen2wheels.com) but no mention of motorcycle bags and seemingly no bags/luggage of any type at all for sale. Anyone in the forum know what happened to Helen and her bag business?

Helen sold her business quite a few years ago. However, there was some dispute on Helen’s part about the sale.

Luggage/Dry Bag for Traveling

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