C/O ROOSTER SAILINGspace for sailing kit but bigger bags are
available. Helly Hansen’s HH Du ebag
2 o ers a generous 120lt of space and
combines this with interior and exterior
pockets and (crucially at this size) back
pack straps, which can be tucked away
in their own self-contained pocket.DRYBAGS
Varying styles of drybag are becoming
ever more popular. Henri Lloyd’s Amy
Grealish sums up their attraction, beyond
the obvious bene t of giving maximum
protection to your possessions: “Drybags
are very exible and versatile – you
can expand and contract them to
suit what you need to carry and they
pack up small when not in use.”
Top-closing tube style drybags have
a wide range of uses. Smaller, very
lightweight ones are ideal for organising
items within a larger bag and give an
extra layer of protection to valuable kit.
In sizes up to around 10 litres they are
inexpensive if bought in a multipack.
Small, but more substantial, drybags
that can withstand some rough and
tumble are good for day racing,
while medium and large models o er
convenient and exible options to pack
enough kit for longer periods away.LOOK OUT FOR...
My single most-used piece of luggage
is the X-Tremer XL dry backpack from
Ortlieb, a German company better
known for its range of panniers and
other accessories aimed at cyclists. It has
a great capacity, yet weighs barely more
than 1kg and takes up next to no space
when not in use. It’s also well made and
very robust – I’ve travelled hundreds
of thousands of miles with mine.
Overboard’s 2018 range of backpack
drybags will have a new moulded foam
strap to improve comfort. It also has
the advantage that it will not absorb
water. e Pro Sport models also have
a removable waist strap, heavy duty
material base and back, plus additional
pockets. Henri Lloyd is introducing a
new Dry Pack range for 2018, which will
be more robust and include backpack
options, and Rooster Sailing has
similarly launched a new 2018 range.
If choosing a more conventional style
of backpack the same considerations
as for the straps apply, but also look for
easily-accessed pockets for sunglasses
and small items such as sunglasses,
keys and phones, as well as a dedicated
compartment for a laptop or tablet.
An elasticated top cover will give a lot
of protection against rain and spray.KIT BAGS & CASES TECH FOCUS
RUGGEDISED
APPLIANCES
These remain a relatively small part of the market,
yet o er many advantages and need not be unduly
expensive. The CAT S60 smartphone, for instance,
is waterproof to fi ve metres for an hour, and will
survive a 1.8m drop on to concrete. Yet it’s also fully
featured, running Android 6.0, has a 13 megapixel
camera, a thermal imaging camera and a high
capacity battery gives up to 43 days of standby time.
At £649 it’s the most expensive model in the range,
which starts with the S30 smartphone at £240.
The Caterpillar T20 Tablet also o ers good
levels of waterproof and drop protection, if
equipped with a factory fi tted screen protector.
It has an 8 inch screen and runs Windows 10.
The Mesa 2 ruggedised tablet has an IP68
rating against dust and water ingress and is
shockproof for drops from 1.2 to 1.5m.PROTECTING VALUABLES
There are specialist small dry bags from suppliers
such as Overboard for items as small as car keys that
will provide ‘underwater’ protection. The company
also has cases for SLR cameras and just about
anything else you might want to take afl oat.
An increasing number of phones and tablets o er a
degree of protection from water ingress. But, while these
will o er some protection from relatively light exposure
to water, most are still a long way from providing the
same protection against water ingress when fully
immersed in salt water as we expect from a watch.
Notable exceptions are the ruggedised range of
Android phones and tablets from CAT and the Mesa
2 tablet from Juniper Systems that’s sold into the
sailing market by pro navigator Campbell Field.
The hope is that future developments will see
more products that are fully submersible.123with separate sections for wet and dry
kit and plentiful pockets, mesh dividers,
elasticated cords, and even bottle holders.
Typically used by dinghy sailors to
carry their kit to and from the dinghy
park, requirements here are usually less
to do with waterproo ng and more to
do with convenience. At the simplest
end a barrel bag such as the Genoa
Carryall from Musto, a classic holdall
in splashproof fabric with heavy duty
zip and detachable should strap, works
well. Roll top drybags are very useful
things, but with just one compartment, if
you need to pile wet kit in to take home
they serve little purpose other than to
ensure everything in the bag gets wet.
Of course, much comes down to
personal preference. For many, a key
consideration will be keeping wet and
dry kit separate. Plenty of the barrel type
bags on o er provide a separate space
for wet kit. Gill’s Tarp Barrel Bag is just
one such which approaches the problem
by providing a separate end zipped
pocket insulated from the main body
of the bag. Gul’s Code Zero Carryall is
another water resistant tarp bag with
a separate pocket. Both of these two
come with an adjustable shoulder strap,
though the former's 30lt sizing probably
won’t have space for all of your winter
and summer kit, so for those wishing
to keep absolutely everything in their
bag, the latter’s 60lt is the better option.
Typically 60lt provides plenty ofnnThe Lifeproof Nuud
iPhone 6 case o ers
enhanced protection
nnThe CAT S60,
below, is by no
means cheap, but is a
super-tough phone
nnThe Mesa 2
ruggedised tablet is
also ‘drop-proof'nnRooster Sailing's 30lt waterproof
backpack is part of a new range80 Yachts & Yachting February 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.ukBUYERS_GUIDE_GC-hg_TH.indd 80 18/12/2017 16:17