Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Vinjatek
    • Home
    • Shop
    • About
    • Contact
    • Gear
      1. Reviews
      2. Bags
      3. Clothing
      4. Flashlights
      5. Footwear
      6. Hunting
      7. EDC
      8. Guns
      9. Tech
      10. Knives
      11. Pens
      12. Outdoors
      13. Optics
      14. Tools
      Featured

      Best Camping Cot Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      By Carl Williams05/12/2022
      Recent

      Best Camping Cot Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      05/12/2022

      Best Snowshoes Reviews: Expert Picks & Buying Tips

      29/11/2022

      Best Sleeping Pad Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      29/11/2022
    • Sections
      • Lifestyle
      • Tactical
      • Survival
      • Preparedness
      • Restricted
      • Hiking
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Vinjatek
    You are at:Home»Gear»How to Live Out of a Backpack: Improvised Waterproofing
    Gear Lifestyle

    How to Live Out of a Backpack: Improvised Waterproofing

    avatarBy vinja12/01/20182 Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    How to Live Out of a Backpack /// Vinjatek
    How to Live Out of a Backpack : Improvised Waterproofing
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    This is a series of posts about ‘how to live out of a backpack’ as a nomad, minimalist, operative, expat, traveler or for everyday life as a lifestyle.

    Improvised Waterproofing //

    Do you need a waterproof backpack? No, not to live out of it. Do you need waterproofing capabilities in a non-waterproof backpack? Maybe, but with this method, it’s so easy and cheap that Franz Kafka’s words of wisdom never made more sense; “Better to have, and not need, than to need, and not have.”

    Living out of a backpack as a vagabond, this means this “life pack” will be on your person not always but through a great deal of time and events throughout.

    Visa Run From Thailand to Laos via The Mekong River /// Vinjatek

    I was taking a half-broken speedboat along the Mekong River to cross the border to Laos and it started pouring bullets. My FAST Pack EDC backpack, made of nylon, was getting hammered.

    I had my MacBook, various tech and newly washed clothing about to get drenched but I wasn’t worried. Because before we got on that death boat, I spent a whole 10 seconds to waterproof the precious cargo. Not for submersion protection from the river but indefinite impermeability from falling rain.

    All I used to improvise waterproofing was a type of garbage I always have as a part of my packing list; a random plastic shopping bag.

    The process is simple. Just insert the internal contents of your backpack inside a plastic bag as pictured. Make sure it’s on upside down and tied below, because you know, physics. And that’s it.

    How to Live Out of a Backpack: Improvised Waterproofing /// Vinjatek
    Improvised Waterproofing a FAST Pack Scout Backpack

    It’s obviously not submersible but as long as there isn’t a tear in the plastic bag, and the backpack is upright, no amount of rain should penetrate.

    However, prolonged exposure could cause enough water to buildup at the bottom to reach the protected area. But there’s an additional step you can take to counter this completely while also adding momentary submersion protection:

    Before using a plastic bag upside down over your contents, get another plastic bag and put it over right side up and tie it off. Then put the other plastic bag over it upside down and tie it off. Done.

    Although in most cases this is unnecessary, that extra step gives it almost true waterproofness.

    But again, water will penetrate with total submersion, this just gives you a few seconds to rescue it. Unlike how it would be if your backpack content was exposed.

    A plastic shopping bag can be found anywhere, take up no space and weigh nothing – so add it to your kit.

    How to Live Out of a Backpack:
    Improvised Waterproofing

    [Gear featured: The Triple Aught Design FAST Pack Scout and VSSL Mini Survival Cache.]

    1,247
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous Article[R] Essential Vehicular Counter-Surveillance Tactics
    Next Article [R] Detecting Terrorist Activity and Behavior in The Field
    avatar
    vinja

      American patriot, former covert operative and active operations consultant, living globally as a vagabond.

      Related Posts

      Best Camping Cot Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      05/12/2022

      Best Cooler With Wheels Reviews: Top Picks & Buyer’s Tips

      29/11/2022

      Best Snowshoes Reviews: Expert Picks & Buying Tips

      29/11/2022

      Best Sleeping Pad Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      29/11/2022

      2 Comments

      1. avatar
        Eric Spoerle on 12/01/2018 12:31 AM

        Wow so simple but effective… I was imagining wrapping the entire bag with a garbage bag. Works but looks stupid… This is a great packing hack though. Will use.

        Reply
      2. avatar
        Specialist Zero on 12/01/2018 12:33 AM

        The second step is genius! although seems so obvious now.

        Reply

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      About
      About

      An outdoors, tactics, lifestyle & urban survival site that focuses on the ideology, methodology, mindset and tactics of a covert operative to utilize in life, work and play.

      Facebook Twitter Instagram

      Advertiser Disclosure:
      Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these

      Latest
      Camping

      Best Camping Cot Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      By Carl Williams05/12/2022

      There’s nothing better than pitching a tent and spending time in the Great Outdoors; that…

      Best Cooler With Wheels Reviews: Top Picks & Buyer’s Tips

      29/11/2022

      Best Snowshoes Reviews: Expert Picks & Buying Tips

      29/11/2022

      Best Sleeping Pad Reviews: Expert’s Picks & Buying Guide

      29/11/2022
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Pinterest
      • Instagram

      Vinjatek
      Facebook Twitter Instagram
      • Home
      • About
      • Shop
      • Contact
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms & Conditions
      Vinjatek is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
      Vinjatek™ Copyright © 2019 - 2022 Kooc Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Registered Company No.05695741 // Survival / Outdoors / Tactics / Gear

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.