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Ortlieb duffle vs Watershed bag

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8K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Cascade River Gear 
#1 ·
I was on a trip where one of the participants had an Ortlieb duffle with a dry zipper. I know Watershed bags use a press together seal with a fold over. Does anyone have any opinion about which might be more secure...meaning dry? What about other pros or cons between the two?

Thanks

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#2 ·
One thing I noticed on a winter Grand trip with the Watershed bags was that the zip lock was very difficult to close on the colder days, probly didn't help that they were newer dry bags.

Not familiar with the ortlieb, but could see a zipper being problematic on sandy trips.

My friend with a JPW duffle was super happy with it on that trip.

Ziplock or zipper closures tend to be dryest, but a fold over design does have ease of use with less to go wrong. Trade offs.
 
#4 ·
A very small amount of vaseline or comparable lubricant works equally well in the field. I find it slightly inconvenient to carry a bottle of 303 on river trips.

I trust Watershed products to keep my $2000 camera and other electronics dry, even in the situation of an extended swim.
 
#5 ·
I have a friend that has two Ortlieb bags and has had the zippers fail twice on both bags. Ortlieb has replaced them both times, but he has used a lot of duct tape on trips to repair them. I have 20 year old Watershed bags that are still going strong. Enough said. I use a small brush to clean the seals and 303 to lubricate them.

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#8 ·
Wow, that is the first negative review I have heard of ortlieb. I took the leap last year and got one. Love love love it and will probably never buy another watershed. However I may still be in the honeymoon period.....

I love the interior pockets so key small things are always handy. And the one exterior pocket is great for after you have packed up and you forgot those damp socks hanging on the tree.
 
#10 ·
Wanted to post some information that I found researching the waterproof ratings for these two brands of drybags. I found a video from Ortleib where the rep says the bag's zipper is rated to 1 meter for 30 minutes. A similar video at Outdoor Retailer revealed Watershed bags have been tested to 100 meters and 200 meters in Japan for 5-10 minutes and no failures were found.

I remember a trip a while back where we flipped a boat and a guy that had an ortlieb bag, all his gear was soaked. He may have not closed the zipper right, but the boat was also upside down for probably 30 minutes. The boatman who flipped the boat had a watershed and all his stuff was dry. Just wondering if anyone has a good experience with an Ortlieb bag being submerged for a long period of time on a raft?
 
#11 ·
Oh yes!! 4 Ortlieb Bags submerged for 35+ minutes after a lava flip and not a drop of water in any of them. It sounds like your friend didn't have his zipper closed which is incredibly easy. Even after the sand of the Grand for 21 days the zippers were awesome. I won't use another that's for sure. Disclaimer: Watershed is an awesome bag and we sell a lot of them I just like the zippers and backpack straps on the Ortliebs, they also have two zipper pockets on the inside which are helpful. My two pennies. ~Renee


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