Outside Online
Monday, May 21, 2012

The Most Influential Gear of All Time: Plastech Welded-Seam Dry Bag

1986

By:
Sealed dry bag Photo: Courtesy of SealLine

Dry bags date all the way back to the Vietnam War—at the time, the United States government issued rubber-coated bags that were cemented at the seams. But Plastech, later acquired by Cascade Designs and called SealLine, was the first to weld its closure straps, which never pulled out and which provided a drier seal; to weld fail-free round bottoms in dry bags, which made the bags easier to load in a kayak hatch; and to eliminate square corners, which tended to become abraded and leak.

Free Newsletters

Dispatch This week's featured articles, reviews, and videos. Sent twice weekly.
News From the Field The most important breaking news from around the Web. Sent daily.
Gear of the Day The latest products, reviews, and editors' picks. Coming soon.
Outside Partners Outside-approved deals and special offers from select partners. Sent occasionally.

Subscribe
to Outside
Now with
iPad Access

Magazine Cover

Plus 2 Outside Buyer's Guides included with your purchase!

News

Jun 17, 2013

Current Issue Outside Magazine

Subscribe and get a great deal! Two free Buyer's Guides plus a free GoLite Sport Bottle. Monthly delivery of Outside—your ultimate resource for today's active lifestyle. All that and big savings!

Free Newsletters

Dispatch This week's featured articles, reviews, and videos. Sent twice weekly.
News From the Field The most important breaking news from around the Web. Sent daily.
Gear of the Day The latest products, reviews, and editors' picks. Coming soon.
Outside Partners Outside-approved deals and special offers from select partners. Sent occasionally.

Ask a Question

Our gear experts await your outdoor-gear-related questions. Go ahead, ask them anything.

* We might edit your question for length or clarity. If it's not about gear, we'll just ignore it.