The Girl Outdoors founder, Sian Lewis, reveals her top list of rucksacks which offer plenty of room on the inside and the outside are designed to keep your essentials safe and dry.
Finding luggage solutions for your next trip that do it all can be quite a challenge. No two adventures will ever be the same, so shouldn’t the same principle be applied to the best waterproof rucksacks? We think so.
At a glance – editors 3 top choices for best waterproof rucksacks
Whether you’re exploring the Almafi coast, snorkelling in Grenada or cruising along the Mississippi River, you never know when you might be caught in a downpour and in need of a watertight bag to keep your belongings protected.
That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of five of the best waterproof rucksacks that boast features spanning from waterproof zippers to 10 lash loops so that whatever your bag requirements might be, we’ve got it covered.
Everything you need to know about the best waterproof rucksacks
1 /Sea to Summit Big River Dry Backpack 50 Litre
Specifications:
Material: nylon
Capacity: 50 litres
Colour: black, red
Lash loops: 10
Weight: 760g
Reasons to buy: waterproof, great padded straps, tons of room
Reasons to avoid: heavier than simple dry bags
The design is minimalist compared to other waterproof backpacks used for sailors. While the main aim is for use on dry land, but unlike traditional rucksacks the Big River is fully waterproofed with a nylon shell. This makes it the perfect shipmate because your stuff will stay dry even if you’re on the deck with it in the heaviest rain. On the outside the pack has 10 lash loops in two daisy chains, making it easy to attach to a board, boat or bike. The plentiful loops are also useful for tying wet kit to the outside of your backpack when you’re on the go.
Unlike many waterproof backpacks, it has comfortable padded straps, which is a good feature if you need to wear it for a while. There’s also a hip strap, but it’s a pity it’s not padded for extra support. While we can’t predict the weather, just roll this bag three times to seal it and the Sea to Summit Big River Dry Backpack should cover you for most terrain.
The white interior makes it easy to see what kit you’ve packed. The downside is that the bag does get dirty and stained easily. A field repair buckle is included, and the Big River is available in black and dark red/orange – we prefer the latter as it makes you a tad more visible on the water, although the black version is neutral enough that you could use it for commuting to work.
This pack weighs 760 grams so it’s quite heavy compared to simple dry bag designs. It does mean you’re getting a proper backpack for your money (and if you need even more room, there’s also a 75-litre version available). This design is expensive but worth it if you need a dry bag-meets-backpack your next trip.
2/ Red Adventure Waterproof Backpack 30 Litre
Specifications:
Material: recycled nylon
Capacity: 30 litres
Colour: blue, green, black
Lash Loops: 1
Weight: 1.57g
Reasons to buy: good straps, great internal organiser, tough waterproof fabric
Reasons to avoid: heavy, limited lash loops
A fully waterproof backpack that is also comfortable enough to travel long distances – where do we sign up? The Red Equipment have cracked it with this adventure pack and it’s why many marine enthusiasts can be seen sporting it. You’ll find everything you need from a decent sailing backpack – well-padded shoulder straps and a chest strap are comfortable to wear, and mesh panels wick away sweat. Plus, there are plenty of external pockets including stretchy water bottle pockets and a zipped external compartment ideal for stashing wet kit in.
Red then add in extras to make this pack ideal for water sports and aquatic adventures including waterproof zippers, a tough, abrasion-resistant base so you can stand the pack upright and a roll-down top to keep everything water resistant. Inside the pack is roomy and there’s a clever removable organiser which you can take out completely and hang up or keep in the pack – it’ll store a small laptop, toiletries and plenty of other bits and bobs. There’s also a small, zipped pocket inside the main bag that’s ideal for stashing away your phone.
It’s a pity there’s just one lash loop on a bag with so many other bells and whistles. The outside is thick and tough yet easy to keep clean and feels like it could withstand all types of conditions. The nylon is made from recycled materials including plastic bottles, so this is a more eco-conscious pick than most. The compromise is that this is quite a heavy pack compared to a simply dry bag. We tested the smart but muted blue version, which features reflective details that make you more visible when hiking and cycling after dark.
3 / Mustang Survival Highwater Backpack 22 Litre
Specifications:
Material: nylon
Capacity: 22 litres
Colour: black
Lash Loops: 0
Weight: 567g
Reasons to buy: good size, handy mesh pockets, shoulder straps, lightweight
Reasons to avoid: straps have limited padding, pricy for such a simple design
If you’re searching for a dry bag you can also pop on your back, then look no further than the Mustang Survival Highwater Backpack thanks to simple shoulder straps. You’ll find this backpack works as a waterproof container you can wear if needed. We think it’s a good choice for paddleboarding excursions, walking to a wild swim spot or popping a weekend’s worth of clothes in for a boat trip.
The roll top entry makes it quick to stash your items. You can then seal the bag. When we tested this back, the watertight seams stopped any splashes from getting through. This pack has more external features than most dry bags, including three stretchy mesh pockets.
The interior is black, which does make it hard to see what you’ve squirrelled away. The shoulder straps are foam padded and there’s a sternum clip – they’re comfortable for a few miles but not structured enough for a proper trek (despite Mustang’s claim of ‘all-day comfort’). Where this design does stand out compared to other backpack designs is for its lightweight – at under 600g, it won’t weigh you down. There are no dedicated lash loops but you can use the straps to cinch this pack to a board or a bike.
4 / Sea to Summit Big River Dry Backpack 75 Litre
Specification:
Material: nylon
Capacity: 75 litres
Colour: dark red, black
Lash loops: 10
Weight: 820g
Reasons to buy: great colour, water repellent, plenty of lash loops
Reasons to avoid: heavy
If you are all about the maximum packing space for your next voyage, this roomy backpack takes a whopping 75 litres of kit. Yes, this is enough for carrying all your adventurous needs kit such as a tent and sleeping bag or for packing for a week-long adventure. The Sea to Summit Big River is as waterproof and durable as it looks. When testing, we got the impression that it would withstand rough treatment on wild waters without turning a hair – which is good news to thrill seekers looking for a backpack.
We love that the design is minimalist compared to proper hiking backpacks designed for dry land, but unlike traditional rucksacks the Big River is fully waterproofed with a nylon shell, so your stuff will stay dry in the heaviest rain. On the outside the pack sports a whopping 10 lash loops in two daisy chains, making it easy to attach to a board, boat or bike. The plentiful loops are also useful for tying wet kit to the outside of your backpack when you’re on the go.
That said, unlike many waterproof backpacks, this bag sports comfy padded straps, so you can still hike long distances while wearing it. There’s also a hip strap, but it’s not padded so you won’t get that extra support. This pack weighs 820 grams so it’s quite heavy compared to simpler dry bag designs, but you’re getting a proper backpack for your money. We think this backpack is worth the spend if you need a dry bag-meets-backpack for all kinds of adventure. While colour isn’t the most important factor when you’re buying a dry bag, it doesn’t hurt, and we thought the dark red hue of this pack looked rather smart.
5 / Musto Evo Dry Backpack 40 Litre
Specifications:
Material: Polyamide
Capacity: 40 litres
Colour: grey
Lash Loops: 0
Weight: 800g
Reasons to buy: splashproof, light interior, laptop comportment, mesh pocket
Reasons to avoid: looks grubby quickly, straps feel flimsy
We like a dry bag you can pop on your shoulders when needed, and this Musto design is a good bag-meets-backpack design. The main body of the bag is splashproof and the top features a rolltop closure, so you can quickly make things watertight.
One of our favourite features was the roomy mesh front pocket, ideal for holding key items for easy access such as a water bottle, your keys or spare clothing. This pocket is deep enough to keep belongings secure when you’re on the move and stretchy enough that you can pop things away on the go so you don’t have to stop mid-bike or hike.
Inside there’s a padded compartment for a laptop – we’d have liked this to be bigger, to take more kit such as your phone, and removable. The Dry Backpack has a pale grey interior and exterior – the latter is great for seeing what you’ve packed but the former does look grubby easily. The solid bottom panel makes this pack stable and rip-resistant if you need to pop it down.
How Sian Lewis tested the waterproof rucksacks
When testing these rucksacks, we paid attention to features like their capacity to understand which options would be best for sailing the seven seas, paddleboarding, and even taking day on days out with loved ones. Here is what we examined:
Capacity
All the rucksack bags are 75 litres / 16 US gallons or less capacity.
Weight
We chose bags that were as lightweight as possible to ensure they would be easy to carry.
Waterproofness
Most items are rarely 100% submersible due to their design. We made sure to list if the options we featured were splashproof or if they could withstand more exposure to water.
Ease of use
While all singing and dancing items can be great, taking it back to basics is what you need with a rucksack. Having a bag that does not need instructions to use is ideal.