From canyon to climb, OR’s dry bag handles all

OR DryComp Ridge Sack

- Pros: Compression, hip and sternum straps keep load in one spot; Lightweight; Large capacity

- Cons: Shoulder straps too minimal for full load; Not hydration-bladder friendly; Water collects between layers of bottom fabric

- Bottom Line: The OR DryComp Ridge Sack is a great dry bag backpack that’s perfect for any summer activity and well worth the money.

- MSRP: $120

OR’s website

Designed for ice climbing the Outdoor Research DryComp Ridge Sack is a full-featured dry bag that can go anywhere.

Weighing a mere 16.4 ounces (slightly more than a pound) with a capacity of 2,075 cubic inches (34 liters) the dry bag backpack is perfect for an all-day adventure. I could see the pack especially useful while exploring different slot canyons throughout the country.

Beside using it as a carry-on while traveling, I used the pack exploring the lakes and rivers of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.

As an all-purpose dry bag that I could pack with a towel, food, camera and other needed supplies, OR’s DryComp Ridge Sack didn’t fail.

Swimming with it was easy. The waist and sternum straps helped keep the bag in position, and the air trapped inside acted as a floatation device that helped if I got tired on longer swims.

Lightweight and feature-rich is great, but a good dry bag has to be durable too – something OR didn’t seem to skimp on.

The Ridge Sack is mostly made from 70D nylon and held up well against typical wear (ie: rubbing it against boulders, throwing it on the ground, sliding it back and forth in a canoe).

While the bag can fit a full day’s worth of gear, don’t expect to pack it to the brim without it digging into your shoulders.

Its shoulder pads are quick-drying mesh with little actual padding – something I expect from a dry bag backpack. With about 16 pounds of gear inside, the pack was a bit heavy, and the hip belt does nothing to alleviate part of the load.

However, side compression straps help keep the load tight to your back.

To my dismay, water got trapped between the two nylon layers on the bottom of the pack – likely because of the stitching that penetrates the outer layer. A layer of 420D nylon on the outside reinforces the 70D nylon body, but it needs some sort of waterproof sealer to keep water from penetrating through the stitches.

The biggest problem that poses is the opportunity for mold or mildew to form – not exactly something you want with any outdoor gear.

Luckily, the inside of the pack remained dry, even after full submersion when swimming.

It has bungee cords on the back to secure extra gear (that can get wet), two ice axe loops and a mesh pocket that the company claims is where you can put a hydration bladder – though it’s not the most ideal place. I’d rather see an easy-access side water bottle pocket or two.

The DryComp Ridge Sack has nearly everything I’d look for in an effective roll-top dry bag for any summer activity.