Storm Proof Sacks

A Buyer’s Guide for Bug-Out Bags That Can Endure Extreme Weather

- Patrick Vuong

Any prepper worth their weight in MREs will have SHTF packs set up in several locations for any number of potential disasters. A bug out bag at home, a get-home pack at the office, and an emergency kit in the vehicle.

But what if the bags themselves don’t hold up? What if they fall apart under a heavy load or get ruined in a torrential downpour paired with gale-force winds? Now your precious three-day cache is soaked, useless, or strewn across the muddy forest floor.

With spring showers approaching, we’re taking a closer look at durable bags available today that will both increase your daily carry capacity and endure punishing weather.

For the sake of argument, we’re calling them “storm proof” backpacks. Note: This is not a buyer’s guide exclusively on waterproof bags, also known as dry bags. Because they tend to have just one large compartment and look like sacks made out of inflatable swimming pools, dry bags aren’t as versatile for preppers and may stick out in urban settings. Though there are two dry bags among the six models we’ve tested here, we also got hands on with a duffel, a lumbar pack, a campus-style knapsack, and a true trail pack.

Each one fits a particular niche, but are adaptable enough for use in other situations — all with an eye toward keeping your vital supplies safe and dry. But how do you go about choosing?

What to Look For

For recommendations that hold water, we went to two subject-matter experts (SMEs) with almost a half century of combined experience making gear for outdoor adventurers: PatrickYork Ma, the CEO and chief designer of Prometheus Design Werx and Mel Terkla, an independent designer who’s worked for a variety of companies, including Kifaru. Here are some things they suggest you watch out for in a weatherproof pack.