The North Face Base Camp Dry Bag 8L is a roll-top dry bag made from the thick fabric of The North Face’s Base Camp duffels. The fabric makes it really sturdy, and its flat base lets it stand up on its own, something none of the Sea to Summit dry bags we’ve tested do. The same thick fabric makes it stiff to roll up and buckle, though. I paid $70 for it.
What’s in the box
An 8 litre roll-top dry bag in black with a big white logo, a Hypalon collar at the top, a buckle to close it, webbing loops on the side and a flat base. It’s about 45.5 × 33 × 15 cm laid flat, and it weighed 229 g on our scale. It also comes in Summit Gold.
What we like
- Thick, very sturdy fabric
- Flat base, stands up on its own
- Rugged Hypalon roll-top collar
- Two webbing loops on the side, handy for strapping it to a pack or kayak
What we don’t
- Stiff to roll and buckle
- Black inside, hard to find things
- Heavy and pricey for 8 litres
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | The North Face |
| Capacity | 8 L |
| Material | 300D recycled polyesterTPU coatingHypalon collar |
| Colour options | BlackSummit Gold |
| Weight | 229 g |
| Size | 45.5 × 33 × 15 cm |
| Closure | Roll-top with buckle |
| Seams | Welded |
| Features | Flat baseWebbing lash loops |
Thick, sturdy fabric
The fabric is really thick, much thicker than our Sea to Summit dry bags, so it feels very sturdy. It’s so sturdy, though, that it’s sometimes hard to handle. The bag is quite rigid, and when you fold the top over and buckle it up, it fights you a little more than I’d like. The Hypalon collar at the top gives the roll some structure, but with this fabric it’s never a quick, soft roll like on a thin nylon bag.
A flat base that stands up
The bag has a flat, rounded base, reinforced with a tougher layer of fabric, and that’s really handy: it stands up on its own wherever you put it, in the back of the car, on a rock ledge or on the sand. None of the Sea to Summit dry bags we’ve tested do that. Standing up, it’s easier to load, and it stays put while you fill it.
Black inside
The inside of the bag is black as well, like the outside, which makes it harder to find your things once they’ve dropped to the bottom of the bag. Small, dark things are the hardest to spot. The Sea to Summit Evac is white inside, which makes finding things much easier, and the Ultra-Sil is the same orange inside as out.
Weight and lash loops
All that fabric adds up: 229 g on our scale, heavy for an 8 litre dry bag. It’s not one for a hiking pack where every gram counts, but in the car, a boat or a kayak the weight doesn’t matter much. On the side is a patch with two webbing loops, so you can lash or clip it to a pack, a roof rack or a kayak.
Colours and sizes
The Base Camp Dry Bag comes in black, like ours, and Summit Gold, in 8, 12 and 18 litres. The 18 litre also comes with a padded shoulder strap that you can take off. We tested the 8 litre in black. Prices are the RRP.
North Face or Sea to Summit?
We’ve tested a handful of Sea to Summit dry bags, and the Base Camp is a different kind of bag. The Ultra-Sil is the same size at a fifth of the weight and a third of the price, and the Evac has a white inside and a base that lets the air out. Neither stands up on its own or has fabric anywhere near as thick as the North Face. It’s the pick that stands up in our dry bags guide, next to the rest.
This one North Face Base Camp | Air out Evac Lightweight 5L | Lightest Ultra-Sil 8L | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 300D polyester, TPU coated | Recycled nylon | Ultra-Sil 30D nylon |
| Base | Flat, stands up | Air-expelling Evac base | Plain fabric |
| Inside | Black | White | Same orange as outside |
| Capacity | 8 L | 5 L | 8 L |
| Weight | 229 g | 53 g | 42 g |
| Price paid | $70 | $35 | $24 |
| Our score | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
Conclusion: The North Face Base Camp Dry Bag 8LConclusion
The Base Camp Dry Bag is a very sturdy dry bag. Its thick fabric feels very sturdy, and the flat base, which stands it up on its own wherever you put it, is really handy. The thick fabric also makes it rigid, so rolling and buckling the top is stiffer than I’d like, the black inside hides small things, and at 229 g and $70 it’s heavy and pricey for 8 litres. If you want a dry bag that takes a beating in the car, a boat or a kayak, it’s a good one. To save weight or money, a thin nylon dry bag does the job.
A very sturdy dry bag with a flat base that stands up on its own.
The thick fabric and Hypalon roll-top feel tough, and it stays upright wherever you put it. That thick fabric is also stiff to roll and buckle, the black inside hides small things, and it’s heavy and pricey for 8 litres.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Beach & picnics
If you want a tough dry bag that stands up, yes. I paid $70, a lot for 8 litres, and it’s stiff to close. For saving weight or money, a thin nylon dry bag does the job.
