Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag (8L) Review

What’s in the box

A bright orange roll-top dry bag with a buckle that clips the rolled top shut. It holds 8 litres, stands about 36.8 cm tall rolled and has an oval base of 19.1 cm. Ours is Spicy Orange, inside as well as outside, and it also comes in Tarragon green, Blue Atoll and High Rise grey.

Quick Specs

Thin and light

The fabric is the whole point: a 30D siliconised nylon that’s much thinner than the Evac’s, which is why it weighs so little and folds down to almost nothing when it’s empty. It’s slippery too, so it slides into a tight pack or a drawer without catching. The flip side is that it feels less secure than the Evac, so it’s better as a liner and organiser than as a bag that gets thrown around.

Keeping things dry

The seams are double-stitched and fully taped, and the roll-top closes with Sea to Summit’s Field Repair Buckle, so rain, spray and a damp pack stay out. Like any roll-top dry bag, it isn’t made to go under water. Inside, it’s the same orange as outside, so small things like socks or a cable are harder to spot than in the Evac’s white interior.

Colours and sizes

The Ultra-Sil Dry Bag comes in six sizes, from 3 to 35 litres, and four colours. We tested the 8 litre in Spicy Orange. Heights are with the top rolled down three times. Prices are the RRP; where Amazon doesn’t stock a size in that colour, the link goes to Snowys.

Which Sea to Summit Dry Bag?

We’ve tested four main Sea to Summit dry bags, and they suit different jobs. This Ultra-Sil is the lightest per litre, in thin 30D nylon; the Big River is the heavy-duty one in 420D nylon, with lash points to strap it to a rack or a kayak, the Lightweight Dry Bag is the light everyday one with a white inside, and the Evac is the one with a base that lets the air out, for squeezing soft gear down. Our dry bags guide compares them with other brands too.

	This oneUltra-Sil 8L	Heavy dutyBig River 13L→	Air outEvac Lightweight 5L→	EverydayLightweight 1.5L→
Lash points	No	Yes	No	No
Fabric	Ultra-Sil 30D nylon	420D nylon	Recycled nylon	70D nylon
Base	Plain fabric	Oval, triple-coated	Air-expelling Evac base	Oval
Inside	Same colour as outside	White	White	White
Size tested	8 L	13 L	5 L	1.5 L
Weight	42 g	189 g	53 g	35 g
Price paid	$24	$75	$35	$18
Our score	8.8	9.3	9.0	9.0

Conclusion: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag

The Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag is a light, cheap way to keep gear dry and organised: 8 litres in thin, slippery 30D nylon, with taped seams and a roll-top buckle, at 42 g on our scale. The fabric is much thinner than the Evac’s and it’s orange inside, so treat it gently and expect to dig for small things. For $24, it’s a great bag for packing light. It’s the lightest per litre in our dry bags guide.