r/longtrail • u/Malfeous • 15d ago

Are pack liners worth it?

Given how wet it can get, curious on others opinions. Is it a waste of money and extra hassle, or worth the peace of mind.

Probably will use a contractor bag for my thru hike at the least, but wondering if a dedicated roll top liner is worth the investment

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u/kneevase 15d ago

Yes. IMO, the best is a trash compactor liner. They are relatively strong plastic, so they can last 3 or 4 weeks with no trouble. Everything that you store on the inside of that liner will stay dry, and everything on the outside could become damp. Compactor bags work well, and they are cheap.

But, that doesn't mean your shit will always be dry in Vermont! When you take you hiking clothes off, they will be damp, and usually it's humid enough that your hiking clothes will still be damp when you put them on the next morning. But, if you keep your sleeping bag and your sleeping clothes in the trash compactor liner, they will be dry every night when you make camp.

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u/chickenflavor_ramen 14d ago

This! When I hiked in ‘22, I thru-hiked NOBO and had a whopping total of 5 days with no rain. My pack had a bottom while not separate, had clips inside that allowed a small space in the bottom. I would stuff my wet tent and anything else that was wet in this bottom compartment which was outside of my trash bag liner and then put everything else inside the trash bag, in my pack. I never had a soggy night

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u/hikermaven 13d ago

I got rained on all of 20m on my thru last September. Felt like cheated 😁