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What's Your Bag, Man?

You might remember this rather silly phrase from the 1960’s — but in retrospect maybe it wasn't that silly after all. Back then it was a statement of lifestyle, attitude, position and passion. In the world of today's photography I think this is still somewhat true. Naturally I’m speaking of camera bags in this context. Your bag can help or hurt you. It was true then and it is true now.

I remember my first camera bag. I still have it! It was a statement of fact then. What fact? Well the fact that I had so much photo gear that I needed to have a bag! My first approach was to just strap everything to my shoulder and carry it — and I did — but this soon became unmanageable and I needed to have an equipment bag. A watershed moment in my photographic life.

From here the story of which bag, how big, what it should and should not do is a long one that I think we all have experienced. For most of us, it’s an on-going story with no end in sight. Some of us know this, some of us fight it. I try to enjoy it! I still like the one bag with everything in it approach. The Photo-Trekker (the largest airline carry-on allowable) is my bag of choice. However, sometimes I need other options.

Out of necessity I had the need for a different way to transport photo gear down the Colorado river for our f-8 And Be There Grand Canyon Rafting workshop in early 2004. In prior years waterproof Pelican like cases were used. Some are the size of a small coffin! They were to my mind not only unnecessary but also space consuming and a plain nightmare logistically. I didn’t want to have to repeat this.

My solution in 2004 was the Lowepro DryZone. These bags come in two sizes. The DryZone 100 is about 2" taller than the Lowepro Mini-Trekker and the DryZone 200 is about the size of the Lowepro Nature-Trekker. I liked their design so much that I made them a part of the workshop, giving one to each workshop participant. Here’s why:

DryZone is the world’s first totally waterproof, soft-sided camera backpack. Even fully loaded, they float, so your gear is always protected. Think about this, it’s a backpack, its waterproof and will float! Waterproof and backpack are not usually words that go together.

So how do they accomplish this?

The inner drypod, where your photo equipment goes, is waterproof due to a TIZIP zipper which provides 100% watertight protection. It’s like a drysuit for your equipment.

DryZone 100:

DryZone 200:

What’s the difference between the two?

The 100 has a much less technical waist belt. The 200 is big enough to hold a 300mm f/2.8 lens attached to a camera body. The 200 is a lot bigger and heavier. Be aware that they both are heavy bags even when empty! Their price is not all that different though.

How did they work out for us?

Very well, at first. It takes a while to get use to the bags operation. There are a lot of zippers to pull and compartments to learn. Lowepro recommends that you leave the waterproof zipper open when watertight security is not need. However this lead to some trouble part-way down the river.


Photo © Bob Lent

The DryZone seems to have been primarily designed for use around water. Just water though! I don’t think they had in mind, dirt, dust, sand, wind and water when it was designed. The TIZIP zipper, which requires lubrication (small tube supplied with bag), began for some, to malfunction after a few days. It started to separate when pulled closed and therefore the bag was rendered not completely waterproof. We found that more lubrication just seemed to make things worse by attracting dirt. The solution was to clean the zipper completely. This became a daily, if not bi-daily occurrence for some of us. The most annoying feature was found to be the front part of the bag. When released by the clip from its secured position, the front will fall to the ground no matter the orientation of the bag. It is apparently designed this way to provide access to the insides. The inside zipper does not provide a complete opening to the photo gear though. What this meant was that in order to get into the watertight portion (and that’s where I was 95% of the time) the front flap was always in the sand and dirt! Every time I closed this part of the bag (and you can’t pick it up if you don’t) sand and dirt found its way into bag. This caused TIZIP problems eventually.

A call to Lowepro provided an explanation of sorts. While aware of our problem, they said that they have had very little trouble with either of the bags considering the number of bags sold. Their position is that if they try and design a bag for too specific a client then they run the risk of not satisfying a more broad market or eliminating another segment. I suppose rafting down a sandy river was simply not one of the situations they envisioned.

So, the only solution is to try and keep the zipper clean and lubricated.

The Up Side

These are fine backpacks, as camera backpacks go. While certainly not up to backpacking standards (no camera backpack is) these bags feature an outer shell that comes complete with a technical backpack harness. Also included: ergonomic lumbar support; fully adjustable CollarCut™ shoulder straps; tuck-away tripod holder; self-draining mesh pockets; drain hole; rubber handle; and attachment loops for SlipLock™ accessories. The packs are comfortable to wear. But keep in mind that these bags are much larger in volume than the customary photo backpack and take a little more getting use to. For this reason I supplied my workshop participants with their bags far in advance of the workshop so that they could become familiar with their use. This of course applies to any photo gear to be used on location.

Conclusion

Recommended, but only for a very specific use. Where water will be the only hazard the DryZone bag will be at its best. They did the job for us, but not without a struggle. I’ll use them again on next year’s Grand Canyon Rafting Workshop. I’ve learned through experience the bags weak points and was delighted with its strengths. However, I can’t really see a use for it again before then.

 

Maintenance update...from Joel Bartlett (the zipdoc)


Warning - These tips are based on experience during a rafting trip down the Grand
Canyon with a Lowepro DryZone 100 bag. The author is not an expert on zippers or
lubricants and assumes no responsibility for the performance of your zipper or for the
safety of you camera gear. Only you can judge whether these tips are appropriate for you to use on your bag.

Keeping the Zip in your Zipper


Between Trips
1. Familiarize yourself with the maintenance information on these sites:

          Lowepro website: www.lowepro.com/images/downloads/dz_card.pdf

          Tizip zipper website: www.tizip.com (see SuperSeal section)

          McNett website: www.mcnett.com (see Dive Products section for "Zip Care" and
         "Zip Tech")


2. Wash the waterproof zipper inside and out with soap and water. Use an old toothbrush
to scrub the teeth and all zipper surfaces. Flush the zipper slider to assure that there is no debris inside it.


3. Rinse well and let dry completely.


4. Following the directions on the LowePro or Tizip sites, lubricate the zipper teeth and
the zipper surface which makes the seal with McNett "Zip Tech". You should be able to
find this at a dive store.


5. We now turn our attention to the major source of friction in the zipper: the zipper
slider compressing the sides of the zipper to force the teeth to lock to make the seal. By
lubricating the surface that the slider slides on the zipper is easier to pull which makes everything work better. The Tizip site suggests "Lubricating the outer flange of the sealing profile reduces the sliding force.", but doesn't tell you how, or emphasize how important this is to making the zipper in your bag work well.


This is how I recommend you do it:


a. Get a spray can of Team McLube Sailkoat at a marine store. This is a dry, marine
lubricant that I've used before with good results.
b. Close the zipper.
c. Spraying the end of a Q-tip with Team McLube Sailkoat., use the Q-tip to
generously apply Sailkoat to the outsides edges of zipper (see previous picture),
taking care to keep it away from the top of the zipper. It will take several sprays
and swabs to do both sides of the zipper.
d. Let dry and then apply a second coat.
6. Open and close the zipper 3-5 times. You should see a noticeable improvement in the
ease of movement of the zipper slider.
During a Trip
1. Keep the bag and zipper clean. When the zipper is closed, is a good time to rinse the
zipper with water.
2. Keep the zipper closed. It keeps dirt out and keeps the zipper teeth in good working
order.
3. Don't try to force the zipper. If it doesn't engage, back it up, then pull carefully on the
slider while using the other hand to align the zipper tape and feed it into the slider.
4. If it's still giving you trouble, use McNett "Zip Care" to clean and lubricate the zipper.
5. You should plan on lubricating your zipper daily using either "Zip Care" or "Zip Tech" as
the zipper manufacturer recommends lubrication every ten uses.
5. On a long trip, you may also need to reapply Sailkoat.
see you on the water!