Anyone who has traveled extensively can tell you – wet weather has a tendency to surface when it is least expected. As a result, wise travelers know to protect their (possibly expensive) belongings and gear from potential downpours.
While there isn’t a whole lot that you can do about the rain itself, there are a variety of ways that you can protect your gear and belongings from getting wet while traveling.
Here is what you need to know about keeping your gear dry during your voyage.
Pack Waterproof Bags
When picking out what kind of luggage or bags to carry on your travels, things like color or brand name matter far less than their ability to protect your belongings. Therefore, it is important to purchase a quality waterproof case, backpack or other kind of luggage to help keep your gear from getting wet.
While you might not need something that can withstand being submerged, you do need to pack a case or bag that can handle heavy rain, wet sidewalks and similar situations that you are likely to encounter.
For cases, this means that they should be hard-shelled and feature a waterproof seal. For things like backpacks, they need to be made of water-resistant fabrics and possess a waterproof base. Fortunately, there are a variety of great waterproof travel backpacks on the market today. If you need to protect your gun from wet weather, many gun owners and hunters will purchase a waterproof gun case to transport their firearms.
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No matter which option you decide to go with, be sure to scrutinize the seams and zippers carefully, as this is where water is most likely to enter.
Use a Rain Cover
The truth is that, while a waterproof backpack can go a long way toward protecting your gear, it probably isn’t going to keep everything perfectly dry. This is where rain covers become an essential item.
For the uninitiated, rain covers are basically plastic covers that go over bags and wrap around everything except for the straps. Some models even come with rain covers built into the bag itself. If yours doesn’t have one built in, this is an easy and inexpensive way to add some extra protection to your travel gear.
As far as features are concerned, there isn’t really much to distinguish other than ensuring that the rain cover you purchase is the right size for your backpack.
Buy a Backpack Liner
While rain covers are a great tool for helping to keep your gear protected from wet weather conditions, redundancy is important – especially when trying to safeguard expensive gear like electronics.
Therefore, picking up a backpack liner is a wise idea. Backpack liners simply function as a large dry bag and go on the inside of the pack (if that weren’t obvious).
By combining a backpack liner with a rain cover, you are sure to achieve substantial coverage from the rain for your packed gear.
Bring a Poncho
While protecting the gear that is in your bag is a critical task when the rain starts coming down, you also need to protect the gear in your pockets. This means that bringing along a large, reusable poncho is a great idea.
Large ponchos can easily cover you and a backpack if your find yourself unexpectedly caught in the rain. However, they won’t be able to cover larger travel bags, so buying a waterproof case is still advisable.
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Pack Electronics in Watertight/Waterproof Containers
Again, when the rain starts coming down, redundancy is your friend. Therefore, packing your electronics and other expensive gear in small protective cases is an easy, effective, inexpensive way to protect your things from getting wet.
Additionally, you can make sure that you protect the paper products that you carry with you, like your boarding pass, printed directions, cash and similar items in a waterproof case. Another great option is using a waterproof RFID wallet to hold such items.
Bring an Umbrella
Finally, if the protective measures listed above weren’t enough, be sure to pack an umbrella.
An umbrella is one of the most tried-and-true ways of protecting yourself and your belongings from the rain. However, given that an umbrella will only guard you and your things from what falls from above, it is best to combine this equipment with some (or all) of the other means of staying dry listed earlier.
Keep Your Gear Dry While Traveling
There are a lot of unexpected things that can happen while traveling. A bit of rainfall is one of the more common of these unanticipated events. No matter if you are expecting rain or not, it is wise to pack your things as if things will get wet.
Take the steps listed above and make sure that your gear gets to its destination as dry as when it left.
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