Does anyone have experience using a waterproof 'dry bag' as opposed to the hotel sink for laundry on the go? There are some purpose-made products, but it seems like some people just use a plain drybag—which I've already got.
Any insight/wisdom would be appreciated!
I always take a super-sized ziploc type bag to wash clothes when staying in a hotel. Often the sink is too small. Works for me…
Isn’t a dry bag supposed to keep things dry? Or am I thinking of something else? I’ve never used anything but the hotel sink. I’ve always found that adequate for my needs. But now I’m curious about this dry bag.
I've been using the 8 liter version of this bag for years. It weighs less than an ounce and works great.
Sea to Summit Ulta Sil Dry Sac
I put in a little water, add detergent, shake lightly to mix detergent, add clothes, cover with water, seal the bag, shake it a bit, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, empty water, rinse clothes, dry.
The bag will dry overnight.
Some sinks are just too small.
We have also used a sea to summit dry bag for laundry - we mostly do this when we go camping back home. We forgot to bring it last trip and just used using an ordinary plastic carry bag from a supermarket and it worked fine.
If you already have the dry bag, test it for leaks and if the closure still works. Do you need to keep soap/detergent off your hands? If so, any dry bag will do the job but, as you've seen, many folks just use any ol' plastic bag or a big ziplock. Only problem with those is they're easy to blow out; a dry bag is built for abuse.
If you don't really need to be concnered about your hands, I have found it far easier to just do my light laundry (skin layers, sox) while showering. (If I have a lapful of marinara, I'm using a service or binning the soiled items.)
I purchased and used the Scrubba bag for my hiking trip in England last summer. I loved it. Packed down small, was easy to use and I really liked the bumps it has on the inside to help get the clothes a bit cleaner. I just used it for underwear, socks and occasionally a t shirt or tank top. For larger items, I waited until I had access to a washing machine. Also sort of nice to sit on the bed and just massage my clothes in the scrubba with my feet, also a massage for my aching trail sore feet!
https://thescrubba.com/
Thanks, all! I'll pack a dry bag and give it a shot!
(Bogiesan- thanks for suggesting I test the bag. 2 minutes to prevent an Oh, Crap! moment in a hotel room. I can't use the in-shower method, as a soap I use for a skin condition bleaches fabrics.)
I have used my kayaking waterproof hip pack and it worked perfectly. I don't see why a drybag wouldn't work. Good luck and enjoy your trip.
To be honest we packed one for our BOE trip last fall. We tried it out vs just washing in the sink and we ended up just using the sink. All the sinks in the hotels we stayed in were large enough to just wash in the sink. All the sinks we encountered also had a drain stopper so we did not need our that we brought.
