Protective Roll Down Sealing Closure - Excellently protects DSLRs and other electronics from dust and moisture. In North Africa, on the edge of the Sahara desert, I once found an old leather bag for sale that was folded over in the middle. They know very well that by folding leather against leather, it keeps the sand and dust out.
Made of ONE Solid Piece of Leather - My Dry Bags are made from a single piece of leather cut out in the shape of a cross and then bent up and sewn together. The fewer seams, the stronger and more watertight because a seam is a place where water gets in. Also, the more seams the weaker the bag because a seam is where the needle tore a bunch of holes in the leather and weakened it.
Thermal Conductivity - I lived in Juarez, Mexico for a few years and didn’t have A/C in my truck. And it averaged ninety-five degrees everyday in the summer. If I put my Nalgene water bottle filled with ice on my seat between me and Blue, then the water would stay cold for about an hour. But if I put it in my thick leather bag, it would stay icy for about five hours. On the conductivity charts, leather isn’t as insulative as Styrofoam, but it’s more than wood. You’ll think about this the next time you’re licking your candy bar off the wrapper in your hot car.
Versatile - Pigskin-covered liner provides structure and is easy to clean out. I designed the Dry Bags to be used with or without the liner, depending on your needs. The 14” Dry Bag is great for an overnight bag. My daughter Sela can fit a weekend’s worth of clothes in one. These bags work great for keeping your tools organized in your Land Rover. The roll down closure is super secure so your wrenches won’t go flying through the windshield when you hit those whoopdedoos.
100 Year Warranty - Have your great-grandchildren talk to my great-grandchildren, and we'll fix it or replace it for free. Only for 100 years, though.
No Breakable Parts - No zippers, snaps, buttons or any other breakable parts. How much is a billion dollar submarine worth with a cardboard hatch?
Industrial Thread - Stout industrial marine-grade Polyester UV resistant thread. It’s used for airbags, sails, work boots and other heavy-duty applications. I ought to keep an extra spool in my truck for towing.
Fully Tanned Leather – Good tanneries remove natural oils and preservatives from the hide and then replenish them with high quality synthetics and oils. Then they soak and tumble it for up to twenty hours until the new colors and oils reach the middle. Cheap tanneries only tumble them long enough to color the surface and leave the middle to dry up and crack.
Hidden Polyester Reinforcing Straps - A German leather craftsman told me that since leather stretches, he sews Polyester straps into his leather horse equipment. We do that on all stress points.
Rivets – Kind of killing a fly with a shotgun, but any place that could ever come apart in 100 years, gets a rivet. Even rocks wear away.
Hardware – Solid-brass nickel-plated
Handles - Can be carried with handles when open and with a different one when rolled closed
Large - 13 ½ (34.9 cm) Wide, 7 ½ (19.1 cm) Deep, 7 ⅛ (18.1 cm) Tall
Weight
Medium - 2.2 pounds
Large - 3 pounds
This item is currently shipping with the shoulder strap clasps pictured
Leather - 100% hypoallergenic 4 to 5 ounce (2.0mm to 2.2mm) thick Full Grain chrome tanned leather. Usually, cowboy and work boots are made with 1.8mm - 2.0mm thickness. And, our leather isn't “buttery soft” (fibers separated and broken down by hours of tumbling and stretching at the tannery). It’s your job to tenderize it over the years.
Construction - Made from as few large pieces of leather as possible. Seams are the weakest point and so the fewer the better. It would be much cheaper for us to make it with lots of smaller pieces, but it's the quality details such as this that separates us from the masses.
Thread - The double zero continuous-filament Polyester thread we use is a little thicker than what is used on most boots. It’s impressive and expensive. Common thread is made of short little fibers wound together into one long thread. This thread is made of long continuous fibers that won't fall apart in a strong wind. Polyester thread is also the only thread I know of that doesn't deteriorate with exposure to the sun like Nylon or Kevlar.
How can I get my spouse to understand that I need this?
Here's your rationale: Buy the best, cry once. It's all about the cost per year. In college, I bought a pair of very expensive shoes for my job as a waiter. I couldn't afford them, but I bought them anyhow. They were really light and comfortable and took me through two years of waiting tables and one year as a limo driver and another year of occasional use. And then they still looked good for a month of Sundays. Cost per year was about $25. Most of the other waiters bought a new pair of $55 heavy and uncomfortable shoes every 6 months because theirs wore out and looked ratty by then. One of the principles the successful in the world understand is this: If one buys quality from the start they save money. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. This will be one of the most savvy investments and inexpensive leather pieces you'll ever have. And remember, you must truly love yourself before you can love others. A couple of other things to think about you'll be more popular. Everybody isn't buying one. I'll invite you to my birthday party. What's wrong, you chicken?
Which color should I get?
Pick the one that fits who you are. I've observed what the bag owners tend to be like based on the color they have chosen over the years. The category below that fits you best is probably the color you'll enjoy most. Remember, your first inclination is usually the correct one.
Tobacco Light Brown (Sanguine)
Easy going
Laid back and casual
Likes old Land Cruisers
Forgives quickly
Creative (enjoys writing)
Loves big dogs
Traveler
Never met a stranger
Low maintenance
Lots of random thoughts
Inventor
Funny
Loves the outdoors
Adventurous
Only wears clothes because you have to
Carbon Black (Phlegmatic or Choleric)
You look good in a thick black leather jacket
Rides a cruiser type motorcycle
Wear thick black framed glasses
Drives a Volvo or Saab
Perfectionist
They know your name at the coffee shop
Sci-Fi is your favorite genre
Are very interested in Oriental culture
Prefer cats over dogs
Loves modern contemporary style square furniture
Chestnut Reddish Brown (Choleric or Melancholy)
Professional
Highly educated
Belongs in a Mercedes Benz or Jaguar
Classier than most
Perfectionist
Has excellent taste in dressing and decorating
Great sense of humor
Intellectual
Smokes a pipe instead of a cigarette
Appreciates the finer things
Dark Coffee Brown (Phlegmatic or Choleric or Melancholy)
Loves the outdoors
Is the best friend of many people
Reads a lot of books
Loves big dogs
Intellectual
Loves adventure
Independent
Musical
If you still aren't sure, then just buy all four colors.
Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?
Absolutely not ! With some pigs we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but the cows do not require any special handling.
Where can I see one of the bags in person?
I don't have any of the items in stores and we're not big fans of folks coming to our home in San Antonio because of the weirdo factor. My sister, Patricia and her husband (my Chess and Scrabble nemesis), send out the leather from their place near Ft. Worth, Texas, but again, because of the weirdo factor they're not set up to show either. If it helps, everyone tells me that they look better in person.
How much do they cost you, Dave?
Well, I lived for three years in a $100 a month apartment in Mexico with no hot water, because of these bags. My dog, Blue, and I drove for thousands of hours all over the North American continent because of these bags. I had a crooked Federale sent to kill me because of these bags (I convinced him that Señor Alarcon would never pay him) and we became friends). I've shed gallons of blood and tears and sweat and at least a quart of other people's, because of these bags. I've slept in my car or on the rack of my old Land Cruiser at least 150 times because of these bags. I've lost weeks of sleep and have gone hungry for days because of these bags. I was broke for years and even had to trade two of Blue's little puppies for a month's worth of tacos in order to eat because of these bags. I've been detained by who knows how many Mexican police because of these bags. I've thrown away thousands of dollars and made hundreds of mistakes because of these bags. I've been stolen from, taken advantage of and robbed because of these bags (they even stole Blue once, but I got him back). All of these things and more have happened to me because of these bags. They cost me a lot.
Heavy Duty
Quality construction sets this bag apart, along with its ingenious design. I use this bag to carry IV fluids and other medical supplies for work, the bag gets noticed everywhere I go. Previous bags that I have used for this task over the years last about 6 months before zippers fail, or velcro wears out. I'm at about 9 months of heavy duty use with this bag and all that shows is character. The hardware is top notch, along with a carry strap that is comfortable and functional, considering I carry about 10-15 pounds of fluids in it every day. My only criticism is that I wish the closing strap was 2-3 inches longer.
Very versatile bag
This is a wonderfully versatile bag. I have the large Chestnut bag.
I was using the classic backpack daily to go back and forth to my gym at work, but it wasn't the ideal bag for the job.
The dry bag is very similar to the waterbag, only smaller. There is no video showing how to use this bag on the website, but watching the waterbag video will show you how to "stow" the strap when carrying open. It's the perfect size for an overnight bag or gym bag, and the smaller sizes could pass for a woman's purse.
There are a few differences between the dry bag and waterbag, besides the number of straps. The handle is sewn on, not riveted, and its not detachable. Since the bag is smaller, it likely won't be carrying massive amounts of weight. Second, the strap is attached with a screw type clip, instead of the quick release type. Personally I'd have ratcheted the quick release type, but its no big deal. Third, this bag is meant to be carried open or rolled, the strap isn't long enough to do the "through the handle" closure that the waterbag does. So you can roll it and use the strap, or carry open and stow the strap.
It's about the size of a large brown paper grocery bag. It's super versatile, and in my opinion, the perfect combination of size, weight (no pigskin), and utility. It'd be a perfect carry on, overnight bag, gym bag, etc. I have about 15 different saddleback products and this is my favorite one.
Shaving kit
Got mine as a shaving kit as I use older style safety razors to shave with and quality gear didn't fit well with a crappy faux leather kit bag. Great quality. Works amazing for what I'm using it for and I can see tons of other uses if I ever decided to switch it up. Rolled up is the perfect size for a shaving kit that stands out from the crowd.
amazing travel buddy
I own the large DCB bag and it gets attention wherever I go. I actually had a woman stop me to smell it. What I love the most about it is it's packing flexibility. Carry it open, closed, rolled...there are several options. Quality is bulletproof and it is the best looking bag I've ever owned. It's at home in a 5 star hotel, camping and as a beach tote. The only thing I wish it had was a way to convert it to a backpack and I wish the center strap was one or two inches longer. It's a fantastic carry-on and will fit under most seats. It even fits in the overhead of a commuter jet.
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