Evac Heavy Duty Compression Dry Bag 13 L - Review 2023

Durability

The Evac Heavy Duty is an absolute standout in the Sea to Summit lineup, combining high quality materials and S2S integrity for impressive durability. Constructed from thick 420D waterproof nylon, the bag’s main body is designed to withstand the toughest conditions and protect your gear from moisture in all of its nefarious forms. The base of the bag is made from Sea to Summit’s proprietary 500D eVent fabric, where you’re most likely to see wear from dragging the bag over rocks or throwing it in the bottom of a raft.

Our overwhelming impression of the bag is it’s strong and durable. Even after we crammed it to capacity on a rough and splintered dock surface, and subjected it to all the dangers of lake shores, the entire extent of the damage was limited to a few buffable scuffs. While testing the limits of its capacity, we were further impressed by the bag’s reinforced double-stitched seams, even when pushed to extremes.

Beyond its durability in extreme circumstances, one of the most impressive qualities of the Evac Heavy Duty is its ability to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. Despite being treated with significantly less care than we’d show our personal gear, we couldn’t find any significant damage to the material of the bag or any of the components.

Waterproofing

We’ve established that the Evac Heavy Duty is tough, but that doesn’t count for much if it doesn’t keep your gear dry. Fortunately Sea to Summit sticks to a more or less proven method for keeping water at bay. The Evac features a main compartment with a roll-top and buckle fastener, theoretically providing a tight, waterproof seal. This is nothing new in the world of dry bags, so how well does it work in the field?

To begin, our testers had no issues using the bag for activities like paddle boarding or kayaking. The few errant splashes encountered were no issue, so we blasted the bag with a hose, paying particular attention to the roll top to see how it held up.

We were impressed with the bag’s hydrophobic, quick-wicking surface while we were testing, and even more impressed with our completely dry gear after the fact. The Evac withstood a very aggressive approximately five minute high-pressure hose down, and all items on the inside of the bag remained completely dry.

With this said, very few dry bags can withstand the rigors of complete submersion. Unfortunately, the Evac is not among them. Still we felt that it performed well within the normal parameters for products of its ilk.

Compression and Packability

One of the standout features and biggest selling points of this bag is its ability to release air easily after the top is rolled and fastened. Once again we have the 500D eVent base to thank for this; Sea to Summit’s proprietary fabric that allows air to escape while maintaining a waterproof seal.

Even with the bulky jacket and a few odds and ends inside, the eVent fabric allowed air to be pushed out of the bag smoothly,reducing the overall bulk and keeping things as water resistant as possible. How much you can pack depends on what size model you choose, but as a rule it’s important to leave enough room to fold the top down three times in order to keep a high degree of water resistance. This can take some time and effort, but it’s certainly better than getting everything wet.

We felt we could get our model down to a remarkably small size – in fact, when compressed, the bag can be as unobtrusive as a water bottle.Overall, we found the compression system extremely effective, reducing the packed bulk of our bag to about ¼ the original size.

When it comes to the actual issue of compressing the bag, the Evac features four straps at the corners. When pulled evenly you end up with a streamline, significantly reduced package free of bulging sections. These straps are permanently welded to the side of the bag, and snap to the roll-top closure with appropriately heavy-duty buckles.

Overall, we were happy with how the system came together to reduce bulk. Our tests only involved bags big enough for jackets or lightweight sleeping bags, but the system is proven. We think that the larger versions of the Evac HD would work particularly well if you had a sleeping bag and a few compressible layers that you planned on bringing along with you. 

Sizes and Features

The Evac HD comes in four sizes ranging from the very practical 8 L all the way up to 35 L hauling bags. We thought that the 8 and 13 L models would best suit people looking for either a dry bag for day trips where you need to carry a few essentials like a change of clothes, food, and water. We also thought they’re great for organizing your gear within a larger backpack or duffel bag, helping you conserve space and keep things dry in your pack.

The larger sizes make more sense for river trips or basecamp applications. They feature the same high-quality construction and materials as the smaller models so you can feel confident in packing as much as you need while retaining the ability to compress your gear down to a fraction of its original size. If you need to carry a lot of clothing or other essentials that can’t get wet for an extended period of time, they make a lot of sense.

Beyond the compression straps, the Evac HD doesn’t have much in the way of features aside from a couple of tie-down points. Ultimately we think this is a good thing. It does its job well, and we think a degree of focus helps in this regard.

Value

The Evac HD isn’t cheap by dry bag standards, but it’s also not outrageously priced for the quality and functionality that you get. Price scales with the size, and we think that investing in one of these models starts to make more sense as you work your way up into the larger volumes.

While the price may be higher than some other dry bags on the market, it offers superior quality, durability, and performance that makes it a great investment for anyone who spends time outdoors and wants to keep their gear dry and protected.

Do We Recommend It?

Over the course of our testing and scrutiny, we’ve grown to see the Evac HD Compression Compression Dry bag as high-quality and durable dry bag for compression that offers excellent value for its price. Between its high degree water resistance and how well it helps us manage space in our packs and on our kayaks, we think it’s a particularly good choice for paddle sports enthusiasts.

If you’re just looking for any old dry bag, we might steer you in a different direction. Sea to Summit makes plenty of models with equally sound water resistant qualities at a lower price, and there are many more options available in the industry at large. We think this model is more for people with somewhat specialized needs.

The Evac’s tough build makes it an easy choice for all kinds of outdoor applications, compression straps make it uniquely suited for keeping sleeping bags and warm layers dry without taking up a ton of space. It’s most useful in situations where you need to keep things dry, but also need to think about managing room in your backpack or boat.