Sea to Summit Sling Lightweight - Review 2023

Overview

If you’re at all familiar with Sea to Summit’s diverse catalog of waterproof wears, the Sling Lightweight Dry Bag shouldn’t look too alien. It’s very traditional as far as lightweight dry bags are concerned, built staunchly enough to justify use on the river while retaining the flexibility and mobility of something intended for day trips.

As far as a sling drybag goes, the benefits of a lightweight material that don’t make you sweat–especially trekking in summer humidity–is nice. That makes this bag more comfortable than other vinyl or PVC bags.

Comfort due to the lightweight material is also, on the other hand, where the S2S sling compromises on waterproofing and resistance to punctures.

But where the Sling Lightweight differs from the competition is in the reinforced shoulder strap.

Sea to Summit’s approach feels scrupulous compared to alternatives with other similar carry systems, built around the idea of portability rather than throwing a cheap span of webbing on as a post-manufacturing feature.

As the Sling Lightweight shows, a little bit of stitching goes a long way towards turning a serviceable but not exceptional drybag into quite the versatile piece of equipment.

Waterproofing

Water resistance takes a notable hit when you start to look at lightweight dry bags. The S2S Sling is no slouch, but with only a 70D fabric rating and taped seams it certainly doesn’t hold up to high-grade expedition bags. But true to form, it will keep your phone, towel, and snacks dry- provided you avoid any protracted dunks.

As always the case with these sorts of bags, it behooves you to roll the top a full three times before risking any exposure to moisture. Keep in mind that roll top dry bags can seldom claim to be entirely waterproof, and even the most overbuilt, 400D bag out there will leak through the top if you tie it to a rock on the bottom of a lake, or drag it behind a jet ski.

For splashes, sloshes, rain and dripping forest canopies- the Sling Lightweight should be more than bag enough.

Transport and Usability

When you’re designing and marketing a bag based on a carry system, ease of transport is of paramount importance. We’ve had the chance to try out other S2S bags with more built-out harnesses (e.g. the Hydraulic Dry Pack), but it’s hard to equate the two because their intended uses are so wildly different. The Sling Lightweight certainly doesn’t port gear for multi-day river trips down steep canyon trails as well as the backpack inspired Hydraulic, but there is something to be said for the noncommittal flexibility of a shoulder strap.

Scrambling down sandy seaside bluffs with a towel, portable speaker, and a couple of sandwiches, stashing your essentials (or paddling accessories) over your shoulder while you SUP to a more remote part of the beach, or having a little bit of hands-free water insurance while you shuttle your family down a boardwalk are situations where the Sling Lightweight shines. To that end, the shoulder strap is also removable so you can lash it down on the front of your favored watercraft like any other dry bag.

As previously addressed in the overview, S2S isn’t reinventing the wheel with this dry bag. Rather, they’re capitalizing on a proven concept and adding a way to lug their existing Lightweight Dry Bag more efficiently. At heart, it’s still an easy-loading roll top.

Durability

Lightweight dry bags, by merit of design, are more prone to cuts and tears than their thicker-nylon counterparts. This bag is no exception. When handling the Sling Lightweight, be sure to stay clear of brambles, sharp rocks should be avoided at all costs, and you never want to stretch it’s capacity with sharp-cornered objects.

Mindfulness pays off long-term with denier fabric, and has the added benefit of ensuring water stays out of the bag when you need it to.

Reinforcing the bottom mount point of the strap adds some compensatory durability benefits. Buckles on roll top drybags are prone to failure because they’re often used as handles. The titular sling offers an alternative for long-term transport, saves strain and reduces the likelihood you’ll shatter a clip when carrying a fully loaded bag.

This model also includes Sea to Summit’s buckle field-repair kit, allowing for single-screw fixes when you’re out and about.

Features

The sling is more pragmatic than it is plush- meaning there’s no padding or additional considerations for long-term comfort. I can personally write this off as a minor issue, with a max capacity of 20L it’s unlikely that the bag will ever be heavy enough to cause serious discomfort.

With buckles properly adjusted, the Sling Lightweight Dry Bag fits snugly against your back similar to a sporty messenger bag and stays out of the way when you’re on the move. Compared to other models with similar carry systems the sling lightweight seems a bit more robust at the attachment points, particularly the reinforced stitching around the bottom. I feel it allows you to focus more on what you’re doing and not worry about potential strap snapping.

Beyond the carry system, the Sling Lightweight comes equipped with most of the S2S dry bag fleet features. This includes their field repair buckle, which allows you to make a quick closure swap with a screwdriver should you happen to crack or shatter the bag’s snaps. Similar to many S2S bags, it also has a high-contrast white interior to cut down on effort while searching for your gear.

As a final note, we’d love to see some tie-down points on the side of the bag similar to S2S’s more built out models. Even if they’re subtle, they would go a long way toward making the Sling Lightweight a true double duty bag that you could more dependably fix to your kayak or SUP.

Value

Keeping with the rest of Sea to Summit’s dry bag run, the Sling Lightweight is affordable without being “cheap.” Investing in S2S dry bags overall seems to strike a balance between quality and cost-effectiveness. Comparable models with lower prices have neither the features, nor the pedigree of Sea to Summit, while more overbuilt alternatives might be a little too much bag depending on your intended use.

Starting at approximately $25 dollars for the 10L version and carrying up to $30 for the 20L, value definitely tracks with volume. The closest point of comparison we have price-wise is S2S’s Lightweight Dry Bag, which the Sling Lightweight is modeled after. There’s about a $3 jump between the different models at comparable sizes, and for a dependable carry system that’s well worth the modest uptick, provided it’s something you’ll actually need to use.

Personally I’d love to see Sea to Summit run a little bit further with this concept and include larger sizes with more durable and comfortable straps, and put a little bit more into expanding the available colors. Though I doubt anyone will want to shoulder a 50L+ bag for extended amounts of time, I find myself wishing I had more space for extra layers particularly if the weather is cold.

Sea to Summit’s reputation within the dry bag industry precedes them, and the Sling Lightweight feels like a way for them to round out their catalogue and repurpose some unused models of their flagship Lightweight bags. But this in no way implies that it isn’t worth taking a closer look at.

I think Sea to Summit has realized that there’s a growing number of people interested in dependable dry bags outside of the hardcore river community, and these are exactly the folk that the Sling Lightweight is targeted toward. It’s not a finely-tooled piece of expedition equipment, nor is it a heavy duty rucksack for toting around essentials.

For day trips where you want a little extra insurance, casual human-powered water activities, or accessing beaches with adventurous trails, the Sling Lightweight Dry Bag is an excellent way to transport gear hands-free.

Looking for other dry bags designed for a variety of outdoor activities? Check out our review of the Waterproof Dry Bag.