This page has the following sub pages.
- Folding the Folding Bucket
- What size Spray Skirt or Cockpit Cover do I need for my boat?
- What exactly is the Pack Converter and how can it be used?
- Packing & getting the best from the Kitchen Sink
- Can you put StS kitchenware in the microwave and/or dishwasher?
- Do any of your liners have side zippers?
- Which Microfiber towel should I choose?
- How do I remove mildew from a dry sack?
- The amazing strength of our compact Ultra-Sil “lifestyle” bags
- How do you wash a down sleeping bag?
- Packing Electronics
- How do you attach the Traveller Soft Racks?
- Choosing a Compression Sack
- Insulating matters
- Just how waterproof is waterproof?
- Choosing and Caring for Liners
- Mosquito Shelters/Headnets
how do i fold the extra large tek towel back into it’s mesh bag??
G’Day Taylor
here’s how to get the XL TekTowel back into its pouch:
- Fold the towel in half across its shorter axis; it will now measure 30″x30″
- Fold it in thirds; it will now measure 30″x10″
- Fold the left third towards the middle, then fold the right third towards the middle; it will now measure 10″x10″
- Fold it in half; it will now measure 10″ x 5″
- Slide this into the pouch. Voila!
Hope this helps -
cheers
B
I wonder if I can machine wash my sea to summit pillow?
G’Day Helene -
Sea to Summit has two pillows in its range; the Luxury Pillow and the Travel Pillow . Both are machine washable – in the case of the Luxury Pillow you’d need to remove the self-infating pad first. Give the pillow an extra rinse to remove laundry ‘soap’ residue from the polyester fill, and air-dry the pillow rather than putting it in a dryer.
cheers
B
Can I put boiling water in the xmug?
G’Day Michelle -
absolutely no issues with putting boiling water in an X-Mug – it will not damage it in any way. X-Mugs are also dishwasher safe, and can be used in microwave ovens.
Cheers!
B
YAY! I had the same question. Funny that it says -40 deg. C to +180 deg (but no C or F) on the bottom. Especially funny since -40 C = -40 F but 180 C != 140 F. It would be helpful for this to be on the product label as I likely would have bought 3 last weekend at the store instead of 1.
G’Day, Dan
Thanks for checking in with us. The symbol on the X-Plates/X-Bowls does show +180 deg C, whereas the the X-Mug shows only + 180 deg.
For the sake of clarification, 180 degrees Celsius is 360 degrees Fahrenheit; so your X-Products are safe to use even with boiling water.
Cheers
B
G’Day!
Looking for warranty info on the X-cups … I bought 2 cups and 2 bowls right before a 2 week Canadian canoing trip, and 3 of the 4 pieces are doing great! … the 4th piece however, one of the cups, has already formed two holes in the fold areas. Obviously no good for coffee anymore! Thanks for any help you can provide …
G’Day Steve -
sorry to learn that one of your X-Cups is looking a little worse for wear. All Sea to Summit products are warrantied against manufacturing and material defects, and this is clearly the case here.
We’ll be happy to replace the Cup for you free of charge – if you email me at info@seatosummit.com I’ll provide you with details of how this works.
cheers
B
Question regarding your DELTS-ISUL MUG.
Is it dishwasher safe?
G’Day Francisco -
Delta InsulMugs can be washed in a diswasher without problems (although they should not be used in a microwave)
Cheers!
B
wondering about compression bags… What if one doesn’t have a big enough box for a sleeping bag to measure for demetions??? sea to summit on FB asked me to ask ya.
Also.. what gear do you recermend I get for kayaking?? I recently bought a pungo 140 … I am still buying gear for it.. I have a sleeping bag (same one as i want to buy a compression sack for), a tent, a first aid kit and some other stuff.. I am going to add some sea to summit stuff to my stuff also.
thanks for the information!
G’Day Lisa!
One thing which is key to kayak touring is compressible gear. You don’t have much room in a kayak, and all your equipment has to be small enough to fit through the hatches.
So – if your sleeping bag has a really large packed volume, it honestly might be better to invest in a less bulky bag.
If you’re going to stay with your current bag, here’s how to measure its volume. My colleagues who maintain the facebook page have already suggested a dresser drawer or a clean recycling bin; if neither of these are handy, you need to find something else large and rectangular. Could be one of those large Rubbermaid bins you keep Christmas decorations in. Or maybe a laundry basket. Anything which is roughly rectangular which you can fit the sleeping bag into and measure the length, width and height. Or you could simply measure the current stuff sack (length and diameter). Once you have the dimensions, send them to me as a comment and I’ll tell you which eVent Compression Dry Sack you need.
Other gear you’ll need for kayaking?
- Lightweight Dry Sacks for keeping clothes, a sleeping pad and food in. I would also pack the poles to the tent separately from the canopy; I would keep the canopy in a Lightweight Dry Sack
- A TPU Guide Map case for your map
- A DryLite Towel / 5 Liter Kitchen Sink / Wilderness Wash for your personal washing and camp kitchen
- Maybe an Access Deck Bag for things you need to grab quickly (for the deck in front of you)
- A Canoe Cart if you need to transport (portage) the boat
Just be aware that – as I mentioned – small and compressible is the key.
B
I actully have lots of room for a kayak (wilderness system pungo 140). I will get a dry sack for the tent, thats a good idea.
I will measure my sleeping bag, I don’t plan on buying another.. and I need a sleeping pad also.
thanks for the info.
Hello,
I was curious if you deal your products straight from your website. I have been looking for the 3pc X-Set (plate,bowl and mug) and can only find the 2pc set and the individual pieces. I mean it would be nice to have the 3pc set cause then you get the bigger zipper pouch for storage instead of zippering bowl and mug and plate floats around instead of altogether!!
Thanks,
Kendall in Canada
G’Day Kendall
sorry to learn you’ve had difficulty locating the 3-piece X-Set. Sales were so strong that we were sold out of this product in the last two months of 2011, which is why it has been hard to find.
We don’t sell to consumers via our website (we’d rather support our retailers than compete with them), but if you let me know where you’re located in Canada I’ll be more than happy to arrange a special order of the 3-piece set through a local Canadian Sea to Summit retailer.
cheers
B
I asked the same thing.
Hello,
I have bought 2 of 100% Premium Silk Liner (Traveller version) and I am a bit disappointed with those. While the liner are good, I am surprised with the sack bag/stuff bag that comes with those which seems to be wrong size?? I couldn’t fold the linears tiny enough to be fitted inside the bags. There are no instruction on the website nor label on the bag how to fold the linears properly.
I mean, once I tried to fold teh bag tiny enough to fit inside the bag but it takes 10 mins?? I don’t want to spend 10 mins per bag obviously. And it seems that I would need an iron and ironing board to flatten the linear nicely into the bag. I don’t think that carrying iron and ironing board with me to the backpacking would be very practical (not to mention baggage fee for those!).
So please could you instruct us how to fold the linear (traveller) properly so we can fit those into the bag easily and effortlessly, just like you instructed one above poster on how to fold the travelling towel.
Sorry if I sound annoyed – it is just that I spent a good money on those and the bags just seem to fail its jobs. Felt like I regret my purchase on those or something.
Thank you for the instruction.
G’Day Pete
Sorry to learn that packing your Silk Liners away is proving so challenging.
Fortunately, it’s not necessary to use an iron and ironing board to flatten out the liner (although the idea of an ultralight backpacking iron is pretty intriguing…). Here’s how I pack liners away into their zippered pouches:
- lay the liner flat. The Traveller liner will measure 88” x 36”
- fold the liner in half longitudinally (lengthwise). It will now measure 88” x 18”
- fold the liner in half again, longitudinally. It will now measure 88” x 9”
- fold the liner in half once more, again longitudinally. It will now measure 88” x 4.5”
- now roll the liner, starting at one end and maintaining firm pressure
- it should now easily fit into the pouch which measures 5” x 3.5” x 2.5”
Let me know if this works for you.
Cheers
B
Hi, I purchased two of the “100% Premium Silk Traveller Liner”s a few years ago and loved them. They came with a stuff sack shaped like a soda can with a drawcord at the top to close the stuff sack. This was wonderful as I could sit on the plane, in my tent, in a guest room and just stuff my liner in the top of the stuff sack with a couple fingers, and the liner would disappear – like magic.
Then, sadly, I loaned one of my liners to a co-workers daughter to use on a trip – never to be seen again. Well, the daughter was, just not my liner.
I replaced the missing liner easily, but the ‘stuff sack’ had changed. Instead of the simple ‘soda can with a drawcord’ style that works so well, it is now a rectangular shape with a zipper on two sides. This has taken away from the simplicity of a stuff sack and has made repacking my liner more of an exercise in patience when I am trying to pack my bedding. Ugh.
When camping or travelling I want stuff things in stuff sacks – liners, sleeping bags, jacket liners. Stuff stuff stuff. Folding is something that I do at home, not when I’m out having fun.
Is there a way to get a hold of one of the older style ‘soda can with a drawcord’ style stuff sacks? Otherwise I may have to sew one myself and it frightens the hubby when I break out the domestic gear.
Thank you
G’Day Jean -
wouldn’t want to have your better half to have to endure unnecessary panic as a result of the sewing machine coming out… I’ll email you with a solution which might work for both you and your husband.
Cheers
B
Thank you so much for your help on our predicament. Hubby would thank you for saving him from ‘domestic panic’, but I think I will not let him know how close he was, ignorance being bliss and all.
Thanks again,
Jean
Hi, I have damaged one of my
Ultra sil dry bags. Is it possible to repair it? The hole is only about 5mm. Thanks!
G’Day Andrew –
It’s relatively simple to repair a 5mm hole in an UltraSil Dry Sack – you can find detailed instructions here: http://askbaz.wordpress.com/product-care/repairing-holes/
Let me know if this helps – I’ll be happy to provide additional information if necessary
Cheers
B
How to refold the SEA TO SUMMIT Ultra-Sil Shopping Bag to get back in pouch.
G’Day Gail -
no need to fold the Shopping Bag; just stuff it! You can see a video of Sea to Summit staff members stuffing the similar-sized UltraSil Duffle into its stuff sack here
I trust this helps!
Cheers
B
I am having trouble where the seam cover came off of my 30l Ultra Dry-sil Bag. Is there anything I can do to reseal it to the bag?
G’Day Philip,
Sorry to learn you’ve experienced an issue with seam-tape delamination on your UltraSil Dry Sack. This problem affected only a very few dry sacks from the very first production run; we corrected the issue and haven’t had a repetition since then.
All Sea to Summit products are unconditionally warrantied against manufacturing and material defects – please email me at info@seatosummit.com and I’ll provide you details on how to return the dry sack for a free replacement.
Cheers
B
So, I wasn’t thinking and ran my StS Alphalight Spork through the dishwasher. It was in a pile of other cutlery, and I was too tired to think through what I was doing
Lesson learned, and now the finish is totally messed up. Now that the spork has gone through the dishwasher, is it still safe to eat with?
-Ben
G’Day Ben -
you shouldn’t use the AlphaLight Spork now the anodized finish has been damaged.
Send me an email via info@seatosummit.com and I’ll see what creative solutions we can come up with to this problem
Cheers
B
My sleeping bag is a kelty cosmic 20 down, stuff size is 8×14 what S to S e Vent dry compression sack do I need ? Tks.
G’Day Roger -
sorry for the delayed reply; your question just showed up in the ‘comments’ section of the blog.
My recommendation would be for the Medium sized eVent Compression Dry sack. You *could* squeeze your sleeping bag into the Small size, but in either case, the sleeping bag will compress down to around 5 Liters. My preference is always to have a little extra room when you’re trying to pack things into a compression sack – helpful if you want to pack a liner or some other compressible gear, and easier to work with if your fingers are cold.
Cheers
B
Hi there,
I was considering buying some of the alphalight cutlery advertised on this website though I saw the warning advising against washing the utensils in a washing machine. Just how durable can these utensils be if they cant handle a run through a dishwasher?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
G’Day Chris –
You ask an excellent question. The issue with washing in a dishwasher is not of durability, it’s actually the caustic chemicals in dishwasher ‘soap’ (which isn’t actually soap at all). These chemicals react with anodized finishes (not just on Alpha / AlphaLight Cutlery – a colleague of ours ruined a set of expensive European anodized pots and pans by putting them in the dishwasher).
Alpha / AlphaLight cutlery is made of aircraft-grade alloy and is hard anodized – kept away from a dishwasher, they will last a very, very long time indeed.
I trust this helps –
B
Is Ultra-Sil™ fabric made with Cordura® yarn washable? The material is water-resistant due to coating layer? If that’s the case, washing it frequently will make the coating to come off and no longer water resistant?
The reason I’m asking is that the “Travelling Light™ SHOE BAGS” need to be washed frequently…. so is the Stuff sacks that will carry my dirty clothes….
UltraSil fabric is siliconized – the silicone permeates through the gaps between yarns and wraps around the fibers to a far greater extent than a polyurethane coating would. As such, it’s much less likely to be degraded by washing than a coating.
Having said this, the same rules apply here as with all lightweight waterproof fabrics:
- if you wash UltraSil in a top-loader washing machine you will expose the fabric to far more wear than in a front loader. Hand washing is better.
- washing machines may leave detergent residue in the fabric which will reduce the effectiveness of the waterproofing. Using a non-detergent soap is a better idea; rinsing thoroughly is essential.
- Dryers should be avoided at all cost as they will damage the lightweight fabrics. Air drying is the way to go.
In short, if you hand wash your Travelling Light stuff sacks / shoe bags using a non-detergent soap (such as Wilderness Wash) and air dry them, they should retain their water-shedding capabilities for many years to come.
B
Another question: Beside the weight & colors, what’s the different between:
1. Travelling Light™ Sling Bag vs. Ultra-Sil® Sling Bag
2. Travelling Light™ SHOPPING BAG vs. Ultra-Sil® Shopping Bag
3. Travelling Light™ Duffle Bag vs. Ultra-Sil® Duffle Bag
The only difference between these products are the colors.
Hi! Are the sea to summit toiletries tested on animals? Thanks, Chiarina
G’Day Chiarina -
sorry for the delay in replying; we’ve had a bit of a computer glitch with the blog.
You’ll be happy to know that we do not use animal-derived products in our soaps/care products, and we do not test them on animals either.
Cheers
B
I have an AquaRack question: what is the proper boat position (kayak) in the rack? On its side? Upside down? Facing up? Don’t want to damage the hull! Thanks!
G’Day -
apologies for the time taken to reply to your question; we’re having some technical issues with the blog.
No such issues with AquaRacks: the beauty of the system is that the foam sleeves spread the load of the boat resting on the bars and prevent damage. And – you can rotate the boat through 360 degrees: turning it upside down might be a good way to drain it.
cheers
B
What is the best way to get dry grass, dirt, and debris out of your microfiber towels?
I’ve got a few of your Event drybags, works fine. I bought another one today, the air wont come out of it.
This is me again, the question above”jonas – 1 august 12.03pm”
I went back to the store, and ALL of their Sea to Summits EVENT bags were defect!!!
You must have some kind of production error, all of the bags in their shells were not letting the air out! And I made another observation(might not have anything to do with it) but the event fabric were much more orangier then my other examples…
I have a 44L backpack for international travelling and I was looking at getting the sea to summit pack converter, but both sizes are much larger than my bag. Will a small pack converter every be available to purchase, for those of us that pack lighter and smaller?
G’day Kara
thanks for asking about a smaller Pack Converter/Duffel. It’s a great idea – as you mention, many people backpack with smaller lighter packs (and many travelers simply want to travel with a carry-on sized bag).
We don’t have a product like this in the works just now, but I’ll forward the comment to our design and development staff (and add your email address to the product suggestions log).
Thanks for the great product idea!
cheers
B
Where was my Sit-on-top cart made? There are no (easily found) markings on the unit. thanks
G’Day Sam
all Sea to Summit Carts (including the Sit-on-Top Cart) are manufactured in China.
I trust this information helps – if you have any further questions, shoot us an email at info@seatosummit.com
cheers
B
I bought 2 sea to summit 8L dry bag made out of cordura fabric. I want to apply waterproofing spray to ensure extra protection. Do you think using a waterproof spray will damage/ or prevent the performance of the bag?
G’Day Anthony
Thanks for taking the time to write to us about use of additional waterproofing sprays on your UltraSil Dry Sacks.
The short answer is that the sprays (which are water-based emulsions of hydrophobic or water-hating compounds) will help spray or splashes bead up and run off of the fabric. The exterior of the fabric is siliconized, which will cause spray/splashes to bead up and run off anyway. The sprays will not damage the fabric.
But – no spray will make the fabric more waterproof in the sense of being submersible. Which leads me to wonder: what kind of use do you have in mind for the UltraSil Dry Sacks? Please email me directly at info@seatosummit.com – I’ll be happy to make recommendations as to how to get the best from your gear.
Cheers
B
Just purchased a LARGE/WIDE (Wiggy’s) 0 degree synthetic bag, and am looking for the right compression sack for it. What size of eVent compression sack does the trick on this behemoth? Thanks!!
G’Day!
The quickest way to determine the size of compression sack you would need for a sleeping bag is to measure the supplied stuff sack. Wiggy’s doesn’t list the stuff sack size for their sleeping bags online – if you email me the dimensions of the stuff sack at info@seatosummit.com I’ll give you a definitive answer as to the size of eVent Compression Dry Sack you’ll need.
One point worth noting – if you really are using gear (tents, sleeping bags etc) in a 0*F / -18*C environment, always opt for a larger size stuff/dry sack: you’ll appreciate the extra room when you’re stuffing cold-stiffened gear with chilled fingers.
cheers
B
I’m also ready for a carry-on converter for my day pack!
thanks
I love your dry bags. Is your waterproofing permanent, meaning with proper care and storage will I ever have to re-water proof it? I assume that the lamination is permanent and the fabrics themselves have no expiration date, so then I would think the shelf life is that with good care they can last a lifetime. Am I correct?
G’Day Kartik
- Keeping a dry bag clean prolongs its life significantly. Fine-grain sand wears away fabric fibers and coatings/films. Oils make coatings and films porous. Any number of solvents (including DEET, alcohol and gasoline) can destroy the waterproofing completely. To clean, only hand wash the dry bag using warm water and non-detergent soaps.
- Ensuring that the dry bag is stored in a dry, ventilated space will prevent mold and mildew. Constant dampness can damage polyurethanes; they become soft and sticky – the coating/film will therefore lose its waterproofing capacity.
- Ultraviolet Light weakens nylon fabrics over time. Expose the dry sack to as little UV as possible during use and store in a sheltered spot.
- Heat can damage the seam taping: avoid contact with very hot (above 60°C) water, or exposure to direct sunlight in a parked vehicle.
If a dry bag is used / cleaned / stored with attention to the above factors, it will last many, many years – certainly 20 years is not an unreasonable lifespan.
how do you repack the travelling light day pack into its little case? We can’t make it small enough
It is a tight fit. The best way is to stuff it is using your thumbs. I know that isn’t much of an answer. I will see if we can do a video to help illustrate this. B
Can’t find directions for using laundry wash leaves. Help?
Thanks!
G’Day Nick -
you’ll find tips on using the soaps at
I trust this helps
B
Hi Baz! I bought a 2degree Sea to Summit Down Bag in Australia before I came out to Canada. Yesterday I washed it in warm water in a front loader machine with 80mls of nikwax. I carried it in a bundle to the tumble dryer and spun it for 2 hours with 2 tennis balls. The loft is nice and fluffy but certain sections are completely without loft. It seems the loft has migrated completely into other sections. There is stitiching between the different sections so I’m not sure how this happened. Is there any way I can fix this? I Paid 500$ for this bag.
Thanks So Much.
Chris
Hi, Kila
The overwhelming likelihood here is that a baffle has been torn out due to the bag being picked up while the down was wet. Washing the bag as you did in a front-loader washing machine (providing it was washed on a gentle cycle) should not have caused this to happen, neither should drying it in a tumble dryer.
(We recently posted an article explaining the necessary caution on this blog
A torn baffle can be repaired, although the cost of the repair will depend on the model of bag you own.
If you email me at info@seatosummit.com I’ll be happy to provide you details of how to have the bag repaired in Canada
Cheers
B
hi baz, just wondering if the sea to summit pack taps are bpa free as i cant seem to find that information?
thanks
Jay
G’Day Jay -
thanks for your question. The bladders in the Pack Taps (which are available in 2 Liter, 4 Liter, 6 Liter and 10 Liter versions) are made of a double layer of Mylar. They are therefore not only BPA-free, they are also taste neutral.
You can find tips on cleaning the bladders here: http://askbaz.wordpress.com/product-care/washing-gear/
Cheers
B
I have one of your products that is a duffle dry sack that had the strap torn off during its first use on the airlines. Can this be replaced or repaired?
“G’Day!
Sorry to learn that your Duffle is looking a little worse for wear. It’s possible that it can be repaired – this will depend how seriously the product has been damaged.
Please send an image showing the damage to info@seatosummit.com and let us know in the email where you live and where you purchased the Duffle.
Cheers,
B”