Best Waterproof Bag for Hiking

Best Waterproof Bag for Hiking

Hiker with a backpack walking along a forest trail

Activity guide / Hiking

Your hiking pack probably isn't waterproof. You don't need a new one, you need the right layer inside it.

Updated October 5, 20265 min readGear setup

For most hikes, the best waterproof bag isn't a waterproof backpack. It's a pack liner or a few dry sacks inside the pack you already own, plus a small sealed bag for your phone, wallet and keys.

The problem

Where water gets into a hiking pack

Pack fabric is rarely the weak point. REI's guide to hiking in the rain explains that while many packs are made of waterproof material, their seams aren't sealed, and every top lid and open stash pocket that makes gear easy to reach also lets rain in.

On the trail that adds up to three kinds of water: rain finding the seams and pockets, sweat soaking the back panel and hip-belt pockets where phones usually ride, and stream crossings or a slip at the bank. The first is a liner problem. The other two are about where your phone lives.

REI's advice is to add layers rather than trust one: even with a pack cover or liner, use dry bags for your most vulnerable gear. Its Ten Essentials list makes the same point for fire, recommending stormproof matches that usually come in a waterproof container.

Four layers, four jobs: cover, liner, dry sacks, and the small bag on you.

Organized by SKÖ

Four layers, and what each one misses

Layer What it stops, and what it doesn't
Pack coverOver the outside of the pack Sheds rain off the pack body. REI lists it as one of several protection options REI, but the back panel and straps against you stay exposed.
Pack linerOne big bag inside the main compartment Keeps the main load dry when rain gets past seams. Doesn't cover the lid, side pockets or hip-belt pockets.
Dry sacksSmall sealed bags inside the pack REI's layer for your most vulnerable gear REI: electronics, a paper map or permit, a dry warm layer. Only as good as the closure on each one.
Small sealed bagWorn, for the things you reach for Phone, keys, wallet, ID. Keeps them sealed without reopening the pack, and out of sweaty hip-belt pockets.

Organized by SKÖ from REI's rain and Ten Essentials guidance. Want to know how well a dry sack really seals? Read are dry bags actually waterproof?

Decision check

How much waterproofing does this hike need?

Four questions, asked before you pack. Organized by SKÖ.

Check 1Does the route cross streams or run along water?

Yes: line the pack and seal your phone. Read the crossing note below, then check 2.

No: go to check 2.

Check 2Is rain in the forecast, or is the area known for it?

Yes: liner plus dry sacks for electronics and a warm layer. The NPS says to check the weather before you head out. Then check 3.

No: a liner is cheap insurance; go to check 3.

Check 3Are you carrying anything you can't replace on the trail?

Yes: phone, keys and ID go in a small sealed bag; a paper map or permit goes in a dry sack. Then check 4.

No: a pack cover may be all you need; still check 4.

Check 4Is it overnight, or days of wet weather?

Yes: this is where a fully waterproof pack, or a liner plus a dry sack for your sleeping bag, earns its weight.

No: the liner and small sealed bag cover a day hike.

Layer four

The small sealed bag

It should be submersible, not just rain-resistant, and small enough to stay out of the way of your pack straps. The SKÖ Waterproof Crossbody (about 1.14 L) is one example.

Where it fits

  • Phone, wallet, keys and ID, without opening the pack
  • Designed to be waterproof and submersible when the zipper is properly closed and sealed
  • Keeps your phone off a sweaty back panel or hip-belt pocket

Where it doesn't

  • Layers, food, water or a first-aid kit: that's the pack's job
  • No published depth or time rating
  • It's not a substitute for a liner when it rains

Weighing compact options? See how waterproof crossbody bags compare. And since the NPS warns you may not have cell coverage in a park, a dry phone is still no substitute for a map.

Avoid these

Three ways hikers end up with a wet phone

Trusting the rain cover alone

Water still runs down the back panel and into strap seams and lid pockets.

Instead: line the main compartment, and seal what matters inside it.

Wasting dry space on a rain jacket

A shell can get damp with no harm. A phone, map or spare battery can't.

Instead: save the sealed space for what can't get wet.

Phone in the hip-belt pocket

It's convenient, unsealed, and sits right where sweat and rain collect.

Instead: carry it in a small sealed bag, especially on wet days.

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