MARCHWAY Dry Bag 20L Review

The MARCHWAY Dry Bag comes in various colorways to match your style and has five capacity options for adventures of all sizes. Plus, it comes at a wallet-friendly price that’s affordable on nearly any budget. That all looks great on paper, but how well does it hold up in the real world? Let’s find out!

External Components

The primary pack material here is tarpaulin, a tarp fabric created from 500D PVC with an external coating. The result is a waterproof material that is extraordinarily durable but hard to work with at times because it doesn’t have much give. However, the point is that it doesn’t let water through and can handle rugged adventures.

There are 18 colorways available at the time of writing, so you can get one that matches your vibes. Many of the options are loud and saturated; however, there are some sleek models, too. We went with Orange because it’s fun and easy to see if it started floating down the river (it never did).

There are fewer capacity options than colorways, but there’s still more to choose from than we’re used to. There are 5- and 10-liter options on the smaller end and 20-, 30-, and 40-liter models on the larger end. The only option with proper shoulder straps is the 40-liter, with the rest having a basic harness system without padding or aeration. The smaller options, 5 and 10 liters, are slings, not backpacks. We opted for the 20-liter bag because it was a capable middle ground. It’s big enough for a day on the water but not so big it takes up too much room in the trunk.

In typical dry bag fashion, there isn’t much going on with the pack’s exterior. There are no pockets, zippers, or extras. When you add these features to a dry bag, you’re adding potential points where water could sneak in, which is why we figure there aren’t any of those things here. The only external components are the top closure system (which we’ll get into) and attachment points on the bottom of the pack where the straps connect.

The plastic hardware on either end is unbranded but feels durable. We initially worried about its longevity, but it has held up well. The top of the pack has a section of durable strap material running around the exterior of the rolltop, which assists with rolling it up. The instructions say to roll it four or five times for an effective seal. In our experience, the more you roll a rolltop, the better the seal is. However, that’s a double-edged sword because the more you compress it, the less capacity you have inside the pack. It is easy to find a spot in the middle that works well for your needs, though!

The instructions say the pack isn’t designed for diving purposes, so you shouldn’t entirely submerge it for more than a few seconds if you can help it. It also indicates that the bag floats but isn’t to be used as a floatation device. We agree with MARCHWAY on both counts!

Fit Notes

It’s hard to call what’s going on with the backside of these bags a harness system. There is no padding or aeration, so whatever you stow in the pack becomes the back panel. Because the material directly on your back is waterproof, it gets warm quickly. Luckily, if you’re using this pack, you’re likely going near water to cool yourself off. However, this bag isn’t helping to keep you cold on a hot day in any shape or form.

The shoulder straps are bare bones, too, with no padding or aeration until you get to the sizable 40-liter iteration. When the pack is full, the naked straps can dig in and be uncomfortable, especially if you have a thin shirt on or are going shirtless in the kayak or canoe. It isn’t a huge deal for short trips between the car and the boat, but anything more than that, and things can get uncomfortable.

Inside The Bag

The interior of this dry bag is one large chute—at times, it feels like loading a large contractor garbage bag instead of a backpack. There’s nothing inside—no organization, segmentation, or additional features. Depending on the size you choose, it can be hard to access gear on the bottom because of its height, especially if you don’t have long arms.

Due to the lack of segmentation, there’s a ton of workable room for stowing gear. Again, because of a lack of organization, we recommend using packing cubes and other organizers, like a tech pouch, to keep your gear arranged inside. Looking for a loose phone charger inside the pack is difficult, but finding a larger tech pouch isn’t. It adds a step, but the process is typically faster than the alternative.

It might seem like we’ve been unfair to the design features this bag chooses to utilize, and that’s a fair point. However, it’s a dry bag, so we didn’t expect it to have all the same features we’re used to seeing on a travel backpack, daypack, or sling that isn’t submersible in water. That said, it’s worth noting that those features are absent on these packs.

With all of that considered, the MARCHWAY dry bag is a great value. It keeps your gear bone dry, and the 20-liter version we have on hand comes in at under $20 at the time of writing. Even the bulky 40-liter model barely breaks the $25 threshold. It’ll take some extra goodies, like packing cubes and other organizers, to make it a comfortable and intuitive carry. However, even when including those purchases in the price of the MARCHWAY, this bag will still cost you dramatically less than other waterproof bags on the market from brands like Filson or YETI.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly waterproof bag that’ll keep your gear dry from point A to B and don’t mind that it’s without frills, this is the pack for you!