Waterproofing an Action Packer

[stevenmd]

Years ago (10?) we bought two action packers that had the same footprint as the 24 gallon, and the same height as the 8 gallon. They were the perfect size for a lot of things. We went back to look for two more a couple of years later, and couldn't find them.

Has anyone seen them anywhere recently?

Yeah, I have that same one but cannot find it anywhere now. My local ACE Hardware looked it up and they could not find it from any distributer. Maybe it was discontinued??

 

[Colleen]

Largest AP 48 gallon for rafting

This is a great idea, for keeping rain & dust, out of the box!:clapsmile

I would do some testing, before using it for rafting. The sides of the APs are fairly flexable, and may leek water, if it were to take a beating in a river. The APs are only clamped at each end, and there is a long length down each side, to try to maintain a tight seal.

Like I said; I would do some testing first. It might work.

Thanks for the info, I agree, its not going to be easy to waterproof this, especially on the largest 48 gallon AP that is a long area to try to maintain a seal and the clamp system is different than the smaller size, since the 48 gallon has one clamp in front center with hinges on the back. But I don't think the hinges will affect the seal or channel since they are set further back on the lid, not near the channels, but I think it would have been easier without the hinges. Its worth a try though, its cheaper than the aluminum dry boxes for rafting and I use it for other outdoor storage and its light and easy to transport and makes a great raft seat as well.

http://tinyurl.com/2dfhv4

Also, you mentioned the sides are fairly flexible, this could be a problem too when taking a beating, but it seems the 48 gallon has thicker, more rigid sides than the smaller sizes. I've put a lot of weight on top, laid and sat on top with no sign of buckling or movement of the sides, the 48 AP seems really sturdy. I would love to make it fully waterproof, but if that isn't a possibility, its not a big deal since I would store the more important items inside in dry bags.

Anyone else have any other suggestions for creating a water tight seal, than the gasket seal mentioned? Anyone else tried waterproofing a large AP or something similar for rafting? I don't know much about waterproofing. Throw any ideas at me, I'm willing to try.

I agree with the person that mentioned the expensive price for the AP 48 gallon, I believe they used to be $50 years ago, now the cheapest I could find was $69.99 at Target.com, only available online, and I got free shipping. I needed it for outdoor storage of other items, but then I had the thought of waterproofing it to give it another use for rafting to earn its keep. Plus, I had a gift card to use, so I consider it an adventure, not a loss, if waterproofing doesn't pan out. Thanks for any suggestions.

Colleen

 

[TheGillz]

I think if you could get a good seal as described above, then when you are actually using it in the water, take a couple of small ratchet straps and cinch them down about 1/3 of the way in from each side you may be able to get it pretty darn sealed.

 

[KSJeep]

Another suggetion for water/air tight containers, check out the large hunting suppy stores (Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, Cabellas, etc) they sell very sturdy containers to keep hunting clothes and equipment scent free. You can get the store brands for about $30.00. I have 2 from Gander Mountain and they fit right nicely in my TJ, and you know how dusty the back of a topless TJ can get.

Just another idea to go along with weather proofing your own.