We acquired six of these 10 liter bags for our three-week kayak expedition through the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas. The purchase followed lots and lots of research and anguish, including a poor purchase of some Swedish military water bags that made the water taste like crap. Unlike the Swedish bags, the MSR bags imparted no taste at all to water. This included bottled water, reverse osmosis water, and water left in the bags for days in a sun-drenched environment.
These bags aren’t exactly cheap — we spent about US $250 for six of them — but they are worth it. No taste, no leaks. They fit perfectly into the bottom of our Long Haul Folding Kayaks Mark II Quattro. We placed one just forward of the forward seat position, two under Jen’s legs in the forward seat, and two under my legs in the aft seat. We left the sixth bag at home due to lack of room. The five bags gave us 12-1/2 gallons of water, which was good for about six days in 80-to-90-degree weather.
Another use we found for the bags was as an anchor for our kayak. We would run parachute cord from the bow of the boat to a few dromedary bags laid on the beach, and the boat was secure for lunch or a break.
Since the Bahamas trip, we have used the bags for a kayaking trip in Palau’s rock islands, truck-camping trips in National Forests, and day trips in the High California Desert. They have been used and abused. The bags have not torn, continue to hold water, and appear ready for years of additional use.
The only issue has been with the caps. A couple of them have developed small leaks where they thread to the bag, easily resolved by replacing the cap. The main down-side to this is the cost of the caps, which seems a bit high for what they are.
Overall, we are very pleased with MSR Dromedary bags. They are functional, practical, and durable; and they are worth the investment.
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