THE GIANT LOOP TILLAMOOK DRY BAG
By Paul Strubell of Dirt Orcas – 12/21/18
The full Dirt Orcas review of the Giant Loop Tillamook Dry Bag is finally here. I have been holding off on releasing it for some time because I have been so pleased with the product that I wanted present it to you as my favorite piece of gear for 2018.
Giant Loop has updated the Tillamook Dry Bag in a number of ways. They have added a sharper overall ascetic and design appearance, but they have also added a number of key features to make the bag more user friendly and durable. They have added additional lash points, D rings, shoulder straps to allow you to wear the bag backpack style, and of course the air purge valve.
Obviously what makes the Giant Loop Dry Bag line different from every other dry bag from a motorcycle luggage or outdoor company is to give the user the option to access the bag from either side of the bag rather than a single roll top design. This does take a little bit of time to adjust to. It makes the packing process slightly different than a traditional single opening dry bag, but where it truly shines is once the bag is strapped to the bike. It takes on a whole new life.
You have undoubtedly run into the issue where you stop for supplies and need to unstrap your gear and unroll the bag to add any additional materials. The Tillamook allows you to leave the bag strapped down and quickly unroll one of the sides and stuff in your additional gear.
It’s fantastic. It has a 48 liter capacity. So it easily hold most of my camp essentials. Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, 2 man tent, camp cooking kit, and additional cloths and toiletries. At a price point of $130 it isn’t going to set you back very much.
If you are looking to get a soft luggage setup for your adventure bike or add a new dry bag to your existing system, The Tillamook Dry Bag is the way to go. I use the Giant Loop Siskiyou Panniers and the Tillamook pairs with them beautifully. As it will with any of the Giant Loop Luggage Systems.
You can also deploy this bag across any hard case luggage system available. Giving you additional storage that is easily removable for security purposes.
The one thing that I would recommend to you is potentially developing a system for yourself to help remember which side of your bag is the side that you want to be adding gear to. For some people it will not make a difference, but for me I like to balance the weight of the bag evenly. I have often opened the side of the bag that I choose as the “bottom” of the bag when I packed it and had intentionally left space for additional gear (like a sandwich and beers) at the opposite end. When the bag is already rolled up and strapped down, it can be tough to remember which side is holding what. I made a small mark with a sharpie on the bag that helps me find the “top” at a a glance. Then it is much easier to add items in the parking lot and subsequently pull those things out first when you stop for lunch.
The winner of the Dirt Orca’s 2018 Gear of the Year Award goes to The Giant Loop Tillmook Dry Bag.
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