AllOutdoor Review: 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L – Stay Dry Always

The thought of spring, summer, and warmer days ahead has been penetrating the minds of many of us after a long winter. This entails many days out in nature, and whether it is for recreation, vacation, hunting, or other exploration reasons, you will likely want to keep your valuables high and dry away from water and moisture. This is where a good dry bag becomes handy. Instead of soaking your wallet or purse, or needing to deploy a big ol’ Yeti cooler, leaning on a dry bag is a much more lightweight option and something that can be folded up into the side door of a vehicle or your own pocket when not in use. So, in this AllOutdoor Review, we are going to take a look at the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L to see if it’ll keep our valuables dry, or allow water to sour a day afield?… Let’s dive in!

5.11 Tactical Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specifications – 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L

5.11 Tactical offers 3 unique sizes of Ultralight Dry Bags for people to choose from including a 5L, 10L, and 20L. For the purposes of this review, I was able to get extended time using the smaller of the three in the Ultralight Dry Bag 5L. All of the specifications for the Ultralight Dry Bag 5L version can be read below as presented by 5.11 Tactical:

Reinforced seams – double stitched and tape sealed
Roll-top closure with quick release buckle
D-Ring for gear attachment on top
40D nylon ripstop with silicone coating – 2k waterproof rating
Waterproof in situations where the dry bag will not be submerged
Dimensions (Height x Length x Depth): 16″ x 10.4″ x 6″
Capacity: 5L | 305 Cubic Inches
Weight: 0.07 Lb | 0.03 Kg

The 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L is offered in a Cinder colorway (stone or grey color) with an MSRP of $22. With any product you receive from 5.11 off their website there is always Free Returns – in the rare event something is not to your liking – and Free Shipping on orders over $99. A final word from 5.11 Tactical in their press release statement below can be read further elaborating upon the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L:

The Ultralight Dry Bag 5L is the perfect solution for protecting gear inside a backpack. Constructed from 40d nylon ripstop with silicone/UTS waterproof coating, the Ultralight Dry Bag keeps water at bay. With double-stitched and tape-sealed reinforced seams, you can rest assured the 5 liters of contents will remain high and dry for the duration. The roll-top closure features a quick-release buckle for easy access, while the D-ring on top does double duty attaching extra gear or securing the bag inside a backpack. No matter where you’re headed, the Ultralight Dry Bag 5L will help eliminate the worry of wet gear.

Field Use – 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L

I have used this Ultralight Dry Bag 5L on several occasions now with it being in my possession for about 2 months, but it saw its most use while on a family vacation in Fort Myers, Florida back in February. While I was visiting family on my wife’s side down in Florida (the main intention of the trip), I also love the outdoors – as does my wife, Andrea – so we escaped for a hike through a nature preserve one day which led to some interesting encounters.

While walking a floating boardwalk in the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, we came across a slippery fellow in this Florida Banded Watersnake. We did not know at the time that it was nonvenomous (we do now), but we kept our distance all the same and I retrieved my cellphone from the dry bag to snag a pic of this really cool and colorful snake.

We spent half of a day wandering around and exploring the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve and it was all spent around water. We bicycled there from our AirBnB and I could easily hang the dry bag off of the handlebar of my bicycle while traveling. Then, when we were on foot near saltwater estuaries and the floating boardwalk, all of our valuables were protected in the Ultralight Dry Bag 5L.

We also spent several days being beach-goers getting adequately sunburnt (I’m from Minnesota; I’m so pale I’m almost see-through in the winter) and enjoying the ocean. This, too, was a perfect time to have all of our valuables safe and secure in the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L. I could easily put my cellphone, Andrea’s cellphone, a wallet, keys, snacks, water, and other beachgoing items with ease in here. Even though this is the smallest size of an Ultralight Dry Bag that 5.11 makes, it had ample room for everything we were toting along with us.

I have also used this at home while doing ranch chores and being out in nature, but there were less incidents where the bag was encountering large bodies of water (like when we were near the ocean in Florida). Be that as it may, I found this bag to be pretty impervious to water. If it is raining out, the bag falls into water temporarily, or I spill any kind of drink on it, the bag simply shrugs it off like its nothing.

Additionally, I like how strong and sturdy the buckle closure is on the bag. I had it hanging off of the handlebar of a bicycle in Florida for close to 10 miles while cycling and walking alongside my bike on the boardwalk. Moreover, with the plastic D-ring attachment on the buckle closure area, you can carabiner clip this dry bag to a 5.11 backpack or other item you might have with you at any given time. It’s simply added convenience and utility.

Final Thoughts – 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L

So, what are my final thoughts on the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L offered in a Cinder colorway?… Overall, this is flatly a no-brainer. If you are in need of a dry bag, this does everything that you could ask of one and more. It’s durable, unique closure and attachment points, and over the course of several months I have noticed no deterioration of the bag. If you need a dry bag, reach for the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L.

In closing, I want to say thank you to 5.11 Tactical for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L offered in a Cinder colorway. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the 5.11 Tactical Ultralight Dry Bag 5L offered in a Cinder colorway is something worth spending your money on? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak