If your dry bag let water in, it is almost always the roll (too few folds, something caught in the collar, an overfilled bag) rather than the bag itself. Diagnose before you fix anything: dry it out, check your fold count, re-roll it properly and run a spray test, and only then go looking for actual damage.
A wet spare layer feels like the bag failed you. Most of the time, it did not. The fix starts with figuring out which of a short list of usual suspects actually happened, because the fix is completely different depending on the answer.
Was it the roll, or was it the bag?
Start here, every time. Think back to how you closed it: did you fold the collar down at least three times in the same direction, with the first fold flat and even? An overfilled bag, a fold with a strap or a sleeve caught in it, or a rushed one-or-two-fold close are the most common reasons water gets in, and none of them mean the bag is damaged. Dry the bag out, then re-roll it correctly and run a spray test: put a dry paper towel inside, close it properly, and run it under a shower or a hose for a minute, turning it so the water hits the collar and the base. A dry towel means the roll was the problem last time. A damp one means it is worth checking for real damage. (We deliberately do not suggest holding it underwater. Ours are water resistant rather than submersion-rated, so a tub test is harsher than the bag is built for and it will not tell you anything useful about how it performs on the water.) The full rolling method is in how to seal a dry bag.
How do you find a pinhole leak?
Turn the bag inside out, or take it into a dark room or closet, and shine a flashlight from the inside while you look at the fabric from the outside. A pinhole shows up as a tiny point of light. Check the seams closely, especially where the buckle attaches and around the base corners, since those are the highest-stress points and the most likely place for a seam to start lifting. Run your fingers along any seam that looks suspicious; a lifted seam often feels slightly raised before it's visible.
How do you fix it?
A small puncture takes a repair patch made for coated fabrics. Clean and dry the area first, apply the patch with generous overlap past the edges of the hole, and let it cure fully before you trust it (check the patch maker's instructions for cure time, since rushing this step is the most common reason a repair fails). Once it's cured, run the spray test again before you pack anything you care about. A lifted seam in one small spot can often be patched the same way. Widespread delamination or seam lifting in multiple places is a different situation: that's a bag near the end of its useful life, not a patch job, and our care and maintenance guide covers the habits that slow that decline down in the first place.
Keep one in the fleet
A repair kit is cheap insurance, and so is having a backup bag while one is out of rotation. Wild Currents makes roll-top dry bags in 2 liter, 10 liter, and 20 liter, in prints worth having more than one of. Browse the collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my dry bag leak even though I rolled it?
Most likely user error, not bag failure: too few folds, an overfilled bag with no collar left to roll, or fabric caught in the fold. Re-roll it correctly and run a spray test before assuming the bag itself is damaged.
How do I find a hole in my dry bag?
Turn it inside out or take it into a dark room, then shine a flashlight from inside while checking the fabric from outside. A pinhole shows up as a small point of light. Check seams and the buckle attachment point closely.
Can I repair a dry bag myself?
Usually, yes. Small punctures take a repair patch made for coated fabrics. Clean the area, apply the patch with overlap, let it cure fully, then spray-test the bag before trusting it again.
How do I know if it's my rolling technique or real damage?
Re-roll the bag correctly (three folds minimum, flat first fold, nothing caught in the collar) and run a spray test. If it stays dry, the roll was the issue last time. If water still gets in, look for damage.
When should I replace a dry bag instead of repairing it?
When you see delamination or seam lifting in multiple spots rather than one isolated area, or the leak keeps happening after a correctly executed roll. A single patchable hole is a repair. Widespread wear is a retirement.