Where the AWOL DIVER Backpack Earns Its Keep
The DIVER line is the sealed end of the AWOL range, and this is its backpack. DL Wholesale describe the shell as fully airtight and waterproof, with scuba gear zippers doing the sealing. Outside dimensions are 22 by 12 by 8 inches. That works out at roughly 35 litres, which is a day-pack volume rather than a haul volume. Carry is by adjustable padded shoulder straps with a horizontal buckle across the body. The buckle is the detail that separates a pack built for movement from a pack built for a car. A loaded bag that shifts on your back changes your balance on rough ground, and the strap stops that. Odour control here comes from the seal rather than from a filter. An airtight shell holds smell in because there is no air path out, which is a different mechanism from carbon. A 12 by 12 inch carbon pad insert is made for AWOL bags, which is how adsorption gets added. If you want adsorption as well as sealing, the pad is the part that adds it.
Packing an Airtight Dry Bag So the Seal Holds
An airtight dry bag only works if the closure is treated as a mechanism and not as a zip. Scuba-type zippers seal by compression, so they need to be run fully home at both ends. Stop short by half an inch and the bag becomes a water-resistant bag with a gap. Keep the zipper track clean and dry. Grit in the teeth is the usual cause of a failed seal, and a wipe after each trip prevents it. A silicone zipper lubricant extends the life of the gasket, and most makers of sealed bags recommend one. Overpacking is the other failure mode and it is less obvious. A bag stuffed to the seams puts tension across the closure and pulls the track apart under load. Leave room to roll the top down before the buckle goes across. Air pressure is worth a thought on a sealed bag. A pack sealed at sea level swells at altitude, so vent it before a long climb or a flight. None of that is exotic maintenance, and it is the difference between three seasons and one.
Key Features
- Airtight and waterproof shell: Described by DL Wholesale as fully airtight, with scuba gear zippers sealing it.
- 22 x 12 x 8 inches: About 35 litres, which is a day-pack volume rather than a haul volume.
- Padded adjustable straps: Carried on the back with both hands free, rather than off one shoulder.
- Horizontal body buckle: Stops a loaded pack shifting around on rough ground.
- Sealed rather than filtered: Odour is held in by the closure, not adsorbed by carbon.
- Carbon pad sold separately: A 12 by 12 inch insert is offered for AWOL bags if adsorption is wanted.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | AWOL, from DL Wholesale |
| Product | L DIVER backpack |
| SKU | 886093 |
| Dimensions | 22 x 12 x 8 in |
| Gross volume | About 35 litres |
| Closure | Scuba gear airtight zippers |
| Shell | Waterproof, fully airtight |
| Carry | Adjustable padded shoulder straps |
| Extra retention | Horizontal buckle across the body |
| Carbon option | 12 x 12 in carbon pad insert, sold on its own |