Dry Bags - Ortleib vs Wolfman

So after doing a "test pack" of all my camping gear for my wife and I, the conclusion was that I was going to need a set of dry bags to mount onto the top of my BMW Adventure side panniers.

I have whittled the list down to the Ortleib Medium 30L roll-down dry bag or the Wolfman Expedition Dry Duffle - Size Small 31L.

Both are the same price, have good reputations for quality/longevity. They will house a sleeping bag and probably rolled up Thermarest camping mattress in each bag. Along with that, whatever incidentals that do not fit into the lockable panniers.


Ortleib:
Pros:
- round
- yellow (easier to find things inside than black bag)
- has a cool name which most people will say, "What's that mean"
- roll down top so its height expandable to a degree

Cons:
- round?
- has a weird name?


Wolfman:
Pros:
- square - sits on a flat surface better?
- roll down top
- yellow is available
- comes with tie downs I believe
Cons:
- square - will the corners wear and fray quicker over time than a round bag?
- the name - if it ver Volfenstein it would be MUCH cool.


Open to thoughts....

I just picked up an orange 40L hummingbird roll top duffel for $75 on Amazon. These are made by Sealine so I called them
and apparently the Hummingbird line is exactly the same, just rebranded for luggage stores.
I have a black 80L Sealine duffel and these are great bags.
Between the two I can carry all I need.

Any reason Kriega did not make your list? I have been very happy with my Kriega stuff.

I have a couple REI house brand dry bags in various sizes that strap across the back of whatever I'm taking, I want to say they are about 20 bucks and I have not been able to kill them yet.

My Wolfman medium expedition duffle is round. Looking online, it looks like they all are.

Possibly the OP is only considering the 2 brands listed, or possibly doesn`t know of alternative items.

Personnally I have 1x 30 ltr, 2 x 40ltr & 1x 60ltr lomo roll top duffle bags from http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/Dry-Boxes-dry-bags-uk.html
I also have 2x 49ltr ortleib bags & 1x 89ltr ortleib rack pack, this gives me a varied choice depending on my impending travels

I will absolutely add them to the list! I guess the wolfman and ortleib stood out over the past few months of reading different threads. I'm still open to options - thanks for the tip.

Definitely look into this!

Odd - looking online they were listed as 11.5x11.5 - figured they were square based on my math skillz...they even looked square in the pics. I guess they probably have a couple different options.

Wolfman, hands down. They are made in the USA and if you have questions or have any issues they are only a phone call or email away. You get to talk to the guys who design, test, and build this stuff. It is very high quality gear and it takes a beating without failing.

You should call them and discuss your options. New to my BMW panniers this year are Wolfman medium rollie bags that strap to the top very nicely. If I want to put my sleeping bag in them, it will fit if I use the rollies as my compression sack - the large rollies may fit as well - not as big as the duffles but might give you what you need. There are SO many options with the Wolfman system!!!

And, I'll say it again, made in the USA and you can call and talk to the guys whose ideas create these bags!!!

As for fraying - both brands are heavy duty rubbery type material. They won't fray. I believe the Wolfman bags come with mounting spots for the bag on the sides (don't quote me on this but I think it's true) whereas the Ortlieb requires you to go over the top with straps.

Sea Line is made in the USA as well. Excellent product and used by the US Marine Corp. Available at most any sporting goods store, too. I've used Wolfman and Ortlieb. Both work well, but Sea Line is the best value I've found.

Thanks for the input Griz and ThreadKiller. I just started looking at the SeaLine as I didn't know it even existed until this thread. Cabelas sells it too, so that might sway me since I've got a bunch of points to burn. Looks like its an end-load instead of top-load, which counts against it, IMO. But, money talks sometimes!

Actually, the end-load is the ticket for thermarests and sleeping bags. Slightly inflate thermarest, put it in the bag first and let it expand to the outside of the bag, then stuff your sleeping bag and pillow etc..into the center. works very well.

Cheers, Dino

Here's the one I was talking about, just a rebranded Sealine for less money.

http://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-W...1363140768&sr=8-1&keywords=hummingbird+duffel

a few things I really like about these are that they use heavier weight covering on the bottom and not the sides and the top straps are thick and strong as well.
I keep my thermarest in a trash bag and then in the nylon carry bag it comes in outside of the bags held on by these straps.

Two rok straps in an x across the top and I'm done.
Sounds like you already have panniers so only you'll know what works best for your situation. I do think the duffels are a lot easier to get in and out of then the traditional dry bags I have.

fyi....my bad, looks like the Sealine bags are the same price as the Hummingbird bags, $75 for a 40L and $90 for an 80L. They are identical though.

I just bought a dry bag from Ebay. I understand it is also available at Walmart . It's a 40L zip and roll top dry bag with a carrying handle and shoulder strap. It also has 4 large D rings on one side. It has the name of Attwood printed on it. Looks well made .Walmart---$23.00. Ebay---$15.50.

Have not had an opportunity to use it yet,but it looks like it will do the job.

This works amazingly well.

If it's the name you like, it's OrtlIEb, not OrtlEIb. Ort = place and lieben = love; perhaps 'love of place'?

I like the Kraut stuff...I found the Wolfman, although GREAT quality, a bit fussy, but this was dealing with saddlebags (the Ortliebs are just a couple of bags, rolled down, and a connector inbetween; the Wolfmans had just a bit too much engineering for me, but then again, I ride Japanese bikes).

It's just a duffel; anything waterproof with a roll-down top will work. Cinch it down with Rok-Straps and you're good to go. Just make sure there's something soft facing toward the front of the bike. Tell me how I know there was a camp chair misplaced in my duffel

for on top of the panniers I would prefer the square shape of the Kriega plus the way they click into place. It would be sleeker and give you a bit more usable volume.

For sure - I fully agree with your last paragraph.

I pulled the trigger on some wolfman's last night and then after I did, I had the twinge of buyer's remorse....the kind that says, "This is a duffel, wtf. Why am I dropping 200 bucks on two bags." So I canceled the order and am going to buy the Sea Line's from Cabelas and spend 80 bucks total. And, actually, not going to spend that since I have $130 in cabelas points. So they are essentially free.

I tend to over analyze stupid things that just don't need much thought. Plenty of people seem to like the SeaLine's so I'm sure I won't go too wrong.

Thanks again everyone - glad people speak up and share their gear experiences...I just saved $190...priceless.

To me you're comparing apples and oranges. I own some Sealine stuff and it is functional and yes, affordable. But compared to Wolfman, Sealine is thinner, flimsier and not really desgned for motorcycles. It's a generic duffle that has to be somehow made to fit onto a bike. Wolfman on the other hand is made by motorcylists for motorcyclists. It's a tougher material and is easier to strap to a bike. It's a little more expensive, but it's easy to see where that money goes.

I use a large Ortlieb. Love it, never have to worry about the contents getting wet. Two straps and I'm off and riding.