Ortleib Map case

Best Bit of (Waterproofing) Kit that I ever used

The jungle is hard enough because it is so hot, but it is hardest because it is so humid. It is so close and sweaty that during Eco-Challenge 2000 in Borneo we wandered around stripped down to our underpants. The other problem is kit, because nothing, literally nothing, stays dry. Batteries corrode, medicines mulch and maps simply disintegrate.

The Ortlieb map case was the only thing that kept anything dry during a week of racing in the Borneo jungle. Ortlieb make a range of waterproof equipment - kayaking bags, water holders, cycle panniers and some document holders. The OD13 map case (27 cm by 27cm) is clear plastic like any other map case, but it has two advantages. It is made with a more rubbery material which allows it to bend and be folded without cracking and most importantly it seals like a kayak bag - this means that at the neck it folds over and over on itself, sealing it well. Then it velcros across the top so that it seals the folds. There are strings and attachments so that you can sling it around your neck but these are not the main value of it, which is that it seals well enough to cope with horrible humid air and tropical rainstorms.

Available from....

http://www.ortleib.de/