Waterproof Your Phone

Finding a good waterproof solution for my ETC EVO Android phone wasn’t easy. The phone itself is on the large side making all the products designed for iPhone sized devices too small. For the longest time I would pack the phone away in a drybag and pull it out whenever I needed it. That changed the day I had it out, forgot it was in my pocket and waded out into deep water.

The $100 deductable and a replacement phone later I knew I needed a better solution.

Being a cheap bastard, I started by playing with the higher end Ziplock bags that dwelled deep in the kitchen drawers. Much to my chagrin, every single type leaked to some degree. They’d be good enough to protect your phone in a rainstorm as you dashed for your car, that about it.

Next I started mulling the selections in the local kayak shops. They had plenty of hard cases but that was really not different then the drybag solution I currently used. At one shop, there was a small, clear $5.00 electronics bag that the EVO just barely fit into. The plastic was thick but a test in the store confirmed the touchscreen was operational through it.

I used this solution for several weeks, never being too thrilled with it. The plastic scratched easily, it was difficult to read in the slightest glare and the thickness often made operation clumsy. One day I pulled it out of my pocket and saw where the seal had opened up. I was lucky as it hadn’t gotten wet but it appeared the seal was finally losing the battle to hold the large phone in a small bag.

So when I was at a camera shop looking at Aquapac’s waterproof SLR camera case I also had an eye out for a new phone case. The SLR case was a terribly inefficient design so I didn’t buy it but another Aquapac product caught my eye, the Mini Compact Camera Case. It was more than large enough for my phone with a well thought out seal system. The plastic was very soft so the excess can be easily folded to make the bag fir in almost any pocket. The plastic is was also thin, making operation of the phone very easy.

It was not cheap. At $40.00 I really had to work up a good rational to buy it. Had I not the previous experiences, I doubt I would have.

Anyway, I’ve now used this bag on at least a dozen river days with nothing but great things to say about it. It is relatively scratch free and has saved my phone exactly 3 times now. I also like that when I my clothes are still wet from the river I can roll it up in a pocket while I am using my phone, replacing the phone back into the bag before pocketing it again.

Pros: Light, thin and soft plastic makes it easy to use and fit in tight places. The plastic is scratch resistant. Camlocks secure the waterproof seal; it’s not going to accidentally open.

Cons: Expensive, doesn’t float.