The mountains will always test your limits; make sure your preparation can withstand the exam.
How to Waterproof a Hiking Backpack for the Drakensberg Wilderness
There is nothing quite like the feeling of reaching an escarpment cave or pitching your tent after a grueling climb up a Drakensberg pass, opening your backpack, and realizing your dry clothes are completely soaked. In a mountain range famous for its sudden, violent summer thunderstorms and relentless winter downpours, it is a mistake most hikers only make once.
While many modern backpacks are advertised as "water-resistant" or made with durable fabrics, very few are actually 100% waterproof. Between exposed stitching, heavy zippers, and the sheer volume of a Drakensberg cloudburst, water always finds a way in.
If you want to ensure your sleeping bag, down jacket, and electronics stay completely dry no matter what the Berg throws at you, you need a foolproof system. Here is the best, multi-layered strategy used by veteran Drakensberg hikers and mountain guides to combat the elements.
1. The Core Secret: Use an Internal Pack Liner
If you only do one thing on this list, make it this one. Relying entirely on the outside of your pack to keep rain out is a losing battle when you are caught out on the high escarpment. Instead, focus on protecting what is on the inside.The Budget Option: A heavy-duty trash compactor bag or a thick, heavy-duty black dustbin liner. South African hikers swear by these because they are incredibly tough, puncture-resistant, cheap, and easily replaceable.
The Upgrade Option: A dedicated nylon or DCF (Dyneema) roll-top pack liner. These are lightweight and specifically shaped to fit the dimensions of a hiking pack.
How to use it: Line the entire inside of your backpack’s main compartment with the bag before loading any gear. Pack your vulnerable items—like your sleeping bag and clothing—directly inside this liner. When you are done packing, twist or roll the top tightly and tuck it down. Even if your backpack gets entirely submerged during a river crossing in the valleys, your core gear stays bone-dry.
2. Layer Up with Internal Dry Sacks
An internal liner protects the big stuff, but you still need a way to organize your gear and add an extra layer of security for high-value items when living out of a backpack for multiple days.Organize by Category: Use lightweight, color-coded roll-top dry sacks to separate your gear (e.g., green for clothes, blue for sleep gear). This keeps your pack organized and ensures that even when you open your main liner in a damp cave, your gear remains shielded.
Double-Bag Electronics: Items like your phone, power bank, camera, and headlamp should go into heavy-duty zip-top freezer bags or specialized electronics dry cases before being tucked into your pack.
3. Deflect the Elements with an External Rain Cover
While an internal liner keeps your gear dry, a wet backpack absorbs water, becoming heavy, soggy, and uncomfortable to carry up steep passes. This is where an external rain cover comes in.What it does: This is a waterproof nylon or polyester elasticized cover that stretches over the outside of your pack. It sheds the majority of the rainfall, preventing the pack fabric from "wetting out."
The Drakensberg Catch: Rain covers are not perfect, especially in the Berg. In high-altitude winds or heavy horizontal downpours, water will invariably leak down the back panel (the area resting against your spine) where the cover cannot reach. Treat a rain cover as your shield against water weight, not your primary line of defense.
4. Maintain Your Pack's Outer Defenses
If you have an older backpack that used to shed water but now seems to soak it right up, the factory coating has likely worn off. You can give it a quick tune-up before your next trip:Apply a DWR Spray: Wash your backpack to remove dirt and trail oils, then spray the exterior with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment (like Nikwax or Granger's). This forces water to bead up and roll off the fabric.
Seal the Seams: If your pack is made of highly water-resistant fabric but leaks at the stitching, you can manually apply a silicone-based seam sealer to the inside seams.
The Golden Rule of Packing for Mountain Rain
When hitting the trail in wet weather, keep your wet gear separate. Items like your soaked tent fly, wet rain jacket, or muddy water filters should never go inside your waterproof liner. Utilize your backpack's external mesh pockets, brain, or side pockets for these items so they can drain without contaminating your dry gear.
By combining a tough internal liner with an external rain cover, you create an impenetrable two-layer defense system. No matter how wild the Drakensberg weather gets, you can hike with total peace of mind knowing you have a warm, dry change of clothes waiting for you at the end of the day.
We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!
The End.
Safe Hiking.
Willem Pelser
References and Acknowledgements
Article: W PelserPhotos – Google
Compiled by Willem Pelser