How to transport personal belongings while swimming long distance?

There are these types of dry-bags that float and are combined with a leash and waist band. They are often marketed as primarely a "safety buoy", as they provide you with visibility, which is definitely a nice thing if there are boats around. Many of them just have a small pouch for keys/wallet/phone, but there exists variants with much more capacity. Keywords are dry bag or tow float.

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posted over 6 years ago

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imsodin‭

41 reputation 26 171 6 0

Search on "dry bag". Look for one with a tether and tow it. Ortlieb

Also there are some waterproof packs. I don't know anything about this brand - it is just an example.

posted over 6 years ago

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paparazzo‭

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Until you got to "shorts and T shirt" I'd have said a waterproof belt bag. I've used them kayaking (on the rare occasions when it's warm enough to go without a drysuit or at least dry-cag in the UK) and for swimming in the sea/lakes/rivers. They'll hold a decent wallet, phone and keys without much effect on your swimming.

If possible, avoid trying to take more than that, but I assume you've considered that already. I wouldn't want anything bigger fastened to me, but would instead use a good roll-top drybag and tow it with an easy-to-release line. I have a tow-line belt for kayaking (things like recovering beginners' boats in flat water) so would try that, or a line held in one hand. A loop over one shoulder goes against my whitewater-trained instincts but would be quite sensible in placid water. The dry bag should be packed so it floats but not too full of air.

Note that there are special tow floats (bright to make you more visible). Some have dry storage. That's what the experts use.

posted over 6 years ago

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Chris H‭

796 reputation 9 169 83 0

River swimming is very popular in Switzerland and has led to the development of exactly the kind of dry bag you are looking for called "Wickelfisch". It's a dry bag you roll up and tow. https://wickelfischusa.com/

posted over 6 years ago

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user2705196‭

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I am searching for the same sort of thing. I live in a village on a rugged, sparsely populated stretch of coast in Mexico. I have a lot of ocean to explore if I can address two safety concerns:

• I will be on my own. There's no one on shore, and minimal boat traffic, so no one would see me and offer help if I needed it
• the people in boats aren't expecting anyone in the water, so they won't be on the lookout to avoid running me over

Solution I found a bunch of high-visibility bags, that provide flotation, by searching for "swimming tow bag" on Amazon. I'm going to try this one

swim buoy bag/backpack

Because

• visible color
• it appears to have separate compartments for air and stuff. If you have just one compartment and you were to open it while in the water, the bag would lose some or all bouyancy unless you refill and close it just right
• detachable backpack straps (handy for swimming somewhere and then walking)

posted about 6 years ago

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ECD‭

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