Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liners Review

Overview

The Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liners are ultralight, watertight bag liners — and they’ve recently been made taller for more storage coverage.

You insert one into your pack’s main compartment before loading your gear, so you’re essentially packing everything inside the liner itself — which creates a waterproof wall between your kit and the outside world.

They’re a no-frills solution aimed at weight-conscious hikers who’d rather keep the rain out than carry around a rain cover.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight (each)	34 g / 1.2 oz
Capacity	48 L
Dimensions	32” H × 12” W × 8” D
Material	PolyEarthylene® (biobased polyolefin)
Sold As	2-pack
Origin	Made in USA
Closure	Open top (fold-over or twist-tie)
Comparison	See how Clear Waterproof Pack Liners compares to similar gear

Note on weight: The current Gossamer Gear product page lists each liner at 40 g / 1.4 oz, reflecting the updated PolyEarthylene® material. The 34 g figure corresponds to the previous polyethylene film version. If you’re buying today, budget for the slightly heavier iteration.

Performance

Waterproofing

These liners do the one job they’re asked to do reliably well. SectionHiker used Gossamer Gear’s clear plastic pack liners for many years, going through a pair per year, and found them lighter than trash compactor bags and easy to patch with clear tape if punctured. The waterproofing isn’t some laminated membrane — it’s just polyethylene doing what polyethylene does. That means it’s effective as long as the material stays intact, which requires a bit of care around sharp tent stakes and trekking pole tips.

The bags are open at the top, so you have to fold them over or use a twist-tie to hold them closed

— this is the biggest real-world limitation. In moderate rain it’s a minor inconvenience; in a genuine downpour you want that fold sealed tightly before shouldering your pack. A rubber band or a couple of clip-style bag ties weighing fractions of a gram solve this entirely.

Durability

For how thin these plastic bags are, they’re surprisingly durable and effective.

The material isn’t indestructible — it’s ultralight plastic, after all — but the consensus across reviewers is that a pair lasts a full season of regular use before needing replacement. If you do get a nick, clear tape patches work well, and you can usually nurse a liner through the rest of a trip without issue.

Visibility

The clear material is genuinely useful. The clear polyethylene makes finding gear a cinch, especially inside dark-interior packs where colored items disappear. That said, because they’re clear, the liners inherit the color of your pack’s interior, so they have a neutral (rather than enhancing) impact on visibility — don’t expect the contrast boost you’d get from a white compactor bag.

Sustainability

GG has updated the material to PolyEarthylene®, a biobased polyolefin that is USA-made and can be recycled in existing curbside systems or biodegrades completely in an active landfill.

Major grocery stores also offer specialty bins that guarantee proper plastics recycling when local curbside options vary.

It’s a genuine step forward over standard virgin polyethylene film, though this is still a consumable product you’ll replace annually.

Pack Liners vs. Rain Covers

Compared to rain covers, these liners are a fraction of the cost and weight, and work significantly better — they also won’t blow away or make it harder to access pockets.

The one functional gap: they don’t protect external storage areas like hip belt pockets or exterior mesh pockets. If you rely on those for quick-access items like a rain jacket or snacks, you’ll still want to keep those things in their own small dry bags or accept they might get damp.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Extremely light at 34–40 g per liner
• Clear material lets you see pack contents without unpacking
• Patchable with clear tape — easy trailside repair
• Eco-friendly PolyEarthylene® material is recyclable and biodegradable
• Sized specifically for ultralight packs, unlike generic compactor bags
• Comes as a 2-pack — one for your current trip, one as a backup
• Made in the USA

Cons

• Open-top closure requires a fold or twist-tie; no integrated roll-top seal
• Does not protect external pockets or hip belt compartments
• Noisy and crinkly inside the pack — a minor annoyance you’ll notice
• Consumable: expect to go through roughly a pair per year with regular use

• At their price point, they’re not as casually disposable as a compactor bag

  — you’ll want to treat them with some care

Who Should Buy This

Poly pack liners like these are a good fit for hikers who want a Goldilocks blend of durability and affordability

— lighter and better-fitting than a trash compactor bag, but far cheaper and simpler than a silnylon or DCF roll-top liner. They pair particularly well with Gossamer Gear’s own packs (the Mariposa, Gorilla, etc.), which lack built-in waterproofing. If you’re already carrying a GG pack and want to complete the system without a heavy rain cover, this is the obvious answer.

Verdict

The Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liners are about as unsexy as ultralight gear gets, and that’s entirely the point. They work, they’re light, they’re cheap enough to replace without wincing, and the new PolyEarthylene® material gives you a cleaner conscience when they finally wear out. The open-top closure is the only genuine friction point, and it’s easily managed. At a rating of 8/10, the only reason this isn’t higher is that the lack of an integrated seal means you need to stay disciplined in heavy weather — a roll-top version would be near-perfect.