Waterproofing help!

I've got a lovely satchel-style bag for my laptop, and it has some padding and compartments specifically for a laptop. However, an oversight is that the bag does not zip up, it only has a large flap over the top. So, the corners of the laptop are exposed to the elements - not good when you live in grey Manchester!
What I am hoping is that i can find some sort of waterproof cover, like a zip-lock bag or something, that i can put the laptop in before putting it in the bag. Does such a thing exist? My laptop is 15.4". Any ideas? Other than buying a suitable bag, and not a pretty one?

 

Perhaps carry an umbrella?

I've seen tight-fitting notebook 'sleeves' that are designed to protect a notebook while in transit. Perhaps someone makes a waterproof one?

 

Supposedly neoprene laptop slipcases are waterproof. I just ordered this one which is going to be delivered today. I'll tell you if it is decent, because I don't really trust that the zipper is waterproof.

 

Oh great! Are you going to test it out first? Pour some water on it for a while and let me know how it fares! We've had some torrential rain recently...

 

Actually, neoprene is not waterproof. Quite the opposite. It is porous, like a sponge, and will absorb water. Wetsuits for divers are made of neoprene. The reason they call them 'wetsuits' is because you will get wet (as opposed to a drysuit which keeps the diver dry, and is not made of neoprene). Neoprene is not waterproof.

You can't be the only one with this problem - thousands of people carry laptops in various types of hand bags to work each day. Surely there are many products out there designed to keep them dry.

 

You would think so! I've had a look around online but not found anything yet that is definitely waterproof....

 

there are some stuff online i just googled.... here's one for example:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/otterbox-waterproof-rugged-laptop-case-185486.php

but most of the ones i found are running for at least $100+.. so dont know if thats wat ur aiming for.

 

I am looking for something a little cheaper if possible! But thank you for looking for me, i appreciate it. What I really want is something made of soft flexible material, it doesn't really need to protect the laptop from bumps as my satchel will do that, i just need, in essense, a raincoat for the laptop!

 

When its raining (right now it is).. i put the laptop in a plastic bag (the shopping bag type) and put it inside my backpack. My backpack is waterproof. just additional security

 

I don't take my laptops out in the rain. Simple as that . Seriously, though, you could get a nb sleeve and a ziplock bag from Targus(The Pulse 2 is a good one). Dicota also has some good water resistant bags. Or as andy suggested, you could wrap it in a plastic.

 

Yeh well you don't get much rain in India do you mate?

Cheapest thing to do is put it inside a big carrier bag - waterproof laptop bags are expensive and also if you get a waterproof bag to put your notebook/notebook case inside it just looks plan noobish when you carry it around!.

 

Living in the rainiest city in the Uk (well it feels like it anyway!) I would never take my laptop out at all if i only took it out in good weather!

 

Then explain why many drysuits are in fact made from neoprene. And many waterproof gloves. Neoprene is made of rubber, and is in fact waterproof. It contains numerous sealed air bubbles that help keep the wearer warm. The wet part of a wetsuit is due to seepage of water at the seams into the suit, which forms a nice thin little layer of water that keeps the user warm. If neoprene was porous, this wouldn't work nearly as well.

So no worries, a properly made neoprene bag can certain keep your lappy dry!

 

Right, for now I think I will go with the plastic bag option! And keep an eye out for something better. I agree that some of the cases are awful looking, this is why i bought a specially made satchel that looks nice rather than a nasty old black laptop case or rucksack - I don't WANT people to know I am carrying a laptop!

 

Ever heard of monsoon? Oh the joys of traveling by rickshaw in flooded streets... Bonus points if the rickshaw driver floods the engine or breaks it by falling into a pothole the size of a water buffalo and strands you. Bap re!

Whatever protection works for normal conditions should be tripled for monsoon!

 

for added protection, put the laptop in a plastic bag.. put it in a backpack.. put in on.. and wear a raincoat over it if the bag is thin enough...

plastic bag, according to me is good enough. I've carried books when i was in school on it and it never got wet.

 

Or you could buy a better backpack. Many come with water-resistant materials and covered seams, and are fine unless you're caught in a torrential downpour. Others can be completely waterproof, but are better suited for outdoor activities. I concur that a tied plastic bag is probably the way to go.

 

Simple, for insulation. A thin (few mm) layer of neoprene will keep you warm making it a great insulator and suitable for both wetsuits and drysuits. The difference is that the drysuit has a nylon outer shell which provides the waterproofing, since neoprene alone is not waterproof, it is porous like a sponge.

Neoprene is NOT made of rubber. Neoprene is 100% synthetic and is made from the polymer form of chloroprene.

I think that's where your confusion is. It does not contain numerous sealed air bubbles. Neoprene is open-cell by default, once again, just like a sponge. There is such thing as closed-cell neoprene which is occasionally used in wetsuits for very cold environments, but it is not 'common'.

In conversational speech, when you say the word 'neoprene', it refers to the traditional open-cell variety. Most advertising literature for any products made of neoprene will say 'neoprene' to refer to the typical open-cell variety and 'closed-cell neoprene' for the waterproof variety.

My point here, is that just because a product is made of neoprene, certainly doesn't mean that it's waterproof, unless it specifically says so.

Here's a reference:
http://ponyball.net/diving-wetsuit-guidelines.html
"Wetsuits are meant to keep divers warm by giving them thermal protection. There are some important guidelines which a diver should learn regarding the wetsuit he might acquire and use.

First of all, it is important to know that they are usually made
from neoprene; most of the times open cell neoprene."

 

Here's mine, where they make it clear that closed-cell neoprene is often used for drysuits, that it contains closed nitrogen bubbles that prevent heat transfer, etc. Also, synthetic rubber is still called rubber. Many rubber products these days are latex free.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drysuit
Also look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetsuit

I don't consider wikipedia to be the formative opinion on the matter, but you cite it yourself so I assume you're satisfied with it.

And yes, it does note that open-celled neoprene is often used for wetsuits, but not in reference to dry suits. Regardless, I'm certain that any company using a neoprene container for a notebook and calling it waterproof either used closed cell neoprene, or ensured a waterproof barrier was involved. That, and my neoprene only water shoes are definitely waterproof, at least until I go over the tops!

 

anybody have any more info on that otter box mentioned earlier in this thread?

 

Just google up Otter Box, theyre a company.

I believe Qhs has one, and its hardened plastic.

I've seen it up close, and it can surely take a good amount of punishment. Theres a few small drainage holes on the side, so you can just pour out any water that may have gone into it. But otherwise, its pretty hard to get water into it if its already closed in the first place.

 

I've heard that the sfbag waterfield sleeve is pretty waterproof