Got caught in a rainstorm in Lisbon and my packing cube was a mess

I was walking back to my hostel in Lisbon last October when the sky just opened up. No warning, just a total downpour. My bag has a rain cover but I didn't have it on because it was sunny 10 minutes earlier. By the time I ducked into a cafe, water was dripping down the sides of my backpack and into the main compartment. My clothes were in packing cubes but the water got in through the zipper gaps anyway. My favorite pair of jeans was soaked and I had to hang them on the shower rod for 2 days. The worst part was my toiletries bag leaked a little soap into my dry shirt. Has anyone else had a bag get completely drenched and how do you prep for sudden rain like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

white.elizabeth1d ago

Not to be that person but is a little rain really that big of a deal? I mean your clothes were wet for a day or two and then they dried. That happens when you travel. Lisbon is known for random downpours it's part of the charm. I've had my whole backpack soaked through on a boat in Thailand and my phone got water damage and I still didn't think it was that serious. Plastic bags inside your packing cubes or even a dry bag for the essentials would solve most of this.

spencer_bell1d ago

I had this exact thing happen in Porto last spring and ended up with a soaked book and some damp socks that got musty. The trick for me was grabbing a few heavy duty trash compactor bags from a local supermarket instead of relying on packing cubes or plastic bags that split open. They're thicker than regular grocery bags and seal up tight enough that even a full downpour doesn't get through. Also buying a cheap umbrella at the first sign of rain has saved my phone more than once. Your suggestion about dry bags is solid too but sometimes you just need a quick fix that works.