DiCAPac Alpha - WP-C1 product reviews

Like most people these days, I am very protective of my phone. I want it to stay dry, clean and fully functional. However, since the phones go everywhere with us, if we are heading into a rough environment - such as a rural setting, or heading out in winter where sudden rain is all too likely - we need to give it some extra protection.

There is an entire spectrum of protective covers out there, ranging from "a ziplock bag" to specialised rugged cases that can survive a drop from extreme altitude and with a price tag almost as high and you need tools to get your phone in or out. For those that want something effective, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive... this is something you should be checking out.

At it's basis, it's a plastic ziplock bag with a Velcro flap. Some of the best things in the world are simple, so don't let that put you off... this is a very clever and effective design. Contrary to first thoughts, when you place your phone in, you put it in upside down - the clear camera window is at the bottom, and if you have it hanging around your neck on the lanyard, it's easy to flip it up and use it without having to twist or turn it around. This saves a lot of hassle and means you get to use it quickly and easily.

I found the material that makes up the clear front window was comfortable to use, though perhaps a little "grippy" at times, and still allowed me to use the touchscreen easily. My finger didn't run over it quite as smoothly as it did over the glass, but no worse than trying to use the phone with a damp fingertip anyway.

Big question: Does it keep the phone dry? Quick answer: Yup! Having a stack of old phones that won't connect anymore meant that I had plenty of test subjects, without putting my current phone at risk. Having successfully tested the touchscreen capabilities, there wasn't any special need for one, so throwing an old GSM handset in, turned on, was all I needed. I also threw in a couple of tissues and a piece of litmus strip. Squeezing out most of the air, I then sealed the ziplock strip, folded the top over twice, secured it against the Velcro, then sealed the overflap and locked that down on the Velcro too... this formed a solid seal that was air-tight, so it looked promising to be water-tight too.

Testing that proved to be simple... I have a big drum out the back that collects rainwater, so I just chucked this into the top. Because of the buoyancy of the material it's made from, and the fact I couldn't get all the air out without somehow hooking up a vacuum pump, this floated quite nicely. No water appeared to be getting in, but just to be sure I hooked the lanyard strap with a stick and shoved the whole kit down to the bottom of the barrel.

I came back 10 minutes later, and hauled it up from the depths. Well, I just unhooked the stick and it popped right back to the surface actually. Giving the pouch a good shake, I opened it and extracted my samples. Totally dry, as hoped. So, it passed that test easily. If you had been wearing this, stumbled as you climbed over a fence and dropped this in a cowpat, you could rinse it off with peace of mind, knowing the phone - and anything else you had in there for that matter - was safe and dry.

Overall, this is a clever little gadget, so simple to use and highly effective. Taking a leaf from Mythbusters, I removed the phone and tried to bust the seal by filling it was as much air as I could, sealing it then squeezing it between two sheets of wood and standing on it. I couldn't get it to burst under any "extreme pressure" that it would reasonably be expected to come across, so I'm convinced. My ONLY gripe with it was the colour - I am not a fan of white pouches, since I mainly wear dark colours, and don't own an iDevice. Thankfully, these are available in a range of colours, so you're bound to find one that fits your style.