This Waterproof Bag Keeps Everything Dry (Even Through Hurricane Remnants)

Helene was still spitting rain when it got to Gary Van Sickle's part of the country, but he was able to play on thanks to Sun Mountain's water-fighting H2NO LiteSpeed bag.

The Sun Mountain H2NO LiteSpeed waterproof bag ensures dry gear. The rest is up to you. / Courtesy Sun Mountain

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The remnants of Hurricane Helene drifted over Pittsburgh recently and Helene, though weak, still packed a bit of a punch. A wet punch. 

Despite the storm’s annoyingly steady rain, play continued in a West Penn senior amateur event in which I was competing. My rainsuit quickly proved it belonged in a retirement home (maybe me, too, come to think of it) but it helped me find one flaw in Sun Mountain’s new H2NO LiteSpeed waterproof golf bag.

It doesn’t have armholes. 

I was soaked. My rain jacket, several years old, absorbed the moisture instead of repelling it. But my golf clubs, gloves, extra towel and other items zippered up tight in my H2NO LiteSpeed bag were wonderfully dry. If I could just climb inside the bag and zip the rain hood shut over my head, I fantasized, I would even consider playing an emergency nine in these splashy conditions.

Never mind that the H2NO Lite would need a larger diameter for me to fit inside. Much, much larger. The idea is totally impractical. But it was my fantasy so I’ll imagine myself as lean as a Slim Jim if I want. And yes, my imagination is that good.

Withstanding Helene’s leftovers totally convinced me about the H2NO Lite. Actually, I was already convinced because I’d carried it for nine holes twice in drizzly conditions. But for the record, I am officially still field-testing the H2NO Lite. I like it so much that it is now my everyday gamer and I am not sending it back. Sun Mountain, you’re going to have to come and get it.

The H2NO LiteSpeed ($329) is an outstanding carry bag that just so happens to be almost as watertight as the USS Nautilus. It has all the features any golfer is looking for in a stand bag or cart bag.

Before examining those features, though, here is what it takes to make a great golf bag for rainy weather, the kind of thing that is a must-have for golfers who live in a rainforest, most of the Gulf Coast and/or certain parts of Seattle. The bag’s shell has to repel water, duh. The H2NO’s high-tech skin does just that. It has sheen, is slick and the zippers have lapels that help seal the pockets. 

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The bag has to be easy to use, too. You know when you play in the rain that it is always going to be a wrestling match with your bag’s rain hood. The H2NO has an easy-on, easy-off hood that zips from either end. You can attach it to the bag in under two minutes, probably one minute if you train like a NASCAR pit crew. Admit it, you probably couldn’t find the rain hood for your current bag even if you were told in which corner of your garage it was stashed. And you could solve Rubik’s cube faster than figuring out which snaps on the rain hood go where on your bag. Even Albert Einstein would look at your rain hood and wonder, “WTH?” Well, that’s the main reason your hood got buried somewhere in the first place. It’s too hard to put on and too difficult to use. 

The H2NO hood installation is way easier than assembling that LEGO pirates set on Christmas Eve. This hood has no snaps, just two Velcro arms on each side of the bag that easily slip through loops built into the exterior. A wide swath of hood slides under the bag handle, secured by two more larger Velcro arms that help keep the bag’s top covered. 

The hood zips open from either end. Your clubs are bunched together in the bag beneath the hood, so as with any rain hood, it’s never a total cinch to reach a hand in to remove a club or put it back into the proper area among the four dividers. I found the H2NO to be as easy as possible to get clubs in and out quickly, allowing me to rezip the top and prevent rain from getting at my clubs. The dry grips at the end of my senior tournament round in non-stop rain proved it.

What’s not to like? Nothing. The H2NO has the standard, easy-to-use X-Strap dual strap system. It slips on and off my shoulders effortlessly. The bag weighs only 4.4 pounds. Even with a rangefinder, eight or 10 golf balls and a rain suit, it is an easy carry.

There are six pockets. One pocket is velour-lined and split into two halves, so you can keep your phone separate from your car keys, your Advil bottle, your Sharpies and your collection of precious gems. (Just kidding about that last one.) The full-length pocket is roomy enough for a full rainsuit, a rangefinder and a few other items. 

The H2NO has a hydration sleeve—a fancy name a cooler pocket. It zips shut, of course. The pocket for holding balls is large, easily big enough for two dozen or more. And if you need that many pellets to make it through 18 holes, I’m not really looking to be your partner.

The other pocket is on the side of the bag. It is large and it’s where I stash my gloves, sunglasses, tees and magic fairy dust. (The latter is supposed to add six yards to my drives … not that I’m getting desperate.) Where you put your stuff is up to you but the H2NO has all the room I need.

The H2NO LiteSpeed has all the dry I need. I used to have a rule about not teeing off on the first hole when it’s raining (except for tournament play) and that rule has gotten firmer as I’ve gotten older. Getting wet was a lot more fun when I was a kid and Woodrow Wilson was still in office.

With the H2NO LiteSpeed, I am considering relaxing that rule. Playing in the rain is not so bad when your grips stay dry. If you happen to have a few bets going with your playing partners, despite that no-gambling edict at Bushwood, the H2NO may actually give you a competitive edge on a rainy. And I do so enjoy taking my opponents’ money.

I finished ninth in the aforementioned Helene-remnant senior event, by the way. Some of the credit for that goes to the H2NO. I wouldn’t have survived as well without dry grips and dry gloves. 

All of the blame for not finishing better goes to me. Helene’s remnants didn’t really pack much of a punch. Unfortunately, I didn’t, either. I hope that magic fairy dust is returnable for a full refund.