What Each Capacity Sells For
Before deciding the mix, it helps to know what each size is bought to do:
| Capacity | What the end user buys it for | Retail role |
|---|---|---|
| 2–5L | Phone, keys, wallet, camera, documents | Impulse buy, add-on, multipack filler |
| 10L | Day trip: change of clothes, snacks, compact gear | Core volume seller |
| 15–20L | Multi-day clothing, kayaking, general camping | The hero size — highest demand |
| 30–40L | Group gear, camping essentials, sleeping bag | Steady mid-tier |
| 60–80L | Basecamp, family loads, expedition hauling | Lower volume, higher ticket |
If you stock only three sizes, the widely used core trio is 5L, 10L, and 20L — small valuables, day use, and the all-rounder. Twenty litres is the size shoppers search for most and the one that anchors a camping display.
Building the Size Mix
- Anchor on 20L — it carries the widest use case and the strongest demand; give it the deepest stock and the most colour options.
- Add 10L as the second pillar — day-trip buyers convert quickly and it's an easy second purchase.
- Keep 2–5L shallow but present — low ticket, but it drives add-on sales at the till and fills multipacks.
- Treat 30–40L as considered purchases — steady, not fast; stock to demand rather than depth.
- Order 60–80L to order or shallow — high ticket, lower turn, and the bulkiest to store and ship.
Multipacks and Sets: The Wholesale Format That Moves
Assorted multipacks are one of the strongest formats in this category — bundles of two, three, or six bags in mixed sizes and colours, sold as a set. They work because campers genuinely pack modularly (a sack for clothing, one for the sleeping bag, one for wet gear), so a set answers the real use case while raising the average order value above a single-bag sale. For a wholesale buyer, a set also simplifies merchandising: one SKU, one price point, and no need to predict which single size a shopper wants. A practical bundle is a small-medium-large trio — for example 5L, 10L, and 20L in coordinated or contrasting colours.
Colour: An Assortment Lever, Not a Detail
Colour range drives both display appeal and practical sales. Bright colours (yellow, orange, red) sell into water sports where visibility matters and a dropped bag needs finding; black and grey serve the understated end and corporate or promotional orders. Stocking a hero size in several colours usually outperforms stocking more sizes in one colour — depth in the sizes that move, breadth in colour.
The Labelling Trap: Stated vs Usable Capacity
This is the single most common source of wholesale complaints in this category, and it's avoidable. A roll-top's usable volume depends on how many times it's rolled — the seal consumes roughly 15–20 cm of vertical fabric, about 4–5 cm per fold, which reduces real capacity by around 4–6L compared with the unrolled state. Reputable brands say so explicitly on the listing: volume varies with the number of rolls, and unrolled the bag exceeds its advertised figure.
For a wholesale buyer, two practical consequences: state capacity honestly in your listings and packaging copy to head off returns, and when a customer asks “will my sleeping bag fit a 30L?”, remember that an uncompressed three-season bag can fill roughly three-quarters of it — recommend a step up. The full sizing logic is set out in our custom camping bag buying guide.
Logistics: Capacity Drives Your Landed Cost
Large bags cost more to ship than their weight suggests. Dry bags are light but bulky, so freight is usually charged on volumetric rather than actual weight, and an 80L duffel eats carton space fast. Points worth confirming at quotation:
- Carton quantity per size — how many units per carton at each capacity, since this drives your per-unit freight.
- Packing format — individual poly bag plus master carton is standard; ask how the bags are folded or rolled for shipping.
- Origin — a China or Vietnam production base can change landed cost depending on your market's tariff schedule.
- Order spread — confirm whether the MOQ applies per model, and how sizes and colours can be split within it; this is what determines how wide an assortment you can order on a first purchase.
The Product Basis
These welded bags, from Sealock's waterproof camping bag line, are equal options for a wholesale assortment — none is ranked above another; the SL-D002 in particular offers the core 5–30L sizes in eight colours, which makes it a ready-made assortment anchor for a store:
| Model & specs | Wholesale role | Construction | MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL-D002 Tarpaulin Waterproof Tube Dry Bag — 5/10/20/30L; 500D PVC tarpaulin; roll-top; yellow, blue, black, red, grey, pink, white, orange; adjustable shoulder strap + D-ring; floats; silk-screen. | Core dry-sack ladder in eight colours — the assortment anchor | HF-welded; 500D PVC | 500 |
| Waterproof Backpack for Camping (SL-E144) — 24L (27×18×50 cm); 420D TPU; red/blue and grey/brown; external-frame carry; Bureau Veritas. | Compact day/overnight backpack | HF-welded; 420D TPU | 300–500 |
| Waterproof Hiking Backpack (SL-E011) — 20–40L; TPU or PVC; blue, black, grey, red, yellow; curved-back carry; internal phone pocket. | Colour-rich mid-range — strong for assortment breadth | HF-welded; TPU or PVC | 300–500 |
| 30L Waterproof Camping Backpack (SL-E208) — 30L (also a 45L build, L29×W19×H55 cm); 300D TPU; silk-screen or embossed logo. | Steady mid-tier camping backpack | HF-welded; 300D TPU | 300 |
| Waterproof Backpack with Airtight Zipper (SL-E103) — 45L (30×22×73 cm); TPU waterproof coating; airtight zipper; internal computer layer. | Large-format, sealed-closure higher ticket | HF-welded; TPU, airtight zipper | 500 |
| Unplug Ultimate Adventure Bag — 25L / 45L / 65L; TPU-coated, fully sealed welded seams; converts between backpack, duffel, and dry-sack; floats. | Convertible higher-ticket hero across three sizes | HF-welded; TPU-coated | 300–500 |
Capacity, colourway, closure, and branding are specifiable per order, and custom sizes can be developed where a buyer's assortment needs a capacity the standard ladder doesn't cover.
Quality Consistency Across an Assortment
An assortment only works if every size performs the same. Quality is gated in three tiers — IQC (incoming fabric, buckles, and webbing against the signed colour card, with colour difference and fastness), IPQC (in-process cutting tolerance and weld integrity), and OQC (outgoing AQL sampling, a real water-submersion batch test, and golden-sample comparison, with SGS or QIMA inspection available). Colour difference control matters especially on a multi-colour assortment, where a shade drifting between production runs is immediately visible on a shelf.
FAQ: Wholesale Capacity Questions
Q: If I only stock three sizes, which should they be?
A: 5L, 10L, and 20L. That trio covers valuables, day trips, and the general-purpose bag, and 20L is the size shoppers look for most.
Q: Why do customers say the bag is smaller than advertised?
A: Because rolling the top to seal it consumes 15–20 cm of fabric — roughly 4–6L of usable volume versus the unrolled figure. State this on your listings; the better brands do, and it prevents returns.
Q: Are multipacks worth stocking?
A: Usually yes. Campers pack modularly, so a small-medium-large set matches real use, raises average order value, and simplifies merchandising to a single SKU.
Q: More sizes or more colours?
A: Depth in the sizes that move (10L and 20L) across several colours generally beats a wide ladder in a single colour. Bright colours sell into water sports; black and grey suit understated and corporate buyers.
Q: What size should I recommend for a sleeping bag?
A: Larger than customers expect — an uncompressed three-season sleeping bag can fill about three-quarters of a 30L sack, leaving too little room to roll and seal. Point them a size up, or to a compression sack.
Q: How is the MOQ applied across sizes and colours?
A: MOQ is set per model, typically 300–500 pieces; how it splits across capacities and colours is confirmed at quotation, so tell us your intended assortment and we'll quote against it.
Talk to the Factory
For wholesale quotations, assortment planning, and samples across the capacity range, contact Sealock at info@sealock.com.hk or +86-769-82009361. Over twenty years in welded waterproof bags, a China–Vietnam dual-base option, and consistent quality across every size in the ladder.