Quick Take Review

It’s been a while since we were on the water. So this past weekend, we loaded up a few rods and the rest of the gear and headed into the Sierras above Placerville to see what was left of the American River’s South Fork. The good news: despite the serious drought in California, the American River still runs and fishes pretty well. The bad news: it’s deep enough to swallow the walkie talkies we use to communicate out on the river.

Much of the gear reviewed here on GearGuide gets used on a regular basis. One such item is the Rapid River Vest Pack from LL Bean. I wear it every time I hit the water. It’s comfortable, boasts a ton of pockets, an integrated pack that’s hydration compatible and much more. When I originally purchased the Rapid River Vest Pack, LL Bean was selling them for a bargain $99. The product since received an upgrade gaining even more functionality and a slight lift in price to $139. However, one of the things that remained was the open stretch front pocket – the place where I normally carry my walkie. And it was from there that it tumbled into the American River last Saturday.

Splash. Damn. Get a hand down there. Retrieve. Hope. Press button. Hope. Strange beeps. Squelch. Damn. No hope. We’ve all been there. Probably multiple times. Damn.

Well, there might be hope. At home sits a Bheestie Bag. A small plastic pouch filled with a substance that promised to suck the moisture from my walkie. Drive home. Hope. Try the walkie again. Same sounds. Remove batteries. Open Bheestie Bag and insert walkie. Hope.

Specs
Contents: 1 oz (28 g) of Bheestie Molecular Beads
Bag Size: 5.25 in x 7.0 in

Bheestie Bags were invented in the Pacific Northwest by two women that were tired of replacing electronics dropped in the drink. Inside the 28 gram bag, the company places two small pouches of what they call Bheestie Beads. These little blue and white balls supposedly work better than silca and rice to absorb moisture from electronic devices. I placed my walkie in the bag for about 48 hours to see what miracle might happen.

Well, it worked. The Bheestie Beads seemed to do their thing to my walkie talkie. After a couple of days, it emerged from the bag none-the-worse from the experience. All the buttons work as prescribed. Battery drain seems normal.

So thanks Bheestie Bag for helping to rescue a favorite piece of electronics. It wasn’t expensive or fancy, but saving it sure beats having to buy a new one. If you find yourself in a similar situation, look for Bheestie Bags at Amazon.

Thanks for reading another outdoor gear review from GearGuide. And thanks to Bheestie Bags for providing a sample for this review.