SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Having just delivered a Macworld|iWorld session on “High Tech Camping,” I’ve been on the lookout for gear and gadgets that promise to protect your expensive gear in the great outdoors. Two exhibitors on the show floor look to fit that bill very nicely when it comes to keeping your iDevices safe in that most deadly of elements to electronics: water.

Watershed (Booth 330 or drybags.com) makes a full line of dry bags for all sorts of uses, from recreational to military, but the one that caught my attention is its Grid Tablet bag — an over-the-shoulder carrying case for your iPad. The bag uses Watershed’s “ZipDry” technology to enclose the iPad in a windowed plastic bag that uses a rugged rubberized seal similar to food storage bags to create an airtight seal that the company says is rated for submersion down to 300 feet. By squeezing out the air, the bag forms a vacuum seal around the iPod that lets it be used through a clear plastic window. A protective flap snaps shut to provide extra protection when the iPad is not in use. The $97 bag comes in a variety of colors ranging from camouflage to bright yellow — perfect for standing out in the woods, which is a big selling point for campers like me with older eyes.

For iPhones, Dry Case (Booth 316 or drycase.com) offers a waterproof bag that comes with a squeeze pump to create a vacuum seal the company says is waterproof to 100 feet. The $40 clear case also allows you to use your phone and includes a waterproof headphone jack that can be paired with waterproof headphones (sold separately for $30) so you can take calls or listen to music in the water. It includes an armband and a lanyard to ensure your iPhone won’t float away on you. The company says the case is clear enough to allow you to use your iPhone as an underwater camera.

Both companies are offering Macworld|iWorld discounts throughout the show with codes being handed out at their respective booths.