Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

I've got a couple of weights of xpac, was going to use a combination of the heavier weight and 1000d cordura for the 'butt' of it and the lighter weight for the rolling part. Cordura will be fairly minimal, just for reinforcement at contact points with the seat post and saddle rails. Will almost a dead rip-off of the older style Revelate bags to see how things fit before worrying about added attachments or weight saving

I don't know about big balls, I think I've still got a couple of kilos of spare fat left insulating my core...

I wanted to have a play with some xpac a while ago, but realistically 500d is superior due to the overall abrasion resistance. It's just so damn expensive it's not worth looking at from a production perspective, especially when 500d exists. It's a supremely underrated fabric that is slowly becoming more and more used. xpac was kind of the ultralite badge of honour (aside from cuben), but people are coming around to the idea of using something that will last a touch longer.

I love the idea of the stuff though, if i was making things just for me, I'd definitely be tempted as long term durability isn't something I really have to worry about on personal bags.