Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

A recommendation for the wildcat. Worked out very nicely for my trip to Holland.

Enough stuff for two nights in hostels, and a d-lock.

This thing came in handy for charging Garmin etc at lunch time:

PortaPow

Thankyou, I revelate desighns may be a bit too expensive for now despite there reputation, Bikepack said their shipping would only be £12 for me for everything, Was that a handlebar bag laner? Carradice looks good I will go with them if Im not able to borrow anything else before the trip.

Oops, sorry, my bikepack is the saddlebag not the handlebar

I'm selling my BRP saddle bag if anybody is interested.

http://www.lfgss.com/thread111041.html

Alpkit's new stuff now online but not available to buy: http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=category&category_id=324

Saddlebag, stem bag, top tube bag and front harness.

This might have been posted already but a mate sent it to me just now:
http://reportage.transcontinentalrace.com/?p=369

Just back from a 10 day ride from London to Croatia. First a thank you to the other posters whose advice here was really useful. To add what I've learnt for others benefit;
1 - used a jack wolf skin gossamer tent and wild camped. Not cheap, but worked perfectly and kept out a very bad all night long thunderstorm in the Alps. The fly sheet removes so you can sleep under netting if its hot. Combined this with a lightweight down sleeping bag. Was nice and warm.
2 - used the Alp Kit bags. Great, tough, and simple. Relatively cheap too.
3 - used a Toppeak QR beam rack, attached to aluminium seat post. No problems, was a little top heavy stationary, but I didn't notice it at all when riding. No drama.
4 - I wanted to strava the entire ride, so fitted a PowerMonkey explorer solar panel and battery pack to the top of the bags. It worked well, giving me enough juice to continue for 2-3 days continuous strava, before I needed to top up in a restaurant (hint McDonalds always have sockets free!).
5 - no lock, so kept bike in grabbing distance at all times (although through much of Europe there was no risk of theft). On the one night that I stayed in a commercial campsite, I tied the bike frame with twine to my wrist, while I slept in the tent.
6 - spares - don't forget spares for cleats, which might be hard to come by - the road cleated shoes made a big efficiency difference (but I like wearing them anyways)
7 - tyres - two quite old continental GP 4000. Still life in them after the ride. No "P" at all. Fantastic.
A great ride, and best of luck to others going away.

http://salsacycles.com/culture/armed_with_curiosity_and_creativity

http://edwardpickup.com/2013/12/05/gear-review-transcontinental-kit/

No time to read it all now but seems very interesting! :)

Too good cheap to be true?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Uraltour-Cycling-Bicycle-Bike-Saddle-Packs-Seat-Bag-tracking-number-/251411454925?hash=item3a894a5bcdhttp://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=251411454925&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]https://sslcache.se/a5ec84ce80e9cb7747b06f83feba3e69ab55e30b/687474703a2f2f726f7665722e656261792e636f6d2f726f766572696d702f312f3731302d35333438312d31393235352d302f313f6666333d32267075623d3535373438383930353126746f6f6c69643d31303030312663616d7069643d35333336353235343135266974656d3d323531343131343534393235266d70743d5b43414348454255535445525d

Edit: Looked at other items and they do a custom frame bag for £25!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Uraltour-Custom-Frame-Bike-Bicycle-Bag-tracking-number-/251411454261?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a894a5935http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=251411454261&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]

Have googled them and so far only 1 report of poor quality from an electric bike forum. Lots saying delivery takes a while but for the price it'd surely be worth the wait.

Link does not work.

works fine for me, they do look good!

Now it does, design look very basic, and the fact it required a waterproof cover doesn't instil confidence.

It doesn't look like it'll be stable, could be wrong.

Nay sayyer

I agree with ed, but that's price-quality I guess

Think I'll save and consider my needs a while longer and maybe go Alpkit instead.

Mate of mine took his Crux out on a weekend trip.

Am i understanding correctly that seatpacks like the Alpkit/Bikepack are best for lightweight compressible items like down jackets and sleeping bags but nt soo well suited to weighty items like tents?

Where are people carrying their tents? Handlebars/in framebags? Or is a tent considered a luxury and most are bivvying or hosteling?

I've not really done any multi day rides before but want to this year. I'll be sticking to Scotland and would rather not have to plan rides around where I can get a hostel but I'm worried about a bivvy not being enough shelter even in the heights of summer up here. Should I just HTFU?

I was thinking about getting a frame bag but think I might be better to go with a seatpack/handlebar bag as i have two bikes I'd like to use for these trips (Surly 1x1 for off road trips, Pompino for road/gravel trips) and not sure a frame bag would transfer well between them. Actually, I fitted lowriders to the Pomp so there's panniers for carrying stuff on that.

Tent would be fine in seatpacks, I had some weighty item in them before (jacket, sleeping bag, tent, clothes, toilette, etc.), item I won't be taking out until I reach to the destination for the night, same go to handlebar bag, I never use the latter because it wasn't cold enough to take a bigger -5 sleeping bag.

Framebag are perfect for item you're most likely required access while riding.

Tent pole can go in the frame bag, allowing the tent to be packed much smaller/wrapped round the sleeping bag on the handlebar, almost less than half the original size.

Weight shouldn't be much of an issues, the curpit is usually installation, as long you installed it well and tight, plus with the max volume of around 11 litres, it's hard to go overboard with.

Tent pole can go in the frame bag, allowing the tent to be packed much smaller/wrapped round the sleeping bag on the handlebar, almost less than half the original size.

Thanks for this, I was looking at the Jack Wolfskin Gossamer tent last night and the size stated for it packed up was still pretty big but it must be due to the poles.

Too good cheap to be true?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Uraltour-Cycling-Bicycle-Bike-Saddle-Packs-Seat-Bag-tracking-number-/251411454925?hash=item3a894a5bcdhttp://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=251411454925&mpt=1404489https://sslcache.se/a5ec84ce80e9cb7747b06f83feba3e69ab55e30b/687474703a2f2f726f7665722e656261792e636f6d2f726f766572696d702f312f3731302d35333438312d31393235352d302f313f6666333d32267075623d3535373438383930353126746f6f6c69643d31303030312663616d7069643d35333336353235343135266974656d3d323531343131343534393235266d70743d5b43414348454255535445525d

Edit: Looked at other items and they do a custom frame bag for £25!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Uraltour-Custom-Frame-Bike-Bicycle-Bag-tracking-number-/251411454261?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a894a5935http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=251411454261&mpt=1404489

Have googled them and so far only 1 report of poor quality from an electric bike forum. Lots saying delivery takes a while but for the price it'd surely be worth the wait.

They're the real deal. Got one of their seatbags. Great value for the money.

Nice setup V&N :)

Thanks for this, I was looking at the Jack Wolfskin Gossamer tent last night and the size stated for it packed up was still pretty big but it must be due to the poles.

As Ed says it depends on installation, but a seat bag is the one most prone to swaying, so all other things being equal I'd put heavier stuff on the handlebar bag.

I havent had any issues of swinging saddle bags unless sprinting or climbing out the saddle, though not even too bad when climbing out the saddle because on steep parts gravity kept the saddle bag straight. I recommend to put weight in saddle bag rather than barbag because that does affect handling. Heavier stuff in framebag is also no problem so if you are riding a combo of saddle, frame and barbag try lutting the lighter stuff which you use on the road in the barbag and stuff the frame and saddle bag with heavier stuff.

Picked up the 8l and 20l alpkit dry bags with bungee loop thingies, first impressions after using the 8l on a couple of errands are that they're ace.