Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

The carradice tube-shaped saddle bag makes for a good bar-bag. Especially once you stop messing about with traps that feature rattly buckles and use the really heavy-duty Velcro fastening bands that rose sell for lashing bits together when you're transporting yr bike.

That and a Nelson longflap did me nicely for four days in holland.

The carradice tube-shaped saddle bag makes for a good bar-bag.

Now that is a good idea. Repped.

It does work very well as a bar bag, almost identical to the Rivendell I've posted earlier.

fair.

Now to figure best way to attach shit to my talbot

Check out alpkit if you're on a budget.

I've just ordered a couple 13liter Airlock Xtras and some of Alpkit's double straps to attach to the bike.

Hopefully be able to use one as a seatpack (I notice Alpkit have removed the blog post about doing so - presumably to encourage people to buy the much more expensive Koala) a'la -

http://www.pedalingnowhere.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/13-07-11_11.jpg

This looks more stable to me than many of the purpose built seatpacks that extend way out behind the seat anyway.

The other one is to attach to my bars again with just straps as I see the harness things as possibly being superfluous.

I'll probably have to go on top of my bars because I'm using cables not hydros so can't afford to bend them too much and also because I'm using a mega short stem and dirt drops. I've had a play about and think I can do this securely.

interesting, any idea what size the bag in the pic is? looks bigger than 13, but the no padding might be misleading

** edit just realised your pic isnt the same drybag, nvm

post pics if you get a chance!

I've got one of those, I'll measure it in a minute.

27 x 13 centimetres

13l Alpkit drybag as a saddlebag.I think it'd work better the other way up with the loop wrapped as per the other image I posted. Should probably just have posted Jimmyfingers' image in the first place.

interesting, any idea what size the bag in the pic is? looks bigger than 13, but the no padding might be misleading

** edit just realised your pic isnt the same drybag, nvm

post pics if you get a chance!

I've got one of the double-opening 13L Alpkit dry bags and a couple of the 8L Airlock Xtras if you want borrow them and experiment with attaching things to your bike

This is how I'll be carrying my tent. Not sure that the Jack Wolfskin bag is a proper drybag though so it'll be in an Alpkit Airlok.

Seems quite stable up there, probably due to the design of my stem. Poles can just be seen strapped to the toptube.

Looking good, but you won't be able to position your hands on top of the bars. If that is no issue for you I guess it'll be just fine :)

Looking good, but you won't be able to position your hands on top of the bars. If that is no issue for you I guess it'll be just fine :)

Yeah it's not really a position I tend to use much so happy to do without when I'm loaded up.

Has anyone done, doing the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route? other than Scoble? I really, really want to do it, but wouldn't want to do it with any less than two other people.

Bagmaker Scott is still set to do it.

Alpkit's double straps to attach to the bike.

I'm on phoneternet and probably being short sighted, I can't find these on the site but would like to... can anyone help with a link please?

https://www.alpkit.com/products/dual-straps ?

^ ace, thanks.

any ideas on front bag?

It's an Acorn.

its berthoud actually!

Prolly said it's a Berthoud, but later realised it's an Acorn when I asked.

Definitely not Berthoud.

well, theres me told

The divide is on my list but definitely as a solo thing..

Until the dual straps are ordered gonna tryout this as a commute carrier on my frankenbike. Doubt the d-lock will survive the journey without dropping out though?

Depends partly on the age of the bungee.