As I said in my first post, long time MTB er, long time Fell walker and wild camper but never joining the two into being a bikepacker until (almost) now.
So coming from a long way back still.....

Looking at seatpost bags, I like the style of this Arkel Seatpacker 15 one, as it has a tiny frame to reduce wobble - at least I think I like it compared to "frameless" ones, me knowing nothing.
https://www.arkel-od.com/en/seatpacker- ... t-bag.html

But thinking about it, please ignore price and perceived quality in my example, why is something like a small seatpost rack and a 20l drybag any worse?
eg
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-B ... 3124924186

so before pulling the trigger on an Arkel, what am I missing?

thanks

J

why is something like a small seatpost rack and a 20l drybag any worse?

Seatpost racks tend to do one of a few things (a) snap (b) snap your seatpost (c) come lose and twist ... they are the spawn of Satan. A normal rack would be better but again, they're not that strong or flexible ... and even the strong ones are only fastened on with 4 M5 bolts in sheer, so off road, it's usually a problem of breakage rather than anything 'wrong' as it were.

Nothing wrong with the Arkel but don't be overly swayed ( ) by stories of saddle bags moving all over the place. Even a moderate amount of movement is difficult to detect once you're riding. Some do move more than others but it's largely a function of large capacity and made worse by poor packing.

I do have an old seatpost rack that I used now and then if on a more sedentary ride, or down to the shops for some beer. But never put it under any real stress so to speak.

So a general wobble is quite common it may seem and not too harmful on a seatpost bag.
I can't see me having more than 3Kg in a seatpost bag really. It might be better to downsize my aspirations, get a cheaper one and use it to learn from incase I want something bigger/better.
The tents the bummer, but thinking about it I could unpack it from it's bag, and even fit it all in one of the bigger frame bags, or distribute it front and back perhaps.

So much to learn.
J

Arkel Seatpacker 15 one
£190

From experience:
Alpkit - Not perfect, but good value for money.
Wildcat - Great if you dont need to access anything contained within during the day
Apidura - Easy to pack and if done well you wont notice any movement at all

Unless you're an American it's unlikely that you'll have masses (sic) of kit in a saddle bag. In summer I'll have 1kg - 1.5kg and in winter maybe 1.5kg - 2kg, nearly always clothing or sleeping bags. Even if you do decide to put some heavier items in there if you pack sensibly, i.e. the heavy stuff close to the seat post, then you aren't going to get any appreciable sway. I use a Wildcat Tiger harness which is one of the better systems around and there's still a cm or so of side to side movement but when riding it's unnoticeable.

Depending on the tent it might be better to break it down and distribute it: pegs and poles in a frame bag; etc.

Don't worry about things too much to begin with, just get out on a few local overnight rides and enjoy yourself. You'll take too much/the wrong kit but when you get back put all the things you used in one pile and those you didn't in another then think about why you took the latter. Ignore items like tools and spares in this. After a few trips you'll realise that you are taking some kit "just because".

Chew wrote:Arkel Seatpacker 15 one
£190

From experience:
Alpkit - Not perfect, but good value for money.
Wildcat - Great if you dont need to access anything contained within during the day
Apidura - Easy to pack and if done well you wont notice any movement at all

I have no desire to spend tons of money, just seemed like after reading stuff, if it's sways, your life will come to an end. evidently not

I have some alpkit gear for trekking, so familiar with it.
Perhaps I'll get something really cheap or used to learn from. Learning the hard way is how it's always done in a new venture......
J

Jethro wrote:I have no desire to spend tons of money, just seemed like after reading stuff, if it's sways, your life will come to an end. evidently not

Have you been reading threads on STW? The riding gods there can spot the difference in flex between different versions of XT cranks

whitestone wrote:Unless you're an American it's unlikely that you'll have masses (sic) of kit in a saddle bag. In summer I'll have 1kg - 1.5kg and in winter maybe 1.5kg - 2kg, nearly always clothing or sleeping bags. Even if you do decide to put some heavier items in there if you pack sensibly, i.e. the heavy stuff close to the seat post, then you aren't going to get any appreciable sway. I use a Wildcat Tiger harness which is one of the better systems around and there's still a cm or so of side to side movement but when riding it's unnoticeable.

No! not an American. I'm used to trimming down re Wild Camping, just with walking, a bigger bag is not much of a penalty, so I'm new to volume reduction as it now seems is the goal.
Sleeping mat and either of my lightest 2 sleeping bags, come in under a Kilo for the trip, all in. Maybe 300g cooking, and I dehydrate my own meals, so they are fairly light. Use a filter for water.

whitestone wrote: Depending on the tent it might be better to break it down and distribute it: pegs and poles in a frame bag; etc.

I need a new tent as both mine use trekking poles and it gives me a chance to have a re-think.

whitestone wrote: Don't worry about things too much to begin with, just get out on a few local overnight rides and enjoy yourself. You'll take too much/the wrong kit but when you get back put all the things you used in one pile and those you didn't in another then think about why you took the latter. Ignore items like tools and spares in this. After a few trips you'll realise that you are taking some kit "just because".

Yeah, I know. But you gotta have even the basics there or there abouts to get going. Fortunately being an MTB'er, and a wild Camper, I've only got to learn how to join the two together.

J

whitestone wrote:

Jethro wrote:I have no desire to spend tons of money, just seemed like after reading stuff, if it's sways, your life will come to an end. evidently not

Have you been reading threads on STW? The riding gods there can spot the difference in flex between different versions of XT cranks

Yeah, quite a few people can get anal about stuff. Maybe I was like that in the early days, but now I can't even remember what bit's are on my bike or why I chose them in the first place.
J

I need a new tent as both mine use trekking poles and it gives me a chance to have a re-think.

Or maybe not

http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/s ... at=shelter

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

I need a new tent as both mine use trekking poles and it gives me a chance to have a re-think.

Or maybe not

http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/s ... at=shelter

Yeah, I know. That's why I found here in the first place. They both need 2 poles though, so thinking of getting a smaller 1 man tent needing one pole and using a trekking pole for hiking and getting one made for biking.
I have a 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 and think it's great, very roomy, with two large porches and been very reliable in a variety of conditions from strong winds to ice sheets forming on the inside. May get the one man version. Dunno yet. As you can guess, a lot is happening at once!

J

Re seat packs.
There are basically two designs. The harness that takes a tapered dry bag or the tapered dry bag that attaches direct to your bike.
Each has its pros and cons and there is no one is better solution although my personal preference is the harness type.
I think if I were in your position I would look at either the Wildcat harness with AK tapered Airlok or the Apidura seat back.
My harness and dry bag are four years old and still going strong and when they look really filthy I just chuck them in the washing machine.
If you want to get spendy them Revelate or some of the niche/exotic brands but for value I would go Wildcat and AK.
I suppose an outside choice would be a Carradice original saddle bag but then you would have to hang a tin mug on the outside.

Just touching on the issue of capacity - I tend to use 35L as a figure for capacity when using soft luggage. I consider it a maximum with all bags (front / back / TT / etc) in use. Sounds like a reasonable amount until you consider that to many folk, 35L is a hiking 'day-pack' and some require more capacity to walk from one end of Betwys high street to the other

Just done a quick calc on the capacity I had at the WRT and the JennRide.

Alpkit Gnaro - 3L
2 x Revelate Feedbags @ 1L - 2L
Wildcat Tomcat - 1L (approx)
Wildcat custom frame bag - 3L (complete guess but on the high side)
Seat bag - 10L for the WRT, 6L for the JennRide.

So a total of 19L for the WRT and 15L for the JennRide. I had a camera in my shirt pocket but everything else was in the above bags.

Cath had

Wildcat Ocelot partial frame bag XL - 4.7L
2 x Alpkit stem cells @ 1L - 2L
1 Handlebar bag - 13L

Total of 20L (ish)

The WRT was definitely "touring", the JennRide was touring but with an eye to next week's efforts. We were comfy, warm, dry and had enough food.

WRT for me — and bear in mind I was carrying all my food for the weekend — was:

• 8L Alpkit Airlok Xtra strapped to the handlebars — bivvy, tarp, sleeping bag (in its own drybag), mat, one of Stu's poles
• 0.75L Alpkit Fuelpod — happy food
• 3L Topeak Midloader framebag — tools, fuel, batteries
• 13L Alpkit Airlok Tapered, cinched down to about 10L, possibly less, and got smaller as I ate the food — food, clothes
• ~5L CamelBak MULE rucksac — water, purification, meds, easy-access items

Total ~ 27L with room for probably another 5L.

To stabilise the Airlok Tapered I think you need four straps to make it nicely secure: one around the middle to lift the weight, one to lift the nose, one that clips into both of the closure-clips and pulls it all forwards (like you see on bags three-plus times the price), and then one around the seat tube at the nose to stabilise and hold it steady. The strap that comes with the Tapered is a perfect match for the closure-clips; the others can be any old 20-25mm webbing strap with ladder-lock buckles, and I make these from bits source on Amazon. Strapped that way I didn't notice any swing while riding.

The total price for ALL the above, including all webbing and connectors, was/is about £150 and gives a lot more flexibility and capacity than one 15L bag. And probably weighs about the same as the Arkel + rack on its own, most of which would be the CamelBak, which was also the most expensive single item at £55.

Are you all real people? Any one old enough to remember the TV series "land of the giants"

I'm about 6-8kg wild camping, but use a 50-60l back pack. Ok I let my sleeping bag expand to fill the gaps, but 20-25l!!

It's going to be fun trying.

J

Remember that the last few weekends have been very warm and mostly dry so ideal for minimal kit. I did have a light waterproof just in case. At the WRT weigh-in I was way above the lightest bike/kit combo.

The only kit that might be considered out of the ordinary are the cuben fibre tarp and bivy bag, everything else is standard stuff you can buy in the shops or at any of several on-line retailers

Jethro wrote:Are you or all real people? Any one old enough to remember the TV series "land of the giants"

I'm about 6-8kg wild camping, but use a 50-60l back pack. Ok I let my sleeping bag expand to fill the gaps, but 20-25l!!

It's going to be fun trying.

J

Something like this (first packing on this bike) — plus CamelBak (not shown):
Bear in mind I was under a tarp rather than in a tent, so the front bag contains mostly sleeping bag with a lightweight tarp, bivvy bag and ground sheet packed in tightly around it (waterproof bungeed to the front). The frame bag could've been bigger, but the bike was new and so I used the one I had. You can get bigger seat packs, but if you have one you'll only fill it.

This bike also has eyelets for hanging pods off the forks, and I could've had something on — and under — the downtube, as well as another top-tube bag, but, again, it would've just been more stuff not less. The bike weighed in at 56.5lb at the weigh-in, including the CamelBak with 2L of water. Somehow the CamelBak weighed 10lb! I could've left nearly 3lb at home and not missed it, but everything else had its place and purpose.

We climbed more in the first 3km than I climbed on my 90-odd kilometre bivvy-a-month ride a couple of weeks previous closer to home, so carrying less was definitely a Good Thing

This was everything for the TNR.



This is December.



Another winter trip.

Winter? It's green!!

A 13l alpkit airlock bag acting as a seat pack.
Epidural half frame bag. < gotta love autocorrect
13l drybag up front.

ootini wrote:Epidural half frame bag.

Less back pain than a rucksack?

Landslide wrote:

ootini wrote:Epidural half frame bag.

Less back pain than a rucksack?

This was taken between Christmas and New Year in Northumberland, I did have a small rucksack partly filled as well.



This is the setup I used on the WRT and JennRide but I had a slightly bigger saddle bag on the WRT

Winter? It's green!!

It's Wales, it's known to be very green ... and wet. We don't all live beyond the wall you know

I'm still working on a good setup but for WRT I had:
15L bar bag
3.5L accessory pocket
~1L front and back top tube bags
2.3L small frame bag
5L seat pack

10L rucksack which by the end of the weekend just held a 2L bladder, used tubes and a pakajak