Tent on rack + panniers / something else?
Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:36 pm
Hi all,
I slowly get into bikepacking and yet again will appreciate your help. Now it's about packing gear on the bike
I cycle mainly with my girlfriend. Her setup is kind of sorted (drybag in handlebar harness for clothes and sleeping system and carradice saddlebag for everything else). Except for a full frame bag I struggle to figure out mine. We share a 3 person tent, cooking kit (2L pot), food, electronics, etc. Everything except clothes and sleeping equipment really. So far I've used a rack with the tent strapped on top, and either my sleeping gear + clothes in a dry bag on top of that, or borrowed panniers. With the dry bag I had no easy accessible storage on the bike, so unstrapping and restrapping evething to get a warm layer out took ~20 minutes With the panniers I carried a larger portion of the shared equipment (food and electronics), and there was still a lot of room. This summer we will keep cycling together but I also plan to cycle quite a bit by myself. I might slowly start to acquire camping gear for solo traveling (smaller tent and cooking kit) but need your advice on carrying the gear mentioned above for both our shared trips and my solo adventures.
To give you some idea of future plans: King Alfred's way, a few overnighters, maybe something in Wales, and maybe South Downs Way together. Solo plans include the "maybes", plus a longer trip like a section of the Great North Trail or the GTMC in France. I will ride a 29er Sonder Frontier, and my partner a hybrid w/ front suspension and 40-45mm tyres.
Options I had in mind:
- A rack with small panniers. 10-15 litres each will do. The tent goes on top. One pannier for sleeping system, the other for clothes, cooking kit, and electronics. Food and repair kit in the frame bag, which will have some extra space.
- The tent goes in a handlebar harness, and something for the back. I have some hypothetical issues with this setup: 1) there's no storage on the bike that is quickly accessible, unless "the back" is a carradice-style saddlebag. 2) It will be hard to pack things like electronics / cooking kit into a bikepacking seatbag, isn't it? 3) If I go for carradice-style solution I think I will still need a rack. My partner started with her carradice on bagman support and it wasn't as stable and convenient as the rack she is currently using.
- Maybe, the tent can go in the frame bag. But then what? Carradice on the back, on a rack, for ease of access and weirdly shaped gear + handlebar roll for clothes? If there's a rack involved, shouldn't I just go the panniers route?
BTW, I've tried the carradice at the front this weekend and it was a complete failure. Was riding on the wheel. It's a 20L version if I remember correctly. Maybe a smaller bag will work.
Is there anyone else here that cycle with a 3 person tent? How do you carry it? Any other suggestion will be highly appreciated!
Oh... And thanks for reading all of this. Ended up longer than I thought (as always).
Cheers,
Tom
I slowly get into bikepacking and yet again will appreciate your help. Now it's about packing gear on the bike
I cycle mainly with my girlfriend. Her setup is kind of sorted (drybag in handlebar harness for clothes and sleeping system and carradice saddlebag for everything else). Except for a full frame bag I struggle to figure out mine. We share a 3 person tent, cooking kit (2L pot), food, electronics, etc. Everything except clothes and sleeping equipment really. So far I've used a rack with the tent strapped on top, and either my sleeping gear + clothes in a dry bag on top of that, or borrowed panniers. With the dry bag I had no easy accessible storage on the bike, so unstrapping and restrapping evething to get a warm layer out took ~20 minutes With the panniers I carried a larger portion of the shared equipment (food and electronics), and there was still a lot of room. This summer we will keep cycling together but I also plan to cycle quite a bit by myself. I might slowly start to acquire camping gear for solo traveling (smaller tent and cooking kit) but need your advice on carrying the gear mentioned above for both our shared trips and my solo adventures.
To give you some idea of future plans: King Alfred's way, a few overnighters, maybe something in Wales, and maybe South Downs Way together. Solo plans include the "maybes", plus a longer trip like a section of the Great North Trail or the GTMC in France. I will ride a 29er Sonder Frontier, and my partner a hybrid w/ front suspension and 40-45mm tyres.
Options I had in mind:
- A rack with small panniers. 10-15 litres each will do. The tent goes on top. One pannier for sleeping system, the other for clothes, cooking kit, and electronics. Food and repair kit in the frame bag, which will have some extra space.
- The tent goes in a handlebar harness, and something for the back. I have some hypothetical issues with this setup: 1) there's no storage on the bike that is quickly accessible, unless "the back" is a carradice-style saddlebag. 2) It will be hard to pack things like electronics / cooking kit into a bikepacking seatbag, isn't it? 3) If I go for carradice-style solution I think I will still need a rack. My partner started with her carradice on bagman support and it wasn't as stable and convenient as the rack she is currently using.
- Maybe, the tent can go in the frame bag. But then what? Carradice on the back, on a rack, for ease of access and weirdly shaped gear + handlebar roll for clothes? If there's a rack involved, shouldn't I just go the panniers route?
BTW, I've tried the carradice at the front this weekend and it was a complete failure. Was riding on the wheel. It's a 20L version if I remember correctly. Maybe a smaller bag will work.
Is there anyone else here that cycle with a 3 person tent? How do you carry it? Any other suggestion will be highly appreciated!
Oh... And thanks for reading all of this. Ended up longer than I thought (as always).
Cheers,
Tom