Hi there
I've been riding a mountain bike 25 years and just recently got interested in spending more than 1 day riding in the hills.
I've read a few articles about bike packing, mainly around packing light etc.
I've been looking at Wildcat gear with dry bags for the seat and bars, but as most of my camping gear is pretty standard and not super light I think I'll need to use a rucksack too to spread out the load.
I'm going to take my son out too and as he's 11 I'll be carrying a bit of his kit too.
A wildcat seat pack doesn't look huge at 8L capacity.
Before I start buying stuff I'm looking for a bit of advice on what sort of luggage systems other people use and what they'd recommend.
I'd thought about the wildcat front and rear and a 30L camelback rucksack.
My current hiking rucksack is too tall that it shoves my helmet forward as soon as you go downhill and day sacks with bladders etc are too small.
I'm in Lancaster about 40 minutes from the Lake District so we've lots of scope for adventure.
What's your opinions people ?
It's bloody exciting is all this eh.
Cheers
John

Hey John, Welcome to the fold. as it were.

Personally, I prefer to eliminate a rucksac if possible. Although Jambo posts here regularly and seems to like one. He may be able to provide good advice on a suitable pack. Fire a PM his way.

Wildcat gear is superb. Their bar harness sits in the best position bar none for me.

The best thing about the wildcat kit for me is, in the rain, to be able to pull my tarp from my frame bag first, bicycle it and then get under there with a couple of drybags and set the rest up out of the elements.

If you need bigger than a wildcat at the back, have a look at bikepack.pl
Pawel posts on here occasionally and his work is good, seems robust kit. My friend uses one of his bags and had gone a really really long way with them.
Alpkit do stuff too, I've only used their frame bag and I feel their straps are too small and allow too much movement.

Firstly don't get hung up on any particular manufacturer. WildCat gear is very good, but there's a fair bit of choice out there. Also, don't forget you can bodge / ghetto bicycle a lot of this stuff to save money.
I use a rucksack, not because I want to, but simply due to restrictions on the bike bags I had available. I used to use a Karrimor Airspace 35, recently downgraded to the 30l version. They're dubious quality being karrimor but the airspace curved frame is great. It does reduce capacity a bit but keeps the frame well away from your back. That being said, I've just bought a frame bag, with the intention of ditching the rucksack.

P.s. from what I understand the Wildcat seatpack will accept larger dry bags, up to the Alpkit 13l tapered, which, coincidentally I use, without a seat pack / holster. It's simply strapped to the saddle. A bit faffy to fir, but £15 all in for my seat pack ? Bargains galore !

Best bit of advice, don't let a lack of bags / kit stop you from giving it a go. Fill your rucksack and have a go.

I use a rucksack, mostly because packing space on my bike is limited and I don't want to change it.

The alpkit Gourdon is good and cheap although a little flimsy.

I've just got hold of a mountain equipment scrambler 30 which seems pretty good but I've yet to use in anger yet.

Cool stuff
As I said I'm wanting to take my son out too.
One of our favourite spots is overlooking coniston and it's treeless so a tent is a better option than a tarp and offers a bit more of protection
But it comes down to Keith Bontragers 'Strong, light, cheap... Pick any two.

Any recommendations on 2 man tents
We borrowed a £50 Vango of a pal last year and had a great time, the weather was vaguely exciting though so it's lack of any space to cook in wasn't a problem.
If the weather was iffy we'd have been a bit cramped.

As you say just get out there and give it a go, you learn from experience

Jam Bo, what size Gourdon do you have? I was thinking of the Gourdon 30 or the Fixe. Not just for bikepacking, but for work and other stuff.

I had the 20. I broke it. Alpkit gave me a new one which my wife has got now. It's comfy but basically a dry bag with shoulder straps. Organisation was tricky.

New bag from ME is much much better put together and from sportpursuit wasn't that much more expensive

You probably don't need anything other than a willingness to learn and adapt. Having said that some of the bikepacking specific kit does make a difference - we wouldn't be using it if it didn't. Our first bikepacking trip (more an overnight bothy trip really) we just used rucksacks, it took a bit of juggling to leave stuff behind and get the rest in to 25 litre sacks - we were using OMM sacks. Try not to approach things from lightening what you take when car camping but start from the other end and think about the absolutely essential items: shelter, sleeping and cooking/food. Have a read of Stuart's writings in the Review/blog section, there's probably several threads on here about any particular subject as well.

As ootini mentions, the Alpkit tapered Airlock can be used on its own but it also fits any of the tapered seat harness systems so it's not a wasted purchase. You can also simply strap a dry bag to your handlebars, it will bounce around a bit and introduce wear to the bag, hence why folk use some form of harness system, but you can jerry bicycle straps to reduce the bouncing. If you can use a sewing machine then a frame bag should be doable - use helicopter tape to protect the frame. Against that there's the excitement of getting new kit - just look at the length of "The Postman's been" thread.

Preaching over here's what I have:

Wildcat seat harness with Alpkit tapered Airlock drybag - this is 13L and when stuffed full is probably as much as I'd like to carry in it.
Wildcat Ocelot partial frame bag - used for the heavier, denser kit.
Alpkit fuel pod
Wildcat Lion bar harness (actually it's my wife's, I just borrow it as and when!) - sleeping stuff goes in here.

Until the Winter BB event a couple of weeks ago I'd been using a rucksack (Camelback) in addition to the above but I made a concerted effort to cut down on kit and managed without - a bit of effort for a winter ride.

I find that it's not so much weight as bulk that's harder to cope with, the two go hand in hand to some degree so better (read expensive) kit is both lighter and less bulky for the same performance. If you decide you like bikepacking then look at the weight of everything (I'm OCD and have a spreadsheet ) and target the big items first as it's much easier to lose a Kilogram from those than several smaller items.

My setup:
Alpkit Airlok 13l tapered dry bag holding tent and waterproofs.

Newly purchased Apidura frame bag containing tools, food, tube, tent pole, pump etc

Ghetto bar harness holding an Alpkit airlok dual 20, containing clothes and sleeping stuff.

Alpkit stem cells containing cook kit, electronics, wallet etc.

Cheers jam Bo Think I'm going to get the scrambler 30l from sportpursuit for 39.99 can't be bad, python green is a good colour too :)

It's difficult when you are going to double up the kit you are carrying.

I take my daughter on multi day (4~5) trips carrying her stuff and a 2 man tent too.

There's no way I can ever get all our stuff in the usual bar, saddle and frame bag set up. Her sleeping bag is the biggest issue as it's pretty bulky.

Up to now I've been using the usual bags + panniers and a day sack. I wouldn't recommend panniers on 'proper' off road though.

I'd try and get something on you son's bike but nothing heavy. Something bulky or awkward like tent poles and / or sleeping bag as it will allow you to pack your stuff much tighter.

I love the trips I do with my daughter, enjoy

howdy Johnnyboy, here's a little cheap nugget to get you into the framebag usage, don't let the uncoolness of it put you off, its a good starter and im made up with mine, it will do until I can afford something better :)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ibera-Bicycle-T ... B00696K4E6

+1 I have one if those. For what it is, its spot on.

Splash out the extra £1 and go large

another one for the Iberia frame bag great value. Keep an eye on the classifieds section here too for the odd bargain.

Nevis wrote:+1 I have one if those. For what it is, its spot on.

Splash out the extra £1 and go large

yep, I went Large too, only just fits mind

Any one tried the iberia mini toptube pannier? actually looks like a good idea rather than a potentially wobbly top tube bag on top

jam bo wrote:I use a rucksack, mostly because packing space on my bike is limited and I don't want to change it.

The alpkit Gourdon is good and cheap although a little flimsy.

I've just got hold of a mountain equipment scrambler 30 which seems pretty good but I've yet to use in anger yet.

Mountain hardware if my memory is correct?

Also, when I started, two water bottles on the frame and a dry bag strapped to the seat, rest in a rucksack. Worked fine for me but soon 'upgraded' to wildcat gear



My first setup (me on the right) taken by the lovely Johnnystorm

I starting out with a rack, 2 drybags, another drybag up front, and a 33l osprey talon (only filled about halfway) it was heavy, unyielding and a deathtrap on anything off road and pointing downhill (with V brakes of all things) but I got out, enjoyed, and haven't looked back. Proof you don't need the lightest fanciest things to have fun, and once you start its bloody addictive.

Now I use an alpkit 13l tapered under the seat with diy supports (PR Mr.fusion style) for sleeping bag and bed clothes/jacket.
Tent upfront in its own drybag supported by my own harness
Full framebag for airmat, tools and lots of food!
Bits and medicals usually go in a small 10l pack with water, but I have a new Palos waistpack to keep the back free, holds the same but pared down, yet to try on a trip yet

Most of my kit is DIY, although I do sew for a living which is an advantage. Anything else is quite cheap, or reasonable value.

Remember...the lightest kit is what you don't take at all, and the easiest way to save weight

voodoo_simon wrote:

jam bo wrote:I use a rucksack, mostly because packing space on my bike is limited and I don't want to change it.

The alpkit Gourdon is good and cheap although a little flimsy.

I've just got hold of a mountain equipment scrambler 30 which seems pretty good but I've yet to use in anger yet.

Mountain hardware if my memory is correct?

Good point. Well made...

MYOG bar harness here.
http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =13&t=4643

This could be made even simpler by sewing the two straps back to back to accommodate your drybag. Will post if I get round to it.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, we all learn from our own mistakes

Here is my bike for one of my first Bikepacking rides, we did over 100miles and I slept under a sheet of Damp Proof Course

Beam rack & 40Litre Rucksack






And this is Stu's bike on the inaugural Winter Bivi quite a few years ago now.

(Shop bought saddlebag and ghetto handlebar drybag set up & 26" Wheels )

As you can see even the Godfather of UK bikepacking had to learn

I kinda miss that bike, still got the saddlebag somewhere though.