I’m planning my first bikepacking trip: LA to SF, aiming for 7 days and sticking mostly to Hwy 1 / the coast. Riding a gravel bike, camping most nights with a bivy, but I just don’t have any bike bags yet.
I’m trying to keep it simple and buy a full setup from one brand/store. This trip is more of a one off (though hopefully more will follow!) so I don't plan to splurge on any custom frame bags or anything. I get discounts to Deuter and CamelBak through a program so I’ve narrowed it to:
-Deuter Cabezon: HB14 + SB16 + FB6 + small phone bag (~$300 total) these are waterproof + very large volume. there is also a 4L frame bag instead of a 6 which im leaning towards since the saddle bag is so large
-CamelBak M.U.L.E.: frame pack w/ bladder + 12L bar + 9L saddle + stem pack (~$270, I have discounts) "water-resistant" + smaller volume, but frame back has a water blatter
-Rhinowalk (AliExpress): 12L bar + 13L saddle + 2.8L frame + 1.5L top tube (~$150) much cheaper & I've heard good things
Any insight into any of these options, whether this capacity is enough/overkill, or anything else would be greatly appreciated!
by DankDeanoo
10 Comments
I would add Ortlieb. I’ve been very happy with mine. Completely waterproof and heavy duty enough to take a beating.
I would lean Deuter.
– Bar bag with some sort of spacer/brace is a nice feature
– Waterproofing is valuable
– Frame bag looks to still give room for water
– Personally I don’t like to order from AliExpress but YMMV
I’d also stick to the 6L frame bag as long as it doesn’t get in the way of bottles. More weight distribution (and easier access) makes for happier riding.
(Edit for formatting)
I got myself apidura bags. I am very happy with them
Make a list of everything you want or need to bring first.
Stove + sleeping matt + chair + cold layers will add much more storage.
See if everything you have fits in a bag you know the L capacity and go from there.
I like the camelbak set up and Bikepacking.com did a really good review on those bags.
Might want to consider a side mount waterbottle cage if you run a frame bag.
Bought a saddle bag, wasnt happy with the wonkiness.
Bought an Ortlieb quick rack and side bags, feels like you are a semi truck.
Now i just strap a 16l Ortlieb dry bag on top of the quick rack and a large Cyclite top tube bag + aero bag and its perfect.
just bought the rhinowalk bags, will report back how they are doing after a bit of time
None of the above. Consider a full frame bag like Ortleib. I think you will hate a bivy. Do you have the ability to run a pair of fork mount bags? The smaller and lighter your saddle mounted bag the better IMO
Between these brands, personally, I’d skip buying on AliExpress and go with either the Camelbak or Deuter. But I really prefer Ortlieb or Apidura.
A couple of thoughts…
Does your bike have mounting points on the fork? If so, I’d reduce the storage that you’re putting in the saddle bag and bar bag in order to move some of it lower. Dry bags on fork cargo cages are easier to pack/unpack and are useful for items that don’t store well in other bags, like a camp cooking kit or inflatable sleeping pad.
If you’re planning to use a frame-stored water bladder then you might consider a full frame bag rather than half. Same comment about moving weight lower, and many half-frame bags interfere with water bottle cages on frames in the S and M size range. On my bikes most half-frame bags only give me 2L of storage space, and it’s in an awkward size and restricts me to using smaller 500ml bottles in the cages. A bigger bag with no cages allows for a 2L bladder plus 2-3L of additional storage, and I can always put a larger bottle in a stem feed bag.
If you don’t already down the key camping gear, like the tent and sleep system, then I’d plan and size that out before you committed to bags. The bags only serve to fit the things you plan to carry, so you need to know what you’ll be carrying, how large those items are, and where you plan to put them on the bike.
OP, I’ve not used any of the brands stated (my set is first generation Blackburn from a decade ago) but what I find I end up using most often are the stem bag and the top tube bag. I transfer them from bike to bike depending on which one I’m using, but I find them very useful so maybe consider the sets that include them and/or consider adding it in.