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1  Forums / Question and Answer / Front Rack vs Stabilizer Harness for Trail bikepacking on: April 25, 2017, 02:15:59 PM
Okay so I keep buying gear on sale and I need to make some decisions about what my full set-up will be.  I am going to bike the GAP/C&O trail from Pittsburgh to DC in September over 6 days on my Specialized AWOL (drop bar steel adventure bike), currently I use the bike to commute with a Topeak Super Tourer rack with a Topeak MTX trunk bag.  A few years ago I bought a set of Ortlieb Bikepacker plus rear panniers because they were on crazy discount, but I've never actually ridden with them let alone loaded on trails.  In preparation for my trip I have been reading tons of bikepacking articles and everyone seems to be riding seatpacks, frame bags, and handlebar rolls instead of a rack and panniers.  I recently bought a PDW Bindle rack with Terrapin Drybag which I like the idea of and I'm thinking of taking off my Topeak rack and using the Bindle for commuting.  If I use the Bindle rack for my Pittsburgh to DC ride I will need some more cargo capacity.  The debate is do I buy a frame pack and handlebar roll like the Salsa Anything Harness or the Specialized Burra Burra Stabilizer harness, or do I buy a front rack like the Blackburn Outpost front world touring rack or the Jandd Extreme front rack and mount the Ortlieb Bikepacker plus panniers on the front with the Bindle rack on the back?  My biggest trip is the GAP/C&O trail ride but I could see myself potentially doing future bikepacking trips on more rugged terrain.  Do I just sell the Ortliebs and buy a stabilizer harness or are front racks with rear panniers a viable setup for trail bikepacking?  Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much.
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