I recently road Baja Divide route on Salsa TJ with Alternator rack  & 2 very small panniers  (12l each).  My buddy had an identical rig and broke the rack.  (lower attachment eyelet).
We were able to fix the rack using kevlar string and hose clamp.
On the route,  I have also seen a broken Blackburn rack.   My conclusion is that rack are ok so long as you don'd load them.   i.e  no more than a 10l dry bag.
Next time on such a route I would seriously consider leaving the rack behind and going for a seat post bag instead.
Good luck

[Jamis Dragonslayer]

Thank you for  comments!   I am a beginner and this is very helpful.
Turns out that  Salsa Timberjack  (NX  or GX)   is also available.
I would appreciate your views on  Jamis Dragonslayer  vs   Salsa Timberjack for long bikepacking trip.

btw  I have ridden them and both feel great!     not a significant weight difference between the two.

J

Hi there
I am planning for a long Baja bikepacking trip.
There  aren't many bike options in my area (27.5+,  HT,  3.0"  tires).
One of the options is the "Specialized Fuse  Comp 6 Fatty".    This bikes meets almost all the requirements but
it has a relatively low 24/28 spoke count.      As a comparison,    the Jamis DragonSlayer Sport 27.5  uses WTB scraper i40  with 32 spokes.

My question is:   would you consider the low spoke count of the Fuse a potential reliability issue?
I am a light person (140lb) but  bike will be heavily loaded (mostly water).

Thanks for any wise words you could provide.

Joel

Thank you for super helpful resopnses!

I am relieved to hear that fully rigid is a reasonable option.   I think I will go the simplicity and reliability of rigid.

Cheers

Joeli7

Hi there
I am a complete  newbie to Mtn biking/bikepacking   (experienced touring cyclist but nothing off road...)

I am looking at doing the Baja Divide in a year or so    Maybe 35 days or so off road.   
The recommended bike for the route is a    27.5”  hard tail with 3.0” tires.
Front shocks are recommended  but many have done the route fully rigid.
I kind of like the idea of fully rigid (e.g   Kona Unit X)  for simplicity and cost but not sure my body is up to it.

My question has to do with reliability.    I am mostly worried about sudden failure of front shocks.    What would happen if I put 250-300 hrs on a front shock without servicing?
Will it just continue to tic along?    Do shocks suffer sudden failure?

The specific shock is    “Rock Shox Recon Silver RL 120mm”

I would also be grateful for any thoughts on going fully rigid vs front shocks on Baja Divide.

Many thanks!

Joeli7

Canada