Bag options?

[cjdunn]

I'm trying to put together my bikepacking rig and have been asking around about bag options.  I've narrowed it down to these for various reasons. Any body have pros and cons on these?

1. Bedrock Entrada vs. Revelate Sweetroll.

2. Bedrock Coconino vs. Revelate Viscacha.

3. Full triangle vs tangle bag?

Thanks,

Chris

[Bndst]

3. Seems totally subjective to me. Its entirely dependent on how much/how you need to carry. Example: I hate riding long days in the saddle with anything on my back, so in my case a full framebag allows me to carry my hydration on the bike along with cooking supplies/tent poles/etc. I don't have a partial framebag, so if a shorter trip/less gear is on tap, I'll opt for my Sweetroll with a large pocket and that usually gets me covered pretty well. I think for multi-day stuff a full framepack allows a bit more freedom in packing choices and keeps the weight centered and low on the bike. That is if you can handle losing the bottle cages in leu of alternative hydration methods. Just my 2 cents.

FWIW I have loved every bag I've purchase from Revelate and aside from a Porcelain Rocket framebag (they make stock bags for Jones frames) my whole kit is made up of Eric's (Revelate) gear. Can't go wrong with his stuff IMO.

[cjdunn]

Thanks for your opinion on this.  I just took the plunge and ordered a whole set of Revelate bags because they were all in stock and I'm kind of in a hurry since I hope to do a trip over Memorial Day weekend.  I had hoped to research a little more and maybe build my own to save some money but being in a hurry I coughed up the cash instead.

I like your reasoning behind the full frame bag but I ended up ordering a Tangle bag for other reasons.  First off I asked Kurt Refsnider (who knows more than a little bit about all this) and he suggested that a Tangle bag for my frame size (L-XL) holds quite a bit and agreed with my own thoughts that it is nice to have water bottles on the frame to put mix in.  I don't like to put mix in bladders.  Kurt also agreed that the Revelate stuff is great.

Once they come in I need to practice packing these bags and figure out what not to bring.

[Bndst]

Yeah, Kurt's probably a decent source of info..haha

Congrats on your kit. Throw some pictures up when you've got it all dialed in!

[joeydurango]

Guess I'm a bit late on this, but...

I agree that you can't go wrong with Eric's bags.  But I'd say the same about Andrew's (Bedrock), and for the handlebar bag in particular, I much prefer the Entrada over the Sweet Roll, for a lot of reasons that are moot at this juncture.  My personal kit is a solid mix of Bedrock/Revelate.  I like 'em both!

[cjdunn]

I have heard great things about Bedrock too.  I would probably be running a similar mix of option if I weren't suddenly in a hurry.  I'd like to hear your reasons for liking the Entrada better.  Who knows, after a few trips I might be coming to a similar conclusion and swap bags.

I feel very lucky to have a great guy like Kurt as a friend and resource.  If I want to know anything about endurance mtb riding/racing/gear I just ask him. I figure if anybody knows if something is functional and durable it would be him. 

[cjdunn]

I finally got everything put together including converting my SS Karate Monkey to a 1 X 10.  Right now the bags are just "dummy packed" until I figure out what to carry and where to carry it.  The good news is that Kurt Refsnider and a couple of other experienced bikepackers are having a clinic/Q&A tomorrow night at a LBS. 

I was going to use a Tangle bag and keep my bottle mounts but switched to the full triangle bag after realizing I need more room.  I've spent enough money on this rig for the moment so I have not purchased an ultralight sleeping bag or pad yet.  No bivy sack either.  I'll probably just bring a light coated nylon tarp for this weekend's ride. I have a 25+ year old Marmot 2.5 lb sleeping bag (formerly 20 degree) and a standard short Thermarest in the Sweet Roll. I can't believe I got all that in there.  I plan to run a bladder and bottle in the triangle bag.  There are few opportunities for water along the Kaibab 130 so I'll probably carry a Camelback too.

I'd post a photo if I could figure out how.

[cjdunn]

KMpack1 by desertmountainaz, on Flickr

Maybe this will work?

[Rando Richard]

I know you have already made your purchase and finished your event...but let me chime in here with a shameless plug. Please check the eoGEAR RandoBags, a new rackless saddlebag system. http://www.eogear.com/index.php/cycling/bags-packs/eogear/randobag.html The bags attach to an alloy bracket and offer a modular approach. Although originally designed for randonneuring (ultra distance roadies), it also has appeal for bikepacking.

[Singlespeedpunk]

Interesting idea....looks like a Minoura saddle mount for waterbottles and a square of MOLLE* and some buckles to attach the bags to. I think this still has the issue that over sustained rough surfaces the saddle rails / rack might well fail at the weld or clamp area...which is what the seat packs do away with!

Looks like a great solution to having lots of different saddle bags for road touring / brevets / audax but I remain to be convinced on its use off-road.

SSP

*MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment - as used by the military for attaching kit to webbing / bodyarmour / packs