Front roll packing strategies

[Bobonli]

This is a companion question to my thread about the Revelate handlebar harness. I'd appreciate hearing some strategies for packing the front roll. My plan was to put the tent and sleeping system (bag, thermarest and Sea to Summit pillow)up front.

My plan was to get dry bag(s) for this gear. At present, my tent is not in a dry bag and the sleeping bag and pillow I put into a compression dry sack that works out the be the size of a large pineapple. The long slender tent and pineapple don't mesh too well in the harness. A front harness seems to favor long, slender containers.

1) Should I be packing the tent and everything else in one long (probably fat) dry bag?
2) Should I separate out the tent? This seems logical since it might get rained on
3) Should I put the sleeping bag, pillow and thermarest into a second long slender dry bag?


or is there something obvious that I've overlooked about mating the long slender bag with a short stout bag? Pictures appreciated. Thank you.

[fxpose]

I use an Osprey 20 liter Straightjacket which compresses into a long, cylindrical shape.   I don't use a harness but strap this on a mini cargo rack.

[Endless Trails]

I always pack my sleeping bag and pillow in a separate dry bag inside my front roll to guarantee that it's dry. Especially when I put a tent inside there as well. During summer time I use a smaller front roll with a dry bag that's the same circumference so that goes into the bottom, then it's a few other things like my sleeping mat, some food, rain gear and finally I stuff the tent all around them to fill out any empty spaces. This makes the front roll keep it's shape and stabilizes it a lot. In the winter I use a larger front roll to fit more stuff, here the dry bag for my sleeping apd doesn't quite fill out the space so I stuff the tent around it before filling up with the rest of the stuff.

[sdr]

I use Revelate Harness with just a regular bag to hold my sleeping bag, pad, and tent. Only the sleeping bag goes in a compression dry bag. Using a 3/4 sleeping pad and inflatable pillow it all rolls up nicely about twice the circumference of a can of soda. That goes in a simple drawstring bag just to keep it together.

For the bag that goes into the harness, I put the sleeping bag and pad in first then put in the tent poles. The tent gets stuffed in and around to fill out the bag. I don't like to use a dry bag for the main, because the tent is often packed wet from the dew. I want it to breathe. Don't care if it gets wet riding.

This was my system for the GDMBR last year.

[Big Jim Mac]

My first trip I used a trash bag wrapped around my gear and stowed in the Revelate harness. This summer I bought one of their Salty rolls, really nice but I wish it was larger. I can get my Warbonnet blackbird hammock, top quilt and tarp in this bag. It is waterproof. I also bought a Revelate Terrapin seat bag and I keep my under quilt and clothes in this.