FS rear rack vs seat bag

[wild_bike]

I am hoping to set up my FS 29er for bikepacking and am interested in the difference between using an OMM Cold Springs rack vs. an EpicDesigns Seat Bag, never having used either.

Looking at photos of the set-ups people use, racks on FS look very rare...do they not work? Or do people just not use them? I am not considering panniers on a rack, but instead lashing a load tightly to the top of the rack.

How much weight can you put in a big seat bag?  How does it feel compared to having the same amount of weight on the rear rack?

What's the possibility of damaging the suspension with lateral sway on the rack?

And how about load limit for a rear rack on FS?

Has anybody tried the rear rack and decided to go seat bag? Or the other way?

[Spoonie]

Looking at photos of the set-ups people use, racks on FS look very rare...do they not work? Or do people just not use them? I am not considering panniers on a rack, but instead lashing a load tightly to the top of the rack.

Increases your unsprung weight somewhat.  Has the potential to negatively affect suspension performance yadda yadda...  I've not tried it to be honest, but after putting a couple thousand k's under a Freeload with just a drybag strapped to it,  I'd question what's making you think a seat bag wouldn't work?

And how about load limit for a rear rack on FS?

  it's unsprung weight, probably the same sort of load limits as a hard tail?  (ie rack dependent? ) there would be more latteral force on the bushings and the like I guess the more load you put on it.  Kinda would depend I would have thought on how aggressive you plan to be with it loaded up?

Has anybody tried the rear rack and decided to go seat bag? Or the other way?

  I have a Epic seat bag in the post right now.   13L dry bag was about as big as I could fit on my rack practically:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5322481&l=50e73907eb&id=678211757

for the extra weight and hassle the rack gave me, I figured the seatbag was a better option.  I'll let you know once I get it   In this case, the rack was solid.  The pain in the arse was strapping the bag to it every day,  rechecking the straps at least once or twice a day as the load moved, and unstrapping it whenever you realised there was something in there you needed.   The rack here weighs 2ish lbs but an OMM is not much lighter.  A seat bag weighs less than one (or there abouts)

I guess it depends what your requirements are.   I would think in general a rack would have a bigger practical load carrying capacity which might be important if you have to start carrying water (the freeload is apparantly rated to 25kgs).  I think if you need something flexible that can take a variety of different shaped and sized loads, the rack might be more versatile.   I don't think it helps with the fast and light approach though.  By day 4 or 5, the simple practice of strapping the bag down for me was getting more and more complicated.  Then again by day 4 or 5, lots of things were

...anyway, we'll see once I get a few miles into my Epic bags

Cheers
Craig

[Spoonie]

oh... another thought:

I reviewed the freeload system for one of the local mags there, and one of the thoughts I had were around what would happen at full compression.  There wasn't much clearance between my seat and the rack on my hardtail.  Depending on size and design, your rack & seat tube relationship might get awfully friendly at full compression (or possibly less than so...)

...maybe something to consider?

Cheers
Craig