Gear Organizing Question

[Moondoggy]

New guy here . Just wondering how you all prefer to stow and distribute your gear, What do you put in your back pack, stuff sack, handle bar bag, etc. Is there a standard way, or is everyone a little different?

[naked indian]

Im a noob to the bikepacking game.

But I go, shelter and sleeping bag up front.
Clothes and extras in my CDW rear bag.
On the fly food in my jannd frame pack.
preparable and extra food and stove and water in my backpack.

[scuppy]

It's nice to have a system, but the practicalities of weight distribution and need to frequently access some things more than others plays havoc with bag symmetry. FYI last trip, my front panniers had tires, tubes and a few bulky but light things. My rear panniers had clothes and sleeping bag. My top of rack bag had first aid, tools (heavy for high up but convenient), money maps etc. My trailer had tent, tarp, water and a back pack with food, cooking, sleeping mat etc.

[Moondoggy]

Thanks, but I was thinking more of an ultralight system using a stuff sack, backpack and handlebar bag.

[ScottM]

Everyone is a little different, and it depends on the bike and also the terrain you're riding in.  I generally lean towards a bit more weight in the backpack than other people, because I find the bike handles better in techy/steep terrain. 

But, for dirt roads, of which there are always some, I prefer as much weight on the bike as possible.  What I've been doing lately is having a few things that can be stored both on the bike (e.g. sleeping pad under the bars) and in my pack.  For trails I put stuff in the pack, and for roads I tie as much to the bike as possible.

Some things are constant, like my sleeping bag stowed in an Epic Designs seat pack, and tubes/tools/food on the bike in Feed Bags or a frame bag.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Slim]

First off it depends on the size of your bags and items you're carrying, they have to fit in a bag to go there! If possible try and aim for some of these points:

• weight distribution: when you sit on the bike with your backpack on and bike loaded is the weight still close to 60/40% rear/front?  Is the weight as low as possible? You don't want your bike to handle poorly.
• clearance: will you have room to pedal, to stand up and lean formward, to slide of the back of the seat and lean the bike over? Will the suspension have room to compress? Will low bags clear rocks and brush along the trail? Will the backpack hit you in the back of the head on descents or when you brake or look up?
• acces:  can you easily reach drink, food, maps and warmer clothes?

Often compromises will have to be made.

[jobes]

That's a good question.  Eric says I'll have my frame bag, gas tank and post bag in a week or so and want to try
and start organizing my load. 

[Marshal]

Weight distribution is important to bike handling and probably needs some individual trail and error to get it right.  Where you put the heavy stuff obviously makes the most ‘ride’ difference, water, tools etc.

However a big big thing for me is where I stuff/hide& lose the things I need/want during a stop.  If you have to ‘dig’ for that sun screen you might be tempted to skip it and get fried, same with the salt tablets.  And what is the most common/likely tool you might want to grab, is it on ‘top’ or buried?  If you use tubes & patches better keep them handy.  Of course some snack-ride food needs to be at hand with out taking off the ol pack or even stopping for that matter.  In fact the less often I have to dismount and/or take off my pack during a stop the better.  If you add/remove lights how quick can you do it, do you need a light to find your light? Etc etc ect. 

Anyway, its lots of fun to refine the ‘placement’ of all the little ‘nick a knacks’ for maximum efficiency.

And finally the most important item to have readily available on a multi day ride is of coarse, “all together now”, your toilet paper!!

[naked indian]

Weight distribution is important to bike handling and probably needs some individual trail and error to get it right.  Where you put the heavy stuff obviously makes the most ‘ride’ difference, water, tools etc.

However a big big thing for me is where I stuff/hide& lose the things I need/want during a stop.  If you have to ‘dig’ for that sun screen you might be tempted to skip it and get fried, same with the salt tablets.  And what is the most common/likely tool you might want to grab, is it on ‘top’ or buried?  If you use tubes & patches better keep them handy.  Of course some snack-ride food needs to be at hand with out taking off the ol pack or even stopping for that matter.  In fact the less often I have to dismount and/or take off my pack during a stop the better.  If you add/remove lights how quick can you do it, do you need a light to find your light? Etc etc ect. 

Anyway, its lots of fun to refine the ‘placement’ of all the little ‘nick a knacks’ for maximum efficiency.

And finally the most important item to have readily available on a multi day ride is of coarse, “all together now”, your toilet paper!!

I like flushable wet wipes myself...