Seat bags vs. racks and panniers

[Kirk]

What are the pro's and cons of seat bags vs. racks panniers.  I am totally new to all of this, I'm ready to pull the trigger on some gear but not until I feel I'm confident in it.

Thanks!

[AZTtripper]

Racks and Panniers carry more stuff great for longer tours on easier terrain.

Seat bags carry less but weigh less in the first place better for technical trails.

[Done]

Here are some thoughts on this from last year:
http://tobygadd.blogspot.com/2011/01/panniers-for-2011.html

[Kirk]

Thanks Toby I just checked your blog out and gleaned some good info.  Thanks again.
I'm leaning towards a Revelate Viscacha seat bag with a bar bag and a small frame bag at this point.

[Done]

Thanks Toby I just checked your blog out and gleaned some good info.  Thanks again.
I'm leaning towards a Revelate Viscacha seat bag with a bar bag and a small frame bag at this point.

That's a very proven and reliable combination for sure. You might need to add a hydration pack of some sort too, unless you go really light.

Have fun!

[dobovedo]

Thanks Toby I just checked your blog out and gleaned some good info.  Thanks again.
I'm leaning towards a Revelate Viscacha seat bag with a bar bag and a small frame bag at this point.

After weighing the options, that's the combination I recently chose for my setup... pretty much all Revelate: Visacha w/ Spocket, Small Tangle, Sling & Pocket on the front. I also got a Gas Tank, although it doesn't work with the Velcro position of the Small Tangle. In that case I got a smaller Bontrager box, about the size of a Bento.

For me, the #1 consideration was flexibility. Going this route, I can use any combination of these bags on any one of five different bikes:

• Roubaix carbon road - shorter/faster/lighter trips
• Flyte Arsenal titanium road - longer/casual trips
• Tricross aluminum - mixed road/gravel
• Rockhopper Hardtail - mixed gravel/trail
• Epic Carbon FS - all or rough trail. (Everything but the Tangle fits the FS)

I can quite literally go anywhere that some kind of bike can be pedaled (or pushed!) and I don't have to get racks for all these different combinations. If I do decide to go on a longer trip and need more gear than frame bags can handle, I have front/rear racks for my Tricross and can borrow panniers from a friend.

[Kirk]

Yeah, part of my decision to go with these bags is so that I can use them on pretty much any bike.  Ultimate flexibility was key because the bike I'm going to use on this trip is a carbon loaner bike that I would have to have expensive OMM racks made for it.  No one else had anything that would work for it, and I thought, "why buy stuff for a bike that isn't mine and can't use on my own bike."