BikePacking Bags

Cycling Bags

There are a number of ways to attach gear to your bike other than in panniers.

All bags should be waterproof.  If not, you will need to pack gear in trashbags or other waterproof bags.

Main Type of BikePacking Bags

• Frame Packs 

  • Full Frame

  • Half Frame

  • Wedge

    • Fits in front corner of frame

• Handlebar 

  • Handlebar Roll

  • Handlebar Harness

  • Top Loader

• Seat

  • Seat Pack

  • Saddlebags

• Racks and Bags

  • Rack and Dry Bag

  • Mini Panniers

  • Basket Bags

  • Panniers

  • Front Panniers

• Accessory Bags

  • Top Tube Bag

  • Stem Bag

  • Bag Mounts

    • Fork Mount

    • Tube Mount

What Bags Do I Need

• That depends on what you intend to do on your bike

  • If you are racing, you won't want much on your bike

  • If you are gong out on a day trip to the woods, you will want the 10 essentials, lunch, a jacket, some basic repair items and a way to store evertything

  • If you are going out on an ultralight BikePacking trip, you will need just enough specialty bags to store everything tight on your frame

  • If you are gong on a bike touring trip and plan to return with some cool souvenirs and presents, you'll need a completely different setup

• Your choice of bag setup will depend on 

  • Your bike - each is different

  • Where you intend to go

  • What you intend to pack

  • You - everyone has their own preferences

• Example of Real World Setup

  • tristanridley.com/gear 

  • Setup used as Tristan biked across many countries

  • Setup used for completely self sustained in the most remote parts of the world

Frame Bags

• Frame Bags fit within the triangle formed by the seat tube, top tube and down tube

• The Main Types include:

  • Full Frame

    • Fills up the majority of the triangular space between the frame tubes

    • Used in Buffalo Soldiers historic 1887 expedition

  • Half Frame

    • Fills up the top half of the triangular space between the frame tubes

    • This allows you to fit water bottles or other accessories below it

    • It's easier to make "universal" sized half bags than full frame ones due to the variability of frame shapes and sizes

  • Wedge

    • Fits into the front corner of the frame

Full Frame

• Fills up the majority of the triangular space between the frame tubes

• Used in Buffalo Soldiers historic 1887 expedition

• This is the most efficient way of using your frame space for cargo

• Compartments

  • These can be made into a single compartment

  • They can be split to have an upper and lower compartment

    • You can used a divider that can be unzipped or unvelcroed 

  • These can have as many inner pockets as you like

• Water Bottles

  • Water bottle cages won't fit in their traditional spaces if a frame bag is taking up that space

  • Water can be relocated to several different spots

    • Fit in "Feed Bags" on handlebars

    • Placed behind the seat

    • Placed in cage below down tube

    • Stored in bladder in frame bag or front bag

    • Stored elsewhere like cargo mounts or in backpack

• Bags often need to be custom made to maximize use of your frame space

• Consider making your own - it is very doable

  • bikepacking.com/gear/how-to-make-a-bikepacking-framebag-krampus 

  • youtube K5CAD3wPlnQ 

  • youtube USX7pc-3Fac 

  • youtube zZqakQVb-sY 

  • Duct Tape: pinkbike.com/u/GravityCandy/blog/how-to-make-a-duct-tape-framebag.html

• Examples of Custom Bag Makers

  • Etsy

    • Cute custom bags from many different makers

  • Atwater (CAN)

  • Bedrock Bags (CO, USA)

  • Bike Bag Dude (AUS)

  • Cedaero (MN, USA)

  • Framework Designs (AUS)

  • Gramm Tourpacking (GER)

  • Jpaks (CO, USA)

  • Nuke Sunrise (UT, USA)

  • Rockgeist (NC, USA)

  • Rogue Panda (AZ, USA)

  • Straight Cut Design (UK)

  • Wit Slingers (GER)

  • Wizard Works (UK)

• Examples of "Universal" Frame Bag 

  • Revelate Ranger 

  • Revelate Ripio

  • Rockgeist 52hz 

  • Ortlieb Frame Pack RC

    • Waterproof roll top design

  • Blackburn Elite 

  • The Restrap Full Frame Bag

Half Frame

• Fills up the top half of the triangular space between the frame tubes

  • Generally 4-8” (10-20cm) tall

• This allows you to fit water bottles or other accessories below it

• It's easier to make "universal" sized half bags than full frame ones due to the variability of frame shapes and sizes

• Water Bottles

  • You may be able to fit one or even two water bottles under a Half Frame Bag

  • Water bottles may need to be moved down the frame

    • Adapters and special cages will allow you to adjust the location of your water bottle

  • Side loading cages may make is easier for your get to your water bottle when your bag fits snuggly over the bottle

• Because it is easier to make a "Universal" fit, there are many options

  • You can often find a Half Frame Bag on clearance

  • You might find bag on sale for less than what it would cost to DIY one

• Examples:

  • Revelate Tangle

  • Oveja Negra’s 1/2 Pack Frame Bag i

  • Outer Shell Half Framebag

  • Camelbak M.U.L.E. Frame Pack

    • An acceptable bag that turned into a great bag when it wat 70% off

  • bikepacking.com/index/half-frame-bags-and-wedges/ 

Wedge

• Fits into the front corner of the frame

• Allows you to keep your Water Bottles mounted on your seat tube

  • May even allow you to run a tall/oversized bottle

• Wedge can be small or large

• Examples

  • Oveja Negra Super Wedgie

  • BXB Better Half 

  • Revelate Hopper Frame Bag

  • bikepacking.com/index/half-frame-bags-and-wedges/ 

Handlebar 

• Three Main types

  • Handlebar Roll

    • Consists of a dry bag or an actual rolled up gear

    • The roll is simply strapped to the handlebars

    • This is an easy way to store away camp gear

    • Doesn't allow you easy access to gear while riding

    • Examples

      • Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack 15L

      • Revelate Sweet Roll 11L

      • Bedrock Entrada Handlebar Roll

      • Revelate Salty Roll

  • Handlebar Harness

    • This makes it easier to mount gear to your handlebars

    • Examples

      • Revelate Designs Harness

      • Revelate Designs Pronghorn

      • Outer Shell Handlebar Harness

      • Rockgeist Barjam 

      • Rogue Panda Canelo Harness 

  • Top Loader

    • Bag opens at the top, allowing you easy access to gear on the go and at stops

    • Great for small items you need easy access to 

      • Maps

      • Tour Guides

      • Snacks

    • Examples

      • Bags By Bird (BXB) Goldback

      • Ron’s Bikes Fabio’s Chest

      • Swift Industries Zeitgeist

      • Tribulus Endover

• Weight Distribution

  • Limit the weight you place on handlebars as it effects steering and handling of the bike

• Water bottle holders are often added up front to free up space in the frame for a larger frame bag

Mounting Concerns

• Headtube Wear and Tire Clearance

  • Note: if strapping gear to the front of your handlebar can result in wear of your headtube

  • Saggy bags can also hit the front tires

  • There are few options to avoid headtube damage

  • Front Cargo Rack

    • Mounts to fork

    • Supports heavier gear and keeps it from flopping around

• Handlebar Mounts and Cradles 

  • Some purpose built bags come with hardware that attaches to your front handlebars to support a front bag and push it away front your headtube and keep the bag from sagging into the front wheels

  • Carbon Fiber Handlebars

    • NOTE: Handlebar hardware can result in catastrophic damage to carbon fiber handlebars 

  • Examples

    • Miss Grape ILCOSO 

      • Not inexpensive

    • DIY Handlebar Cradle

      • youtube ZTfZghK5olE 

    • DIY Spacer

    •  reddit  diy spacer to keep my handlebar bag and caliper 

• Tribars

  • Designed for most extreme aerodynamic position

  • Can also be comfortable for longer rides with your forearms supporting your body wieght

  • Not recommended for Scouts or when around Scouts

  • Great Place to strap gear

  • Example

    • Apidura Racing Aerobar Pack 

      • Bag designed for tribars and aerodynamics 

    • BarYak

      • Designed for BikePacking

• Steer Racks

  • Mounts to steer tube

  • Pushes gear away from headtube

  • Provides some support

  • Examples

    • Restrap Bumper Bar 

    • 7rbags.com/product/the-nest-steerer-rack 

    • theradavist.com/the-tim-tas-rek-ahead-steerer-rack-saves-your-saggy-handlebar-bags

    • bikepacking.com/gear/goodday-curiosity-spacer-cradle-review/ 

• Front Cargo Racks

  • Mounts to front fork or axle

  • These support gear in the front

  • Keeps it from flopping around

  • Protects your headtube

  • Secures gear so it doesn't inhibit steering or hit the front tire 

  • We discuss these on our BikePacking Cargo Racks Page 

• Fork Support

  •  Shovel Research Rod Steward mounts to the front forks and pushes bags with MOLLE straps away from head tube

Seat

• Bags sit behind the Seat

• Two Main types

  • Seat Pack

  • Saddlebags

• Seat Height

  • Bags behind the seat need to clear the rear wheels

  • If shorter rides, they may not be able to mount a bag to the seat without a rear rack

• Dropper Posts

  • Seat posts with suspension may not work with seat bags

  • You may need to limit suspension travel

  • They just may not work

Seat Pack

• Different sizes

  • Small

    • Used for day outings and general use

    • Good tool set, gloves, hat and maybe a few snacks

    • Used alone, these are great for day trips when the weather is good

  • Large

    • Used to pack up bulky camp gear

    • Often used to replace a rack and pannier system for BikePacking

      • Narrower profile for single track use

      • Don't interfere with legs

      • Lighter

    • Size ranges from 5-14L

      • Examples for Regular Seat Posts

        • Revelate Terrapin System 

        • Ortlieb’s 11L Seat-Pack 

        • Wayward Riders Louise

          • waywardriders.com

          • Cradles drybags, other bags and rolled up gear 

        • Revelate Vole Dropper Post Seat Bag 

        • Drybag

          • Bag can be strapped behind the seat

          • Store upside down so you can buckle top of bag to seatpost

          • Long and narrow bags generally work well

          • Bag works best if filled and firm

        • Amazon Bags?

          • They look great in the ad

          • Most are poorly designed and will sag

          • NOT recommended 

      • Examples for Dropper Post

        • If your seat post is used as a suspension, you may need to use something to protect your seat bag

        • Example

          • bikepacking.com/index/dropper-post-seat-bags

          • Wolftooth Valais 

            • Nylon bump stop for post

            • Prevents post from bottoming out and destroying your seat bag

Saddlebags

• These were popular in the 1950s in the UK for minimalist touring 

• These are top loading bags

  • Allows for easy access to contents at stops

• Rack vs No Rack

  • Rear Rack

    • Saddle bags generally need the support of a rear rack

    • Allows for heavier loads

    • Allows for rough use offroad

    • Racks don't need to be overbuilt

      • Tumbleweed’s T-rack may be all that you need

      • See more on our BikePacking Cargo Racks Page 

  • Saddle Bag Supports

    • Hangs off saddle rails

    • Allows for rackless lighter loads

    • Ok for road and gravel use

      • Examples

        • Carradice Bagman 2 Expedition

          • More robust and better suited for offroad use than other options

        • Carradice Bagman Support Expedition

          • Max 22lbs (10kg) (on road)

        • Ocean Air Cycles’ Erlen 

          • Max 10lbs (4.5kg)

        • Carradice SQR system 

• Many are designed for use behind the seat as well as for handle bar use

• Width

  • Wider than most drybags

  • Makes pushing your bike up hills a little more awkward 

• Structure

  • Many have built in frames or walls to help the bag keep its shape when not fully loaded

• Saddlebag Loops

  • Attached to rear of seat

  • Make is easier to secure a saddle bag

  • Examples

    • Hobo Pieces Restuvus

    • Velo Orange’s Saddle Loops

    • Carradice Cyclo Bag Loops

    • Carradice Bagman Quick Release Saddlebag Clamp

      • Spring-loaded quick-release system 

        • Great for urban use

        • Of off pavement use, duct tape pins so they don't vibrate out

Racks and Bags

• Racks allow for a lot of versatility when carrying cargo

• Several Types

  • Rack and Dry Bag

  • Mini Panniers

  • Basket Bags

  • Panniers

  • Front Panniers

Rack and Dry Bag

• Using a rack without panniers allows you to securely store above the rack

  • This is generally easier to pack than seat bags

  • Gear doesn't sway like seat bags

  • If you have a cargo rack, you can place just about anything here that fits

    • Drybag

      • A drybag duffle designed for canoeing works well

    • Ikea bag

      • Looks like it was made from a blue tarp

      • Fill bag, roll it up tight and strap it to your rack

      • Relatively waterproof if you roll it tight and don't overfill it

  • See more on our BikePacking Cargo Racks Page 

Mini Panniers

• Mini panniers allow you to securely pack away a lot of gear

• These are not as large, cumbersome or as heavy as full sized panniers

• Mini panniers are often specifically designed for Gravle Bikes and BikePacking

  • Smaller size

  • Lighter

• See more on our Bike Panniers Page 

Basket Bags

• Basket are still popular for use front and back

• Some bags are specially designed for basket use

• If you don't have a purpose built bag for a basket, find one that is slightly oversized so it fits snuggly and allows you to maximize the basket space

• See more on our BikePacking Cargo Racks Page 

• Examples

  • Wizard Works Alakazam 

  • Rockgeist Meanwhile

  • Hungry 139 Tote Bag

  • bikepacking.com/index/basket-bags 

Full Size Panniers

•  The traditional way of carrying gear on a bike tour is with full size panniers

• A tried and true system

• Some drawbacks to Bikepacking

  • Large and heavy

  • Make pushing a bike uphill even more cumbersome

  • Make the bike wider on single tracks 

    • Get hung up on obstacles

• See more on our Bike Panniers Page 

Front Panniers

• These are usually smaller than rear panniers

• Allow traditional bike tourers to pack gear using a 4 pannier system

  • Helps with weight distribution on the road

• These can negatively affect handling in thigh corners

• Bags can hit trail obstacles on tight turns or narrow single track

• Can be used in the rear when you don't need a full size rear pannier 

• See more on our Bike Panniers Page 

Accessory Bags

• Accessory bags allow you to fit various gear into less used parts of your bike

• Main types

  • Top Tube Bag

  • Stem Bag

  • Bag Mounts

    • Fork Mount

    • Tube Mount

Top Tube Bag

• These are mounted on the top tube and to the steering tube

• If you don't mount it to the steering tube, expect it to roll over to one side while pedaling

• May resemble a motorcycle tank

• Great for small items you might need at stops

• Two main differen versions

  • Sealed up tight

    • Zip close to secure your gear and protect it from rain

  • Easy Access

    • Allows for easy access to food while riding

    • Generally NOT waterproof

    • Some items can get shaken out

• Examples:

  • Revelate Gas Tank 

    • Anchorage, Alaska

  • Tailfin Top Tube Pack 

    • UK Brand (Utah warehouse)

    • Made in Taiwan 

  • Oveja Negra Snack Pack XL

    • Salida, CO

  • Amazon Specials 

    • Many options on Amazon that work reasonably well

    • Some come with a transparent top that allows you to place a map or phone in

      • You really have to look down to view phone - not recommended when riding

  • bikepacking.com/index/top-tube-bags 

Stem Bag

• Commonly called "Feed Bags"

• Great for water bottles and snack

  • Great place to relocate water bottles if using a Frame Bag

• Examples

  • Drawstring Rock Climbing Chalk Bag 

    • Economy option

    • No stabilization strap on bottom

    • amazon.com/Drawstring-Carabiner-Bouldering-Gymnastics-Valuables/dp/B077G7BN96 

  • Generic Amazon Bottle Bags

    • NOTE: some amazon bags will start falling apart and will need to be reinforced 

      • Bags are stressed because they hold water bottles and vibrate a lot on gravel paths

    • Example: 

      • Moosetreks

        • Clone of Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag

        • amazon.com/gp/product/B076MPQSZD 

  • REI Co-op Junction Stem Bag

    • Reasonable bag

    • Add tape under straps to prevent scratching

    • Ugly gray toned colors

  • Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag

    • Considered one of best bags out there

    • Expensive for a basic bag

    • revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/MountainFeedbag 

  • Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket

    • roguepanda.com/products/bismarck-bottle-bucket 

  • Oveja Negra Chuckbucket 

    • ovejanegrabikepacking.com/products/chuckbucket-handlebar-bag 

  • DIY instructions: bikepacking.com/gear/make-your-own-stem-bag 

Bag Mounts

• Cargo Cages can be mounted just about anywhere they fit on your bike

• Cargo Cages can be used to hold bottles, dry bags and other gear

• See more on our BikePacking Cargo Racks Page 

• Examples

  • Tailfin’s V Mount Pack

  • Revelate Joey

  • bikepacking.com  Add Cage Mounts to a Bike

  • bikepacking.com  Cargo Cages - Anything Bags 

  • youtube 1evx9c0bwDU - adding mount to fork

DIY and Custom Bags

• Cycling Bags can get pretty expensive

  • If you shop around, you can often find bag on clearance.

  • You may find something better and less expensive on Etsy 

• You can also make something yourself

• Example of Real World Setup

  • tristanridley.com/gear 

  • Setup used as Tristan biked across many countries

• Strap it Up

  • You can find a bag in acceptable dimensions and strap it to your bike

  • Use straps to secure bag where you want it

    • Voile Style Straps

      • Favorite strap for BikePackers

      • Stretchy polyurethane strap with buckle

      • Various Straps (different brands) have different hardware

        • Stainless Steel

          • Strongest and heaviest 

        • Aluminum

          • Works fine

        • Nylon

          • Doesn't scratch paint 

          • As strong as aluminum - youtube wTiP6i4xYF 

    • Nylon straps with buckles

    • Paracord will work if you can tie knots

    • Velcro straps

• Sew it Up

  • You can find all types of bags on Etsy and some of the folks there will make custom sized bags to fit anything

  • This obviously takes some specialty skills and equipment

  • bikepacking.com/gear/how-to-make-a-bikepacking-framebag-krampus 

  • youtube K5CAD3wPlnQ 

  • youtube USX7pc-3Fac 

  • youtube zZqakQVb-sY 

• Duct Tape

  • Not the best material for a bike bag

  • You can make a bag any size or shape with duct tape and don't need any sewing skills

  • pinkbike.com/u/GravityCandy/blog/how-to-make-a-duct-tape-framebag.html