What are you using and are you happy with it? I’m needing to fill my Xmas list it seems and some luggage should fit the bill. Would be used on and off road, so some crossover would be great. Anyone using a front rack and platform, like the specialized pizza rack? Or any of the ortlieb or specialized burra burra stuff? I already have a pair of front rollers for the road.

I’ve three different systems: road with the kitchen sink; road using the credit card; off-road.

Kitchen sink uses traditional rack and panniers and is fine if you are camping or need to be self sufficient for long periods between restocking. I’ve a Tubus rack and Ortlieb roll-top panniers.

Credit card touring: Ortlieb 5L handlebar bag for camera, wallet, etc. Carradice SQR saddlebag for all the kit.

Off-road: Mostly Wildcat harness systems with some Alpkit stuff. What I take depends on route and time of year, varies from “You can’t be carrying much” for ITTs to fully loaded if pottering about.

i’ve used Alpkit bar harness and drybags, their stemcell bags. Have a KTM seatpost bag with an alpkit drybag inner. all good quality and reasonably priced kit. always carry a pack too. none of it requires a rack of any sort but the bar harness is a good bit of kit, tried mounting drybags directly to the bars and its doable but not great.

For the road, a rack and Ortlieb panniers.

Used Carradice and Karrimor previously, these are certainly the most waterproof and faff free.
Last well although the cheap bolts rot unless you keep the salt off them and there’s a lot of sticky out bits on the inside, so really pad delicate stuff.

Use a big (8.5) ltr Ortlieb bar bag – great on it’s own for long, changeable day rides and perfect for easily accessible stuff when touring.
You can stick a map on the top too.

Never used front panniers, no issue with them, just never managed to fill two normal size rears and a bar bag.
Camping stuff goes on the rack.

Tools, tubes,etc in a seatpack.

Personally for road or offroad I use a trailer. Yes its extra weight but the bike handles much better with a trailer than with luggage strapped on it as the weight is lower. Mind you it is two folks kit as we are on a tandem. 🙂

If you are one of those who can cut the weight down to virtually nothing then bike packing bags might be the way to go. I also use a frame bag

Did anyone buy one of those KTM saddle bags earlier this year?

I think thought the KTM bags were excellent value for money

Full Revelate set up for me. Works great and very pleased with it, but most people are happy with what they have

Actually, I do have a Wildcat bag, the Tomcat, which goes into the loop on my Jones bars

full Apidura for me (plus Alpkit stem cells) for road and off-road

When I bought my Wildcat frame bag and harnesses there was only really Wildcat and Alpkit to choose from (I think Apidura had just started but couldn’t find out much about them at all), the US stuff was much more expensive, CTBM might have been selling Revelate stuff back then, can’t remember. Looking at the two I thought the Wildcat stuff was better thought out but the Alpkit stuff wasn’t in stock either so my choice was kind of made for me.

Most people will say what they have is fine, if only to justify their purchase, but I haven’t seen anything in other designs that would make me sell my existing kit and buy new. Equally if I’d bought Revelate or Apidura then I’d probably be happy with those. Personally I prefer a separate harness and dry bag type system but accept that others may not. I’ve a couple of Alpkit Stem Cells which are brilliant for trail ready stuff as well as a few Alpkit and Exped dry bags.

If you do go the soft, bikepacking style, bags route then clean your frame and fit some heli-tape otherwise the paint will be gone in no time.

No right or wrong really, just what works for you.

I’m torn between the KTM saddle bag and the Uraltour one. It’ll only get used a few times a year so I don’t want to spend too much.
Any suggestions which is the better purchase?

I love my Uraltour bags, they were made to fit, before he gave up doing that.

Well made, not waterproof, but I put dry bags in so less of a problem. Used about 3 times a year