So started seriously thinking about a bit of an alpine bivy trip thing in the summer, and I reckon I'm going to have to carry sleeping bag and a tent/hammock and food and spares and stuff. The plan is to ride between resorts loaded up and then take it all off the bike once camped. I would really like one of those epic designs frame bag numbers, but they are a tad pricey for skint student types. So are they really worth it, or how bad is just lashing stuff to the frame? Any experience, or indeed pictures appreciated. Ta

what frame and are you planning on riding loaded only on the road?

If road touring then, if possible (dep on frame design) I'd fit a rack and get some 2nd hand panniers and if you still need more space a 20 litre pack. That should see your carrying duties. You can strip the rack when you're camped.

if riding offroad I'd consider a light post mounted rack and load that with the bulky but light stuff (sleeping back and bivvy) then put everything else in the backpack

in my experience frame bags just get in the way but I've not tried all of them ofc.

My view is panniers are the best – rucsacs tire you unnecessarily

Edit – stuff tied on the frame works – tent poles are a particularly good one for that. Bottle cages as well

http://www.bobgear.com/trailers/trailer.php?product_id=11

I would really like one of those epic designs frame bag numbers, but they are a tad pricey for skint student types

My wife made a frame bag for me using the material from an old duffle bag (1000 denier cordura I think it was, but you could use a lighter fabric). They're not particularly difficult to make, if you have access to a sewing machine or you could even do it by hand. I don't find it gets in the way while riding, it's only 3" wide, but still carries quite a lot (tent, thermarest, stove, fuel, some clothes, food, headlamp etc).

I have a 7 litre compression dry bag which will take a sleeping bag and some clothes. I made some straps to lash it under the handlebars (you may need to lengthen you gear/ brakes cables to accommodate it, depending on the size). Standard rucksack strapping and buckles are pence from an outdoor shop, and it's surprising what you can do with the stuff.

All in all, it's pretty easy to do on the cheap I reckon.

Put sleeping bag inside bivvy bag, roll this up with sleeping mat and put into a dry bag, use webbing straps to lash this to your handle bars.

Get a seat post mounted rack and lash another dry bag with clothes and stuff to it

Use a camelbak for water, tools as normal.

Might be of interest

http://welshridething.blogspot.com/

Stuart

Cheers guys. I wouldn't want to miss out any good trails on the 'transition' stages, and would want to get the saddle down on the singletrack, which could cause issues with apost mounted rack? Did consider trying to make a frame bag myself, but I am pretty crap at sowing.

IanB – how stable is stuff lashed to the frame? Sounds like a good plan. Any pictures?

Oh, and the frame is a spesh rockhopper (Pretty niche eh?)

Well, the bag is strapped to the top, seat and down tubes with straps like the Epic bags would be. If the bag is packed well, stuff doesn't move inside it nor the bag move on the bike (bag made slightly smaller than the frame so that when the straps are tightened the bag is taut). I haven't got any pictures at the moment unfortunately.

There's some good info here though, which is where I got a lot of my inspiration from:
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=605.0

I tried doing 3 days bike camping in 2008, but using "regular" camping gear (ie cheap from Millets!). I'd had enough after the first day! Invest in a light sleeping bag, bivvy bag or fly sheet and a lightweight sleeping mat – it'll be money well spent.

i just bought a jandd frame bag. for £27 new off ebay us. it isn't nearly as big as the epic one but it is universal and cheap. two things i like.

i should add to this that for these sorts of trips i have previously used a dry bag on a rack with an osprey talon 22 bag.

in future i need to redistribute weight to get pack weight down. the frame bag is part of the plan. as is a smallish dry bag on the bars.

Hmm, a dry bag with sleeping bag and assorted gubbins on the bars then, and everything else lashed to the frame? Or a converted duffel bag and lash everything else to the bars? Think I need to just have a bit of an experiment.

http://www.shoprans.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BPAC0101

by the time you add postage from kansas this works out about £27.50 which is the same as thom thumbs bag

How i wish i had kept my early 90's 'corner bag' . It would be cool again, and i would have a pad with which help me shoulder my bike!

http://www.pedaltheplanet.com/itemMatrix.asp?GroupCode=PACF019&eq=&MatrixType=1

just found a cheaper one

Cheers flatfish. Probably looking for something a bit bigger though, maybee take up all of the front triangle, just to get weight of the shoulders as would be the case with a mahoosive rucksack.

if your wanting bigger i'm afraid you'll have to go with eric at epic

DavidM – I took some pics of my set up today and posted them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N08/sets/72157623560918498/

Ignoring the cost of the kit, the storage hasn't really cost me a great deal. Most expensive bit was the Pod Sacs compression bag which was £15, but you could just use a normal Exped dry bag costing a fiver.