[Closed] Critique my backpacking set up please

Second stem further down the steerer in lieu of spacers? My immediate response is that that’s a genius idea! Think of all the stuff you could mount along that.

For a neater solution, you could try a Dr Jon Strapdeck and G-funk clamps - 65gms in all and absolutely rock solid. You'd still be clamping to carbon bars, but the torque required is very low.

Doesn't look like much clearance for your seatpack?

seatpack touches the mudguard but with no weight on it. Needs an eye kept on it.

I need a trial pack of all my kit as well.

My worry would be the four bolt heads are going to wear through your drybag very quickly, especially off road? Is there a way to use flatter heads or recess them somehow? Otherwise it's a nice solution!

You maybe using a camelbak or something similar, but if not where is your water storage?
Like the 2nd stem mount. Great idea.
Seatpack does look a little low and like it could push mudguard onto back tyre over bumpy ground.

I've got some Confucious bars (and some Geoff bars for variety) with the loop out front for bikepacking. Only takes 10 mins to swap and gives a really good base to strap things to. And more hand position options. And saves your nice bars from rub marks.

One bottle in frame bag. Its very rare in the highlands to need more. Possibly a 2l folding waterbag as well for when camped up

Good call on the bolt heads.

Seatpack hangs from a metal frame attached to the seat - very solid

My worry would be the four bolt heads are going to wear through your drybag very quickly, especially off road? Is there a way to use flatter heads or recess them somehow? Otherwise it’s a nice solution!

Short term fix might be a couple of layers of gaffa tape? Unless you have some button heads in the right size...

I reckon that's overall a good setup, plenty of volume...

The front bag mount needs refinement for sure.

Ta folks. If i can't get all my shit in that lot I have too much shit. This is not whitestone style 3kg camping 🙂

Waves!

I'd be wary of pushing the bar bag too far out front as it might affect the handling, I'd be trying to have things as close to the CoG of the bike as possible.

I'd second the DrJohn Strapdeck idea but it might get in the way of your cables and brake hoses. Looks like you've Hope brakes - the hoses on those come out in a straight line rather than angled like Shimano so sometimes you can mount things closer to the bars. With smaller bags on the front I've sometimes gone with having the bag *behind* the cables. Every situation is different though and generally it's just a case of trying things out.

There is a 1cm gap between the Front bag and the bars / its 100 mm in front of the steering.

I would prefer to frame mount the front bag but having trouble doing it without add a kilo!

I shall give it a try in the next few weeks. Looks like I can get all my kit on board

Thoughts,

Difficult to drop the saddle height if you need to, can you compress the saddlebag with straps?

Can you see your front wheel?, You could put a light short bar in the stem and drop the height of the bar bag?

Do your knees knock the blue bags?

Good questions.

I rode the bike across my kitchen to check

Saddle was an inch low = but thats as far as it will drop. I am not much of a seat dropper anyway
I can only just see the front of the front tyre. Hmmmm. the blue bags clear easily

Ta folks

I wore through a seat pack in 4 or 5 days, where it touched the mudguard. Mucky highland weather and it may have swayed more than yours. As you say, keep an eye on it.

Interwesting - with the seat at riding height it actually clears the mudguard just.

Ta for the thoughts folks. Decision making is difficult for me right now. I'll take on board comments and refine the set up