Call me bike packing curious, but all the tales on here of the HT550, SDW etc have made me want to get out on a long adventure. The Podsac bike packing stuff appears to be discounted in the Planet X sale at the moment, although this thread makes it plain that it's not what it once was.
I'm after some dirt cheap stuff, mainly to tide me over while I try some short (ish) trips while I determine if bike packing is for me. I can always buy better later.
So, is the Podsac stuff worth a punt, or should I look at this Lomo stuff a bit closer...? Are there any other brands to look at?
I have just bought the Lomo seatpack and it is very well made. I've also had one of their backpacks for years and it is still like new.
Podsac I have no idea about.
Like you I'm bikepacking curious and have planned a four day trip around Dorset and Wiltshire for the end of the month.
If you want to do it on the cheap for the first couple of times get a couple of drybags and some bungee cords. i used these and a seat rack for the first few times along with my usual riding pack. works ok, the other thing is working out what you will need, you'll take too much and then you can work out what you can do without. as a basic list you will need:
sleeping bag -
some form of shelter, tent or tarp or just a bivvy bag. depends on the weather etc. also a mat for the floor, cheap gym mat is fine.
cooker - gas or something else. gas cookers can be had cheap and are light
food - ideally something you just add water to. couscous is a favourite along with "mugshot" pasta packets.
water - bottles/camelbak etc
other stuff - spares, clothes, tools
all of this depends on how long you're going for, how far from home etc.
check out bearbonesbikepacking for much more info and guidance.
enjoy it, sleeping under the stars in good weather is ace. in a dark skies spot you will be amazed by the sky.
Have a look at the "review" section of Bearbones http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.com/ (it's actually a blog) and search for Lomo. If you search on Aliexpress I'm sure you'll find some copies of various bags. There's also a Polish company that I can't remember the name of ATM that do well reviewed bikepacking bags.
With all these bags, expensive as well as cheap, it's worth using decent dry bags like Exped to keep important stuff like sleeping bags properly dry.
If you want to do it on the cheap, use a rucksack. It works perfectly well and you probably already have one!
Also, just for the benefit of the forum, bikepacking does not require a fatbike.
I've used Alpkit stuff for years, and if you're wanting to keep costs down, these Airlok bags have loads of attachment points so you can strap them almost anywhere. This is all Alpkit stuff (including an Airlok on the bars):
Also used Lomo drybags pretty extensively too - although not the bikepacking specific stuff - and the quality has always been spot on there, too.
I've got an Alpkit framebag, which I use a lot and is ace. However, I have bought but not used the Podsacs barbag/roll and saddle bag and they look really well put together; I've not taken them out on the trails yet though.
Alpkit X-tra drybags have added webbing strap loops so they can be easily secured to the bars - no need for a harness. Regardless of how secure you believe you've strapped everything down, it's amazing how it works itself loose over rough trails - I like to have 2 means of securing, even if it just means an extra cord to hold it on. I'm not a big fan of large seat packs - only the very best are very secure, a lot work loose and bounce about and rub the tyre meaning frequent stops - a cheap rack e.g. Axiom Fatliner and a 20 litre drybag could be less hassle.
Before deciding on which spendy bits to get I used an Alpkit dry bag on the front - https://www.alpkit.com/products/airlok-xtra-dual-13-litre - worked fine for a few trips and once I'd decided on which mounting system (Wildcat in this case) it works with that so not money wasted. The main reason for a harness is to protect the bag from abrasion.
Similarly for the seat, the tapered Airlock will work especially if, as @dovebiker says, you don't pack heavy stuff in there. Again if you go for a harness the bag, minus straps, will fit in it as a simple dry bag.
That's £37 (OK, the handlebar bag is out of stock ATM) which gives you quite a lot of capacity - 26L which is about the same as an OMM rucksack.
Frame bags are a bit trickier but that's because there are so many different frame shapes and sizes that one size or design can't fit everything - look at the shot on the Lomo site of their frame bag mounted as an example. Half-frame bags get round this to some extent.
For simple overnight trips in summer you don't really need a lot of kit. At the moment things are so dry that sleeping bag, sleeping mat and something to sit around in whilst sipping whisky are about all you need. The risk in having "everything" in terms of bags is that you end up justifying taking more stuff just to fill them.
Thanks all, certainly give me something to think about. My first idea for a trip, was from near Cambridge to Thetford on the Icknield Way Trail, kip at the campsite near Thorpe Forest and then back again the next day. All within 50 minutes, or so, by car from the house, if I need rescuing. After that, it would likely be linking the Icknield Way Trail and the Peddars Way Trail up to Holme-next-the-Sea.
I have a bivvy bag, so was looking to get a tarp, light weight sleeping bag and some sort of stove, cooking kit. All my old mountaineering kit, is either too big (3 season Rab down bag), or too old (i.e. falling to bits). I feel a spreadsheet coming on...
Most folk's first bikepacking trip involves carrying too much - after a few rides and you realise what stuff you don't need / leave behind.
My only exception to this rule was this - 5 days unsupported in the arctic, bivvying out a -27C - t'was a bit nippy. The piece of reindeer hide strapped to the back is a very effective insulator when sitting on cold ground, plus a great chest warmer! A year later I found a snack salami inside my pogie when I next went for a cold ride.
Ah spreadsheets :embarrassed:
Oh, and the never ending gear purchases to save 50g weight 🙂
Here's our bikes from a couple of weekends ago
The bag on the my handlebars (Solaris on the left) is hidden by my helmet but it's an Alpkit Gnaro @ 3L and had an Alpkit Rig7 tarp, lightweight bivy bag, a light insulated windproof top plus one or two smaller items. The two stem cells (Revelate feed bags) had trail food plus things like midge repellant, suncream, debit card and cash. The Alpkit Top Tube bag that's in the frame had a mug (with home-made meths stove, lighter, tea bags and other bits inside) a container of meths for the stove, Exposure Joystick, sachets of porridge for breakfast, toothbrush and paste along with various odds and ends.
The seat pack is a Wildcat harness with their tapered dry bag. This had my Cumulus quilt, sleeping mat, lightweight thermal top and shorts for sleeping, microfibre towel. Spare socks.
Neither of us had rucksacks. I carried the camera in a shirt pocket
All standard kit, just chosen wisely with regard to weight and bulk. Note that quilts are lighter than sleeping bags but: a) not everyone gets on with them, b) you do need a decent sleeping mat.
Dovebiker - that is one impressive setup there and story. What do you do to keep your toes warm? Do you have those big boots like 45nrth make? I always suffer cold feet and toes even when it’s just mildly chilly!
Podsac bike packing stuff appears to be discounted in the Planet X sale at the moment, although this thread makes it plain that it’s not what it once was.
And yet not one of the one moaning appear to have used or own the current podsacs stuff. One person who does actually have it likes it.
Dovebiker – that is one impressive setup there and story. What do you do to keep your toes warm? Do you have those big boots like 45nrth make? I always suffer cold feet and toes even when it’s just mildly chilly!
I wore a pair of oversize 45 Nrth mk1 Wolvhammers with Yeti over-gaiters and 2 pairs of woolly socks - boots are rated down to -18C and if I stopped for any period, particularly standing on frozen lakes / rivers could feel the cold through the soles of my boots. Dealing with moisture in your boots can also be a problem on multiple-day events - I put a pair of Zippo metal handwarmers inside the boots overnight to help dry them out / keep them warm for morning. Handwarmers run on lighter fuel, but didn't anticipate I'd run out on the 4th night when it was coldest in an open shelter with no fire. I'd been riding for 16 hours and when I arrived at the shelter and took them off - they froze almost instantly. Decided to sleep on the problem - fortunately I had a metal coffee can, so filled it up with hot water and stuffed inside the boot - it softened them just enough to allow me to get my feet inside and I ran a couple of laps around the shelter to warm them up!
Next time I'd invest in a pair of felt-liner boots like Wolgars and carry a spare set of liners. A guy on the ITI in Alaska managed to melt his boot liners in the fire and DNF'd as he didn't have spares. Some folks use vapour-barrier liners inside their boots, but you really need to find a combo that works for you.
Love apidura and alpkit stuff although start with a rucksack and go from there, just bought a podsac to look at , quality is ok for the money ..... just get some gear and get out there .. im heading to the peaks later today to ride the south peaks loop on my gravel bike
was going to add pics but no idea how to do it now on the newer forum ?