Any keen bikepackers got any tips for doing short trips without resorting to shelling out on expensive frame bags and the like?

What do you use to carry your kit, attach your sleeping bag to bars etc.

Cheers in advance,

BTM

There are a fair few bikepackers on here so you should get some help.

But also check out bearbones bikepacking.

Basically yes.

Drybag either strapped to your bars or under your seat. Cheapish ones from Alpkit which have useful attachment loops. Stick the rest in a backpack.

Just be careful with the drybag rubbing against your frame.

I’m in no way a seasoned bikepacker, but I bought some webbing and buckles from ebay to attach drybags, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and whatnot. Very cheap and effective, and you can tailor for your needs. Might have to do a bit of sewing though…

Saddlepack made from an exped drybag and fixings from an old sadlebag, I smeared silicon around the fixings to make sure it stayed waterproof. Fits my sleeping bag in.

The alpkit bags with fixing points are good for the handlebars. IMO you need a proper frame bag.

I sugest you want the sadlepack to carry the lightest kit so it is the best place for the sleeping bag.

Aye, get some Airlok XTra dry bags from Alpkit.

I did something similar to MSP

linky

Brilliant!

For the guys who use dry bags as saddle bags, what do you carry in them? I’m wondering if strength is an issue. They’ll be OK for sleeping bags and stuff of course, but what if you started bundling your tools in and stuff?

Pack light and carry it on your back. If it’s only a quick trip and you want to try it out then no need to invest in kit that is very specific

Backpack.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-Luggage-Straps-Card-2-ACC041/dp/B00BR9UILO
https://www.alpkit.com/products/airlok-xtra

X2 front and rear.Anything else on your back

When I said ‘backpack’, I probably should have said that I have one in the classifieds…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-berghaus-arete-45

butcher
For the guys who use dry bags as saddle bags, what do you carry in them? I’m wondering if strength is an issue. They’ll be OK for sleeping bags and stuff of course, but what if you started bundling your tools in and stuff?

I cram it with anything and it is fine riding around anywhere, bumps an all. So long as the straps are tight.

And I absolutely don’t use a backpack. The weight on the bike rather than your back is much more comfortable

bungee cord.

For the guys who use dry bags as saddle bags, what do you carry in them? I’m wondering if strength is an issue. They’ll be OK for sleeping bags and stuff of course, but what if you started bundling your tools in and stuff?

I keep it light, even with a proper bikepack saddlebag I find too much weight there feels weird, you can feel it moving around “wagging” like a dogs tail.

Toolstation flat bungees – I reckon the 635mm one would be perfect for your average sleeping bag sized dry bag, and cheap as chips. I got a few this week for general strapping duties, and they are right good quality and light too. The hooks fit bars too.

Backpack +1

Pack light, then remove stuff. If you’re used to carrying a 3l camelpack then swapping to bottles on the bike frees up 3kg of luggage you’ll never notice being added. That’s a tent, sleeping bag, stove, mat, and some food.

Try it and see what fits and how it feels, after the first trip youll quickly realise theres a lot of eventualities you pack for that never happen, my philosophy is take good lights and if the shit really did hit the fan you can always ride through the night to get home.

Cheers all for the info.

Do you tend to tone things down in terms of technicality if you’re equipped for bike packing? Will you go for less technically demanding routes, less full-on descents, for example?

Have done the Tony the Tiger Cli-machx descent twice, in winter, while fully loaded, ok so not likely to set a very good Strava time, but it’s fine. Done bits of Nant Y Arian as well.

This sort of stuff is fine too

Not by much, if you keep the weight down and mostly balanced (ie centered) then there isn’t much I wouldn’t do bikepacking that I wouldn’t normally do with that bike.

That is where kit choice becomes important, if your main goal is too ride out to somewhere and camp rough, then a bit of extra weight isn’t so important.
If your goal is to enjoy singletrack that wouldn’t be normally available in a single days ride, then you go lightweight and put up with a bit more discomfort overnight, and spend a bit more on the right kit where possible. ie I look at that picture above and think “christ that’s a lot to be carrying”.

jamiep – what size alpkit bad is that on the bike?

edit: should have read your blog post………..

I keep it light, even with a proper bikepack saddlebag I find too much weight there feels weird, you can feel it moving around “wagging” like a dogs tail.

This is where I’ve found the Wildcat seatpack to be worth the money – really stabilises the load well.

Also helps to pack the heavy stuff in the frame area, lower down –

Do you tend to tone things down in terms of technicality if you’re equipped for bike packing?

I’ve ridden averagely techy, switchback-rocky Alpine stuff with about 13lbs of kit for extended bivi-ing, slower than my FS in places but on the ‘pick-a-line and roll it’ kind of tech there’s no real difference if the weight is distributed right. Keep it low, and off the bars where possible. The main thing I notice is wanting a bigger back rotor (180 vs 160 normally) which is odd for only adding a stone or less as I’m not a particularly heavy rider to start with. The weight on the bike seems to have a different effect and building a lot of momentum can be harder to control, coming into corners a bit hasty, more risk of rim dings etc.

For a bodged bar-roll, I did my first few trips with a ladder-H shape strap made from 4 bits of 25mm webbing with buckle clips. Sewn into a 2-rung ladder shape so the rungs added some support to the front-lower area and locates the tension straps. Holds a dry-bagged sleeping bag and mat etc easily. Foam insulation can cover where the stem or controls may hole the bag. 30 mins work with a needle and thread, and my sewing is really bad )

I look at that picture above and think “christ that’s a lot to be carrying”.

Yeah Will doesn’t normally win lightest bike at the WRT weigh in, but it doesn’t make much difference out on the ride

Not sure he bought any new gear for Bikepacking, just uses what he already has, which probably saved him a fortune 🙂

Just to link the two threads, here’s one I started last week in similar vein: THE OTHER THREAD

but it doesn’t make much difference out on the ride

Looks like it is dragging him over backwards 😉

I had a pretty bad tumble when I first started bikepacking, using racks and front loaders out back, still a fairly light setup, but going fairly quick down some doubletrack hit a slippery bit and the backend overtook me then griped and launched me off in a highside. That’s the sort of thing that can take you by surprise if you don’t get the balance right.

Time for the sick as a Dog link:-
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sick-as-a-dog-so-show-me-you-bivi-bikepacking-adventure-racing-gear

everything you ever need to know about Bivi action, Enjoy