Afternoon all,

I am soon to do a three day bikepacking trip with my brother in warm weather.

We are not sure whether we should buy or hire the kit. We can hire a full Alpkit set up (bar bag, frame bag, seat pack, top tube pouch and bar pouch) for the period we need it for £50 each but I do occasionally do this sort of trip myself (though I usually use a rack on the back of a hardtail and lash down a stuffsac which works pretty well) so I am also considering buying.

What would people recommend for an occasional user? I have seen the kit on the On One website, particularly:

Podsacs sadde bag £21

Podsacs Handlebar Roll £13

Willier Handlebar Roll £34

I am wondering if I could own some kit for the same price as the hire or if this is false economy.

If anything I’d be happy to cash out a little more for a good handlbar roll, I’ve seen the Blackburn Outpost Elite which looks a really sorted solution but pricy and not available in the UK.

Also open to offers of hire from STW members or sale of secondhand gear!

I have a set of podsacs stuff, its perfectly good for occasional use.

I should have mentioned that all use would be offroad so needs to have a level of wobble that can be tolerated!

Podsacs saddle bag seemed acceptable to me off road but I have nothing to compare too. It was light offroad though on gravel type bikes.

First seatpack was a podsacs used it for a year 4 days a week commuting and once amonth bivy ,only swapped it out as when I was tensioning the straps I ripped the buckles off ,got a alpkit now and there is no difference in wobble between the 2 ,the podsacs one will be perfect for the use your talking about ,the rest of the podsacs kit I can’t comment on

A review of the Podsac handlebar roll here: http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-budget-bikepacker-pod-sacs-barrel.html

As for the seatpack, looks OK and should be fine for occasional use but not the Tour Divide! As ever with seatpacks a lot depends on what you put in it and how you pack it as to how much they wobble.

Starting with a three day trip so nothing too epic!

Sounds quite encouraging on the Podsac kit.

For three days (two nights) with camping kit and food what luggage volume will I need/should I be aiming at? I am thinking handlebar roll, seatpack and 18L backpack should do it.

@keppoch – that’s the bikepacking equivalent of “what tyre”! 😂

A lot really depends on what kit you have. For a given warmth a decent down sleeping bag will be both lighter and compact better than a synthetic one. There’s nothing wrong with the synthetic (and I wouldn’t buy a down bag just for a single trip) but you are using up space. Modern inflatable sleeping mats are no heavier than CCF mats but much, much more compact. Etc.

Here’s another Bearbones link – http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.com/2016/08/tls-revolutionary-packing-system.html Generally try and leave stuff at home rather than think “I’ll take it, just in case”. You don’t really need any more kit for a week than for an overnight ride.

It sounds like you are using a tent so split that between you if you can. You’ll need a sleeping bag and mat. Some clothes to sleep in, just light thermals will do, adds warmth and stops the bag getting dirty. A jacket for around camp. Stove and fuel. Food. Hip flask.

Your handlebar roll, seat pack and rucksack should be more than enough. My summer bikepacking setup (touring not racing) is probably 15L or so but over the years I’ve upgraded kit to lighter and more compact stuff so it wasn’t a starting point.

I had the same dilemma last year and decided to go all-in with the podsacs stuff: seat, handlebar, frame, and top tube bags. Reasoned that if I do more bikepacking I could spend more, but this’ll work to give it a go for less than the cost of a single apidura bag.

Have been really pleased with all of it, save perhaps for the top tube bag, which really lacks any weather protection. I’ll carry on using all items till they wear out and don’t really feel the need to upgrade.

My biggest tip: Put some tape anywhere any bag might rub the frame. I learned that the hard way. 🙁

I survived my first half dozen bikepacking outings with just my normal backpack and a couple of heavy duty drybags strapped to seat post and handlebars.

Good to hear some real world PodSac experience and it sounds quite encouraging.

I too have survived my first few bikepacking outings with makeshift solutions, I’m just thinking of how to do the next one.

£50 to hire Alpkit gear is frankly extortionate. You could feasibly buy a set second hand (try Bearbones), then sell it for around the same price if you decide not to pursue it.

Lomo gear also seems pretty decent. I’m considering a saddle bag from them as they’re completely waterproof and pretty durable.

A Podsacs barbag in use on Wednesday.

I’ve had one on the go for about eight months. The original straps don’t really work, and I’m not sure the webbing stitching on the harness would last long if used as intended. With longer straps wrapped right round the bag, pulling it up into the bars, it works fine.

Lomo gear also seems pretty decent. I’m considering a saddle bag from them as they’re completely waterproof and pretty durable.

Be aware that packing is really important with this one. The straps under the saddle rails could really do with being more adjustable as it doesn’t handle partial loads particularly well. This feedback has been passed on to Lomo.