good rucksack for commuting? waterproof pref

Hi
All my stuff got soaked on the way to work last night. Bottom of the bag was drenched. Thought about one of them luminous yellow covers but there must be waterproof bags with good back ventilation.
I carry sandwiches, trousers, few tools and a drink.

I’ve got an Osprey Escapist 20L pack, its pretty roomy, got a nice back system and comes with an integral rain cover.

Lots of people have said the Alpkit Gourdon is great. Some of them will probably be along in a minute.

I usually say Carradice SQR Slim for commuting (if its on road or smooth off road) seatpost mounted, Mine’s never let any water in, keeps your bum dry and clean, and your back free(er) from sweat.

I’ll take a look cheers

http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/drybag-daypack.html

http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/high-visibility-drybag-cycling.html

Prefer it to be on my back.

Love the lomo hi viz! Says out of stock.

I’ll be the first to say Alpkit Gourdon. Only downside is that they can be a bit uncomfortable with heavy loads or if you have really broad shoulders.

I have this decathlon one:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-5-backpack-id_8243997.html

Quite smart tbh – excellent water-proofness, decent size, simple (there’s not a load of extraneous bollox hanging off it). Worth a look.

i’ve got an ortlieb one that looks like a dry bag with straps. comfy, high viz yellow and waterproof. I think they do two different sizes. the only bad thing i’ve found is the roll-top can be in my sight line when looking over my shoulder

EDIT: ortlieb velocity – wiggle do them

Put clothes in a drybag, place drybag in any rucksack of your choice.

Exped are good ime, got a 20l one and they cost/weigh next to nothing.

I liked the 20l one of these, till I fell off and it wasn’t waterproof any more.

So I got another. It had a waist strap, which I found a bit restrictive (you can clip it round the bag, rather than yourself, or just cut it off), and I didn’t use the side straps, cos they buzzed in the wind. Plenty of room for shirt, work papers/laptop, lunch, shoes at a push, etc. lasted through several Scottish winters and still going strong. Totally dry – like not even a hint of damp.

Back ventilation wasn’t its strongest point, but there were showers at work, so I put up with it – it didn’t really seem to be an issue on the bike to be honest.

Yellow seemed the obvious choice for visibility.

Would of thought berghaus or solamon would of done one for cyclists but can’t find one. Berghaus normally cheap as well.

Not that it helps much but I have been using a lomo hi viz since Christmas. Totally waterproof it will take a laptop easily but not very comfy when loaded up due to the lack of back support. Normally I just take sandwiches shirt and tools and it’s ok.

I guess other dry bag with straps type bags will be similar.

dhb slice 25. I’ve been using one for around a month. The rain cover works as I’ve been in som monsoon type rain and there’s been no leaking. Cheap too.

Alpkit bourdon +1

Been using mine for a year now and works perfectly.

I used to use an Ortleib too on my wet commutes. 100% dry stuff even in horrendous downpours and the tiny bit of sweat down my back was worth bone dry kit!

When I used a backpack I used some cheap Decathlon one with a rain cover.

Then I moved to panniers and never looked back

Another Gourdon here, works very well….

Alpkit.. Comes with iron on patches, which are useful when you explode a bottle of beer inside while falling off when drunk..

Have a 20l as a bike bag and summer commute bag, and a 25l for when more kit/shopping/beer is required.

Another alpkit user, also used the similar designed Exped Cloudburst both do their jobs well just need some foam down the back to stop this digging into you.

Also have a Berghaus I’d suggest they are cheap for a reason they are crap. Always have a design flaw and definitely not waterproof.

I’ve been using a ten year old Adidas skate backpack for years that is just starting to die. It’s had carrier bags on very wet days and comfortably holds a weeks shopping for one.

I’m just buying an Alpkit Gourdon to replace it and depending how much I like it it may come out on bigger rides with a reservoir…

Berghaus always surprised me. 20-30 years ago they always sold themselves against the Karrimor Jaguars and Condors as being ‘the Army pack’ but I never found one I’d take in preference to my sadly missed Jaguar E66.

I’ve never been convinced that the stuff they sell into consumer land is genuinely up to the job. No experience of genuine Army kit, but from stories it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t have similar issues.

On the positive, Gourdons are so cheap it’s not going to be the end of the world if you hate it! 🙂

Mission workshop is pricy but very comfortable and absolutely completely waterproof. Probably only worth it for carrying the precious laptop and as my commute is 40 miles In Yorkshire and the Peak District I need that 100% waterproof security.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/henty/wingman-suit-bag-ec046713

The Henty Wingman is awesome as I wear a suit, very comfortable and waterproof.

Never let me down in a year of Scottish weather.

Vaude are really good for back ventilation, mesh panel keeps the bag off your back. They come with a rain cover too.

Deuter Race Air. Light, stays off the back, holds 18L and has an integral yellow rain cover. Or Ortlieb panniers.

Just get an luminous yellow cover.

My DHB Slice 25[/url] has one in a hidden pocket and it works fine. Everything bone dry despite the past few days monsoon conditions.

Another vote for the OverBoard stuff. I have one of these.

Bomb-proof. No compartments, but it’s got two big reflective strips up the back, is completely waterproof, and can take a LOT of stuff yet rolls down a good bit smaller when required. I use the mesh pocket for a full-size D-lock and tools.