Gravel rides, what you using, seatpack or backpack ?

Not bikepacking, just regular 2-4 hr day jaunts. I have always used a small backpack, currently an Evoc Stage 3, which contains tools, tube, phone and some bits and bobs. Probably as I use a backpack on the MTB, as have always kept weight off the bike for lugging it over fences and gates etc.

Just curious, have ordered a wee Revelate Shrew to try the kit all on the bike for a change.

Bottle cage storage keg with spare tube and bits + Oneup EDC pump on frame for tools. Storage bib pockets for snacks and phone.

Restrap canister bag for CO2, snacks and a light jacket and a Topeak Wedge Drybag under the saddle with a tube, patches and a small multitool in it. Phone in jacket/jersey pocket.

Topeak small saddle bag and a lifeline top-tube bag, as featured on STW, for normal tools, phone, money etc. If I’m going to be out longer I have a larger saddle bag I can fit a lightweight jacket in too. Got a quad lock too for the phone if the weather isn’t ropey, but not if its wet as they don’t make a waterproof case thing for my phone.

Restrap bar bag on Mrs kilos bike, carradice bar bag on mine. Pump fitted on bike

Hip pack.

Im using an Ortlieb half frame bag.
Fits tools, tube, pump, jacket & enough other bits & bobs for a day out. All out of the weather & easily accessed.
Or it’ll hold 5 cans of beer. You’ll have to drink the sixth as a traveller.

for 2- 4 hours either a small seat pack or a frame bag.  Depends on conditions and remoteness of course

Frame bag (Wildcat) left permanently on bike, plus a waist pack if conditions/ride dictate.

Wizard works bar bag and a decathlon stem cell (£4!)

These are on the bike at all times. Tools are kept in a tool roll.

Mrs bought me a Rapha bar bag for Christmas last year. It lives on the bike and has space for tools,pump,tube etc with enough room for a few snacks and a light filet or windproof. Can just squeeze a shake dry waterproof in there if I’m careful. Plus a front pocket for phone and keys. I’m a fan of the idea of the bar bag although I probably wouldn’t have bought this particular one myself.Then water in bottle cage.
https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/bar-bag/product/BBA01XXBMG

Apidura Expedition Downtube Pack, underneath the downtube by the BB, tubes, dynaplug, tools, minipump, compact and out the way

Bottle in cage, little TT bag like this:

with spare brake pad/quick link/multitool/anchovies+pokey tool/CO2/keys in it.

An emergency tube is taped to the other end of the top tube, mini pump mounted on the seat tube and anything else goes in a jacket/jersey pocket…

Why would I want/need a backpack for less than half a day on a gravel bike?

Restrap frame bag from the adventure race range.Plenty space for all types of trips.

Carradice

Pockets, under 2 hours, 1l waist pack for all dayers. Kitchen sink frame luggage (it feels like) for overnight.

Bottle in a cage, pump on a clip next to it, tube taped to seatpost. Anything and everything else in an alpkit gnaro waterproof bar bag which is great!

Cheers folks, looks like I shall ditch the backpack !

Depends on length and function.

Some of my ‘gravel’ rides (in these borderlands this means broken roads, back lanes, tracks, towpaths, bridleways, fire roads etc) are:

Purpose:

– Commutes/chores
– Leisure
– Keep fit
– A mix of the above

Length (not including bikepacking) :

– All day
– Half a day
– Less
– Even less.

I was laughing yesterday looking at the door-hook while choosing a bag for fetching dinner. Realised that I have four different increasingly-sized black and grey rucksacks. A luggage version of Russian dolls. Same goes with panniers and frame bags. I certainly have too many.

All day for leisure ride with snax, tools and rainjacket generally use the medium Blackburn Outpost (expandable) frame-bag. Possibly with addition of a top-tube bag.

Half a day leisure I use a half-size frame bag (enough for credit card, keys, tools, rag, innertube, phone)

Commutes and chores I have a rack with a 10L seat-pack (with fold out panniers) to add to the mix.

If I don’t fancy the rack I’ll use a medium lightweight rucksack to fetch and carry. Or a Camelbak Lobo minus the hydration bladder (used this last night to fetch a bag of chips) which has toom in the front pocket for phone, keys, multitool and cable lock (if required)

For shorter leisure rides I’ll take the Lobo or some half-sized frame bag.

For keep-fit rides just a small saddle wedgepack for tools, rag, keys and then liquids in bottlecages

Backpack is always a last resort for me. It’s useful sometimes but the sweaty back usually isn’t worth it.

On the bike I use various bags depending on what and how much I’m carrying, but on a winter ride where I might be carrying a big jacket, flask and whatever else, I’ll generally use a seat pack. They can be a faff to pack (I’ve not a lot of patience for that kinda stuff), so anything I want quick access to goes in pockets, top-tube pack, or similar. If you’re not fussed about weight, those old Carradice bags, as already suggested, are underrated – they still very popular amongst audaxers. The good thing about a lot of bikepacking seat packs is they can be very flexible in what they carry, packing down to whatever size you need. They’re just not as convenient in terms of access compared to other options, imo.

Lifting over fences can become more difficult, but one bag doesn’t make a massive difference. It’s still possible with a full bikepacking set up, albeit hard work.

+1 minipump mounted next to bottlecage. Although my other ‘gravel bike’ is a retro tourer and that has lightweight full-sized pump which is spring-mounted under the top-tube.

A bar-bag is the obvious missing luggage to complete my options. Have no desire to get involved with those massive waving tubes saddle-packs as long as I have other options. (Backpack is currently my least-favourite option so don’t wish to add another contender 😄)

Correction

Commutes and chores I have a rack with a 10L seatrack-pack (with fold out panniers) to add to the mix.

(Afterthought) – as mentioned upthread (under top tube) frame-bags (and bottle cages) can limit Lifting yr bike on the shoulder. Instead I tend to hoist the bike with right hand on seat-tube or seatstay, and left hand midway on left-fork-leg, keeping my core close to the bike and right up against the gate/fence (straddling a stile step if necessary) then lifting the bike over this way by hoisting it over and down on it’s back wheel, then lowering the front wheel, then budging the bike sideways so that I can climb over.

Never a backpack. I have a bar bag, frame bag and seatpack to choose from plus a frame mounted pump and bottle cages. The framebag is a permanent attachment really. It’s a partial one so holds tools, levers a couple of bars and a jacket. Bar bag and/or seatpack for longer trips or Winter when I’ll usually take a warm layer with me. Lights are dynamo driven, so also permanently attached.

Don’t have a gravel bike but for road I have a small tool roll (dynaplug, CO2, levers, small multi-tool) which goes in one jersey pocket, waterproof pouch thing (phone, bank card, emergency £10, disposable mask) in another pocket, and a spare tube in the last pocket. Water in cages

Move everything for MTB, don’t often bother with a tube though.

MTB don’t often ride longer than a couple of hours, but road bike up to 8 hours. As long as you are not heading into the back of beyond you can get away with travelling pretty light IMO.

I’ve got these, they are not on the same bike at the same time. there’s so many because I’ve reviewed them for ukgravelco.com
2 x Beer babe bar bags
1 x Cordell.CC bar bag
1 x camel chops bar bag
1 x rapha bar bag
2 x Chrome bar bags
2 x custom beerbabe frame bag
2 x Jandd frame bags
1 x Bontrager top tube bag
1 x topeak top tube bag
1 x farr top tube bag
1 x 76 projects top tube bag
1 x Cordell.CC top tube bag
1 x teenie houdini Wizard works saddle bag

I did have a Wizard works gogo top tube bag and a Lil’ presto bar bag but gave them away in a competition

bar bag generally has phone, keys, mask, spare buff, gopro and usually a sarnie/pie depending on how long i’m out for

Backpack is always a last resort for me. It’s useful sometimes but the sweaty back usually isn’t worth it.

Absolutely this for me.

Short rides – tool keg in one bottle cage, bottle in the other, snacks, waterproof and maybe an extra tube in jersey pockets

Medium rides – same, but maybe a top tube food bag for extra snacks or to free up jersey pockets for other stuff/arm warmers etc.

Long rides – as above but with a half frame bag under the top tube.

Overnighters (as in, hotel stays 😎 ) as above but with big saddle bag for causal clothes.

I can’t get over the non-aero look of bar bags, even though I can completely acknowledge it would make absolutely no difference to the sorts of rides and the sorts of speeds I do, but still, I don’t use one.

Restrap top tube bag is on the bike all the time with spare tools and a couple of bars. Restrap bar bag or frame bag (the layer is new) for longer rides that require more layers/food etc. Or hip pack. Definitely moved well away from rucksacks.

Small frame bag and either bar bag (if winter or picnic) or small small seat wedge.

Smallish seatbag wedge is enough for a tube and tools. Mini pump next to bottle cage.
I usually end up filling both cages with water bottles unless it’s a very short ride. Jersey pockets for phone, keys, snacks, maybe a windproof.

If it’s a longer ride, more remote or I need to take more clothing, I may add either a hip pack or a top tube or frame bag.

As above, backpack is last resort.

Become a little bit tarty of late about any bag lashed to the frame so bar bag is the go to, although it feels a bit too on trend for my liking. Got a camel chops bar bag which is great. Otherwise it’s my trusty old Jandd or Caradice for longer trips. Don’t understand the full bike packing setup for local loops unless there’s a lot of shake down rides going on round here!

Jersey pockets

In the winter I use a tool keg in one bottle cage and carry a 1L bottle in the other. In warmer, drier conditions I tend to take two bottles and a use a saddle bag. Food, keys and phone are carried on me

Frame bag together with top tube bag for me, just works. Not saggy if empty, next to none aero impact, and can fit virtually everything I need for a day ride over varying conditions, including food and layers. The capacity to carry so much stuff in the frame (and two full size water bottles) is one of the things that makes the gravel bike such an utilitarian exploration tool

Bolt-on revelate magtank + pockets for short rides.

add revelate tangle frame bag in for longer all dayers.

Framebag and tools in saddle bag.

Might use a bar bag if taking brewing tackle

Toolbottle, and a topeak pump that has an expanding bung to hold it in the seatpost. Waterproof that will fold into a jersey pocket.

Another one here with a tool bottle in one cage and a 1 litre water bottle in the other cage with a pump mounted to one of the bottle cages

Perfect for 3-4 hour rides

If riding for longer then i carry a foldable water bottle which i can ethier strap to the bike or put in a jersey pocket

Once its empty it can be rolled up and put in a pocket or strapped back on the bike

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/trail-running-flexible-flask-500-ml-blue-2020/_/R-

I use a small pack which I mount on my: fanny / bum / hip / waist as appropriate. It’s a Dakine HotLaps.

1.5 litre frame bag as permanent fitting (takes a boxed 50mm tube and basic tools) pump on seat stay, snacks and phone in jersey pockets.
Backpack only for 45 min commute with clothes, etc
Options on saddle bag and Topeak tri bag if needed.

Small frame bag (like a tip tube bag, but against the join between seat tube and top tube) … tube, dynaplug, multitool, tyre levers, small shower proof jacket, couple of gels. Pump clipped to frame/bottle cage.

Keys, phone, debit card, in jersey/shorts pockets.

If I need anything more, eg packed lunch, down jacket, I also take a hip pack.

Full length but not deep, so I can run two bottle cages, framebag permanently attached to the bike. A water bottle and a tool bottle in the main frame.

I ride the gravel either for 1-2 hour lunch spins on/off road or all-dayers – always good to have plenty of space as I’m rural and often in remote areas, so space for everything plus spare gloves/top etc. I’ve also a 3rd bottle cage under the down tube which I only use for carrying water on long hot/remote days.

I never carry anything in my pockets, don’t want to be impaled.

As long as you are not heading into the back of beyond you can get away with travelling pretty light IMO.

It’s only when something goes wrong, that you need stuff… For example, on all my bikes I’ve the correct spare mech hanger attached somewhere, along with a pre-cut gear cable.

Yesterday was +50 miles and 3600ft, including 4″ snow on the road for the best part of 8 miles.