We have all ridden with Panniers here at Alpkit before all this new fangled ‘bikepacking’ arrived! There is nothing wrong with them and if you are all set up with them, then there really is no need to change.
From our “What is Bikepacking?” Article –
What Wrong With Panniers?
Nothing, but even the lightest rack and panniers will weight more than a modern bike packing set up. They give you a lot of space… which you can fill with more stuff, unfortunately this normally equates to a heavier bike! You can be disciplined with panniers and not fill them but I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t just pack that extra Mars Bar.
Panniers can also make it hard to carry a bike for any distance as well as affecting the balance and handling of a bike to a much greater extent than framebags and seat packs.
We have been on trips using on average: a framebag (0.3 Kg 4-5 litres) a front drybag (20 litres) and a seat pack (13 litres) and you can travel light enough with the alpinist mindset, multi-use, fast and light etc. with just what you need and hit slightly more technical trails further into the wilderness without losing much of the comfort, some of us for over a week, although merino baselayer stop the majority of smells, it was questionable!
It is a different way of travelling off-road. You may consider it similar to mountaineers who used to have porters and camp in big comfy tents and then to super-light alpinists like Ueli Steck – a different way of enjoying the hills that’s all….
As long as you are out there enjoying it does it matter?
Jay