compose Crew Work
time Oct 24, 2022
remark 51In our information to bikepacking with a dropper publish, we lined the advantages and reliability of contemporary droppers. To sum up the expertise, utilizing a dropper improves the trip by getting the saddle out of the way in which throughout descents and gives a number of different sudden advantages. However, till the previous couple of years, dropper seatposts weren’t dependable sufficient to contemplate for prolonged bikepacking journeys.
To complicate issues, the seat pack—one of many key baggage in a bikepacking setup—additional hinders a rider’s skill to maneuver their weight again over the wheel whereas using on steep terrain. As such, many path mountain bikers who’ve turn out to be bikepackers have resorted to leaving their seat bag at dwelling and carrying a heavy backpack or have settled for swapping their valuable dropper for a inflexible publish whereas bikepacking. Fortunately, that now not must be the case. With many dependable dropper posts and several other dropper publish seat baggage available on the market, in addition to different good options on supply, all of the puzzle items are actually in place.
Selecting a Dropper Put up Seat Pack
Since dropper publish seat baggage are usually a lot smaller than conventional saddle baggage, their capability will probably affect whether or not a bag will work or for those who ought to contemplate one other answer. Listed below are some elements to contemplate.
Sizing and Quantity
Among the smallest, together with the Revelate Designs Shrew and Ortlieb Saddle Bag Two, have hardly sufficient room for a number of further layers and are probably solely helpful for minimal overnighter setups or these seeking to pack mild and trip quick. We discover packs within the 5L to 9L vary appropriate sufficient for light-weight setups with out affecting dropper publish operate—something a lot bigger and also you run the danger of getting tire clearance points or needing to help your dropper publish to return to full top.
Tire Clearance
Most dropper-specific seat packs require between 5-8” (13-23cm) of clearance between the rear tire and the saddle. So, for those who solely have that a lot area, these baggage might merely function a usable seat pack. Conversely, if in case you have a foot of area (~30cm), you need to be capable to get away with utilizing many of the journey in a 150mm dropper on a hardtail with a smaller seat pack. Or, on a full-suspension bike, with the identical quantity of area, you possibly can contemplate setting your rear shock to the agency setting (if it has one) to restrict its journey, and use half of your dropper publish’s journey. As well as, with a bikepacking load, it’s acceptable so as to add 10-20 psi of air stress to your rear shock to compensate for added weight.
Weight & Energy
Dropper posts are fairly highly effective and might hoist a big load, however in our exams we discovered a load weight of about 3lbs 8oz (1.6kg) to be a very good baseline, bag included (extra on that in direction of the underside of the web page). Many of the dropper posts we’ve examined had been in a position to elevate a bag of this measurement, though it was a little bit a lot for some others. We’d most likely advocate capturing for a weight round three kilos even, which must be a little bit higher for many dropper posts
If you might want to have extra packing area, heavier objects, or don’t have sufficient tire clearance, it is likely to be value trying into utilizing a rear rack or mountless rack/bag as an alternative of a seat bag. This answer is especially helpful for shorter riders, anybody with restricted clearance between the saddle and rear tire, or those that need full dropper publish operate. Extra on these beneath.
Mounting Options and the Wolf Tooth Valais
All types of bag attachment programs have been developed with dropper posts in thoughts. Some use a saddle rail-mounted assist system to supply stability, such because the Bedrock Black Dragon and Blackburn Outpost Elite, and others hook on to the saddle rails, such because the Ortlieb Seat Pack QR. These typically have built-in {hardware} and are available at the price of further weight and extra setup time. Easier baggage such because the Rockgeist Gondola and Revelate Shrew use a minimal and environment friendly strap system that doesn’t require further {hardware}.
Then there are all of the others, primarily based on the usual seat pack design, that function a strap that attaches on to the seatpost. For this type of bag, there must be a collar hooked up to the publish to guard the dropper’s shiny stanchion. Enter the Wolf Tooth Valais, the unique clamp-on seatpost collar designed particularly for this. There are others, such because the Apidura Dropper Put up Adapter and the collar that comes with the Ortlieb Seat Pack QR. Most of those restrict dropper publish journey by a minimum of 25mm, however they’re a crucial evil. And, as a bonus, they can be utilized as an emergency clamp ought to your dropper develop sag or fail altogether.
Full Record of Dropper Put up Seat Packs
You will discover an entire record of the dropper publish seat baggage which might be at present available on the market beneath. Moreover, we’ve put collectively some suggestions for packing these baggage and a few further strategies for dropper-friendly methods to haul your gear. Baggage marked with an “XX” are now not obtainable.
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$240
Arkel Seatpacker
- Quantity: 6-16L
- Materials: X-Pac / Cordura / Aluminum
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Mount / Stanchion Strap
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 7-8″
The Arkel Seatpacker makes use of a light-weight aluminum hanger that attaches on to your publish and helps the highest of the bag, permitting for straightforward packing and dealing with. The versatile seatpost mount is dropper-post pleasant, and the rear rack portion is secured to the saddle rails, because of a quick-release aluminum bracket. The Seatpacker is 100% waterproof and is available in two sizes: 9L and 16L.
From our evaluate: “General, Arkel’s Seatpacker is a strong seat pack that may work nice for many bikepacking setups. The Seatpacker aesthetic is obvious however purposeful. Its strengths over different baggage of this kind are that it may be used with a dropper publish and that it makes use of a rack system that eliminates vertical and lateral motion. The rack does assist immensely for stabilizing the load and most customers ought to really feel assured with the bag totally loaded, even with some heavier objects. As their first entry into the bikepacking market, Arkel have carried out an awesome job with their seat pack and has us excited to see what they’ve in retailer for different bikepacking options.”
- Weight: 640 grams (22.6 oz)
- Worth: $240 (9L)
- Place of Manufacture: Canada
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$225
Bedrock Black Dragon
- Quantity: 7L
- Materials: X-Pac / Aluminum
- Attachment: Mini Wing / Valais
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 5.25″
The Black Dragon is linked to the bike by the use of two items of {hardware}. As with most basic seat packs, the first strap that carries the burden of the bag is threaded by way of the saddle rails. Bedrock takes this a step additional with a light-weight two piece aluminum clamp referred to as the Rail Wing. This enables the rail strap to overlap the angled “wings” that cradle the highest of the bag and assist stop it from swaying aspect to aspect. The system clamps to the saddle rails with two bolts that sandwich the rails — either side has a protecting rubber layer to maintain the rails from getting scratched. The brand new model of the Rail Wing — made particularly for the Black Dragon — has a hook on both aspect which catches the looped finish of an elasticized strap wrapping the center of the bag, making loading and unloading a lot simpler. Additional serving this goal, in addition to maintaining the bag in place, the underside of the Wing is laminated with a layer of velcro hook which sticks to the loop aspect stitched onto the bag itself.
The Black Dragon was designed to work with the Wolf Tooth Elements Valais, the second piece of {hardware} wanted when putting in the Black Dragon with a dropper seat publish. The Valais is a plastic clip that snaps onto the highest of the seat publish and clamps into place with a via bolt. Appearing as a shim for the bag’s seat publish strap, the Valais protects the stanchion from the rub and abrasion that’s inevitable when bounding down bumpy roads.
- Weight: 412 grams (14.5 oz)
- Worth: $225
- Place of Manufacture: USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$170
Blackburn Outpost Elite Common Seat Pack
- Quantity: 7L
- Materials: Ripstop Nylon / Aluminum
- Attachment: Mini Wing / Put up Straps
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 5″
The Outpost Elite Common Seat Pack is a two-part system. One half contains a T6061 alloy wing — hauntingly much like the Rail Wing designed by Bedrock Baggage’ for his or her Black Dragon and Coconino seat packs—that affixes to the saddle, not the seatpost. The opposite half is a detachable waterproof drybag with a scuba-style air bleed valve that permits the rider to take away extra air from the bag itself, much like the one used on the Revelate Terrapin. Whereas the wing stays affixed to the seat, the waterproof drybag might be simply eliminated, packed, compressed, and snapped again into place with two adjustable buckles. The fastened portion of the pack is sturdy and strengthened in key areas across the nostril and the underside of the harness to reduce sway.
- Weight: 572 grams (20.2 oz)
- Worth: $170
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$180
JPaks DropperPak
- Quantity: 5L
- Materials: X-Pac / LiteSkin
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Valais
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6″
The JPaks DropperPak addresses stability with an inner double layer HDPE panel and Wolf Tooth Valais mounting system. A pack measurement of two to five litres is on the smaller finish of the spectrum, however is smart for a dropper-specific bag, and all the package deal weighs simply 360g (12.7oz). Though the DropperPak takes design cues from different dropper publish seat baggage obtainable, its slender form and clear appears to be like make it stand out. Its considerate, pared down design is presumably its best power. For now, the DropperPak is constituted of a VX-42 backbone, LS-21 sides, and a Hypalon strengthened backside. The inner backbone can also be stabilized with ⅛” thick HDPE panels on the highest and backside that double as much as ¼” thick on the seatpost straps, with further closed cell foam padding. Though the development itself isn’t waterproof, it makes use of waterproof supplies and all inner seams are completed with bias tape to create a really weather-resistant bag.
- Weight: 360 grams (12.7 oz)
- Worth: $180
- Place of Manufacture: Colorado, USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$190
Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR
- Quantity: 13L
- Materials: PU Coated Cordura / Plastic
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Hooks / Stanchion Clamp
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 5.5″
The Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR is a welded waterproof dropper post-compatible seat bag with a intelligent quick-release mechanism that simply hooks onto the saddle rails, offering a quick and straightforward attachment system. The crux of this technique is the Seat-Lock meeting. It options two U-shaped rail contours on the base and two pivoting hooks that rotate to clasp the highest of the saddle rails. Every hook connects to a compression strap that cinches the bag’s load and retains the hooks from rotating upward and inward. The Seat-Pack QR’s small nostril and sliding Seat-Lock mechanism permit it to sit down simply in opposition to the highest of the seat publish in most conditions, letting you utilize many of the dropper’s journey, save the 35-40mm required to suit the included lock ring. The lock ring is similar to the Wolf Tooth Valais. It has two bolts as an alternative of 1, and is available in only one measurement. Nevertheless, it additionally comes with two pairs of shims, which permits it to work with 26, 25, and 22mm dropper publish stanchions. Previous to this, there was no such possibility for small 22mm posts.
- Weight: 626 grams (22.1 oz)
- Worth: $190
- Place of Manufacture: Germany
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$69
Revelate Designs Shrew
- Quantity: 2.25L
- Materials: X-Pac
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6″
The Revelate Designs Shrew is their smallest seat bag, stepping away from multi-day journeys into the world of single-day brevets, singletrack epics, and lengthy gravel rides. Essentially the most fascinating and distinctive factor in regards to the Shrew is that it doesn’t depend on a seat publish connection, in contrast to most seat baggage. Attaching it simply requires saddle rails. Moreover, as an alternative of utilizing a center-mounted webbing level that loops over the rails, it mounts to the saddle rails through two “indie-rail straps”. To assist stabilize this two-strap system, every indie-rail loop has a triangular hypalon reinforcement that wraps across the saddle rail. Coupled with a fiberglass keep stitched into the highest of the bag, the system retains the Shrew upright and pretty secure. Moreover, the Shrew has a strengthened Rhinotek prime material that gives some further grip to maintain it from slipping.
- Weight: 131 grams (4.6 oz)
- Worth: $69
- Place of Manufacture: USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$125
Rockgeist Gondola
- Quantity: 5L
- Materials: X-Pac
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 4-5″ (small) / 5-6″ (massive)
Claimed to be the first-ever dropper publish saddlebag designed and bought for bikepacking, the Rockiest Gondola is a light-weight and minimal bag that’s appropriate with practically each sort of motorcycle. The Gondola makes use of 4 webbing attachment factors join with the decrease and upper-back part of the saddle rails, making it appropriate with any dropper publish, inflexible publish, and saddle on the market. Because it doesn’t connect to the seatpost itself, the Gondola theoretically lets you use the complete size of your dropper publish, though that may in the end depend upon how a lot clearance there may be above the rear tire. It is available in two sizes: small (4L) and enormous (5L), requiring 4-5″ and 5-6″ of clearance between the tire and the seat at its lowest place.
- Weight: 250 grams (8.8 oz)
- Worth: $125 (Giant)
- Place of Manufacture: North Carolina, USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$220
Rogue Panda Ripsey
- Quantity: 8L
- Materials: Plastic Harness / X-Pac
- Attachment: Alloy Saddle Rail Clamp / Valais
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 3″
The Rogue Panda Ripsey is a novel harness-and-dry-bag system that has distinctive tire clearance with out sacrificing stability. It’s primarily based round an injected molded harness, an aluminum saddle rail clamp, and a Wolf Tooth Valais—completed with some CNC-machined Austere Manufacturing cam lock buckles to maintain the issues tight and safe. Rogue Panda may also embrace a made-to-order dry bag that’s tapered to suit the harness. The Ripsey has one of many smallest claimed tire to saddle clearances on this index: 3″ at half capability, 4″ at full capability. Rogue Panda recommends measuring clearance at 75% sag on full suspension bikes, as a result of the harness can take the occasional tire hit.
The Ripsey Kickstarter marketing campaign is predicted to launch early November. Enroll at RoguePanda.com to be notified and keep tuned for a more in-depth look.
- Weight: 368 grams (13 oz)
- Worth: $220
- Place of Manufacture: Arizona, USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$70
Wayward Riders Louise Dropper Put up Harness
- Quantity: 10L
- Materials: Polypropylene
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Stanchion Strap
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 7″
The Louise is made up of a skinny, versatile plastic harness and webbing straps. Your complete design is minimal, useful, and modest. The higher webbing straps weave by way of the saddle rails and the harness earlier than looping by way of the ladder lock buckles on both aspect of the harness. A rubber bumper and Nano Voile strap connect to your dropper publish’s stanchion, and a ultimate webbing strap loops across the detachable drybag to maintain it safe. The harness might be arrange and able to trip in lower than a minute and leads to a flexible, sway-free saddlebag.
In comparison with different dropper publish seat baggage on the market, the Louise requires extra clearance above the rear tire. For instance, the Bedrock Black Dragon, Revelate Vole, Rockgeist Gondola, Rogue Panda Ripsey, and Outer Shell Dropper Seatpack all require between 5″ and 6″ of clearance above the rear tire. Then again, none of those baggage can carry 13L of drugs, and most of them are maxed out nearer to 7L and are practically double the value. For these with restricted tire-to-saddle clearance, like Emily, changing the rubber bumper with the Wolftooth Valais will cut back dropper journey and preserve the harness away out of your rear tire. Another choice can be by merely pairing the harness with a smaller dry bag, and cinching the aspect straps up tighter to supply extra clearance below the bag.
- Weight: 170 grams (6 oz)
- Worth: $70
- Place of Manufacture: Wellington, New Zealand
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$162
Apidura Backcountry Saddle Pack
- Quantity: 4.5-10L
- Materials: X-Pac
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Dropper Put up Adapter
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 7-8″
The Apidura Backcountry Saddle Pack is available in three sizes, is constituted of X-Pac, and is seam welded for a 100% waterproof building. It’s designed to be light-weight and sturdy, completely suited to demanding off-road bikepacking. The velcro straps are strengthened with Hypalon, the saddle rail straps use Woojin buckles for his or her reliability, and 840-denier abrasion resistant panels on the aspect of the bag present further safety. The 4.5L and 6L fashions are appropriate with Apidura’s Dropper Put up Adapter, which is a tackle the Wolf Tooth Valais. It secures onto the stanchion with a 3mm hex key, defending the publish, and comes with two shims for 25mm or 26mm dropper publish uppers.
- Weight: 235 grams (8.3 oz)
- Worth: $162 (4.5L (pack solely))
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$150
EVOC Seat Pack BOA
- Quantity: 3L
- Materials: PU-Coated Nylon
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / BOA
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 4.5″
The Seat Pack BOA WP is a very waterproof seat pack design that attaches with the BOA Match System to the seatpost and two adjustable straps that loop across the saddle rails. Contents are saved dry but simply accessible because of the roll-closure. Presently the most important measurement is 3L, however they teased bigger variations that must be coming quickly, and we suspect the discrete level of contact with the seatpost means nice dropper publish compatibility on the smaller sizes.
- Weight: 225 grams (7.9 oz)
- Worth: $150
- Place of Manufacture: Germany
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$55
Ortlieb Saddle-Bag Two
- Quantity: 4.1L
- Materials: PU Coated Nylon
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Mount / Stanchion Strap
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 5.5″
The pint sized Ortlieb Saddle-Bag Two is a minimal seat bag with 1.6L-4.1L of storage, a safe attachment system, and 100% waterproof design. It attaches on to your saddle utilizing an intuitive snap buckle that clicks into an adapter that installs onto the saddle rails. This additionally means you possibly can simply swap the bag between bikes, offering you could have an adapter put in. It has an inner plastic body to supply stability and a roll-top closure for quick-access.
- Weight: 260 grams (9.2 oz)
- Worth: $55
- Place of Manufacture: Germany
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$128
Outer Shell Dropper Seatpack
- Quantity: 10.5L
- Materials: Cordura / X-Pac
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Stanchion Strap
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6″
Handmade in California, the Outer Shell Dropper Seatpack shares an identical design to their bigger Expedition Seatpack, however is smaller to supply extra saddle-to-tire clearance whereas utilizing a dropper publish. It contains a 360° inner plastic body to carry its form, sturdy metallic cam buckles, and a waterproof building. The Dropper Seatpack requires 2″ of uncovered seatpost and 6″ of saddle-to-tire clearance always.
- Weight: 510 grams (18 oz)
- Worth: $128
- Place of Manufacture: California, USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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£125
Straight Minimize Design Dropper Seatpost Saddlebag
- Quantity: 4.5L
- Materials: X-Pac / Cordura
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Valais
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6″
Made by Straight Minimize Design within the UK, the Dropper Seatpost Saddlebag was developed and examined for over 4 years to refine its design. It’s constructed from water-resistant supplies, and contains a contoured profile and reinforce aspect panels to assist maintain its form whereas loaded. Webbing straps loop across the saddle rails and a further velcro strap attaches to your dropper publish, by the use of a Wolf Tooth Valais. It has a vivid orange liner material, requires 6″ of clearance between the saddle rails and rear tire, and weighs 265g.
- Weight: 265 grams (9.3 oz)
- Worth: £125
- Place of Manufacture: Edinburgh, UK
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$80
Sturdy Seat Packs
- Quantity: 1.8-6L
- Materials: X-Pac / Ripstop Nylon
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 3-6″
Sturdy Bag Designs has a number of seat packs which might be appropriate with dropper posts when hooked up to the saddle utilizing the included Voile straps. They’re one of many easiest baggage within the index, primarily based round a roll-top bag and your selection of a 1.8L or 6L capability.
- Worth: $80 (Seat Pack)
- Place of Manufacture: Minnesota, USA
- Producer’s Particulars: Hyperlink
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$230CAD
XX – Porcelain Rocket Albert
- Quantity: 9L
- Materials: Cordura / Aluminum / Metal
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Mount
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6.5″
One of many first dropper publish particular seat packs was the Porcelain Rocket Albert, primarily based round an identical light-weight rack assist that they used on their Mr. Fusion saddle bag (now made by Rockgeist). A light-weight aluminum bracket was fitted in between the decrease seatpost clamp and saddle rail, offering a strong spot for the curved chromoly metal rack to bolt straight onto. The consequence was probably the most secure dropper publish baggage we’ve ever used, with the additional benefit of utilizing a detachable dry bag for straightforward packing at camp. For an in depth take a look at the design course of, ensure that to take a look at this text by our buddy Skyler.
- Weight: 450 grams (15.9 oz)
- Worth: $230CAD
- Place of Manufacture: Alberta, Canada
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$150
XX – Revelate Designs Vole
- Quantity: 7L
- Materials: X-Pac / Rhinotek
- Attachment: Saddle Rail Straps / Valais
- Tire/Saddle Clearance: 6″
The Revelate Designs Vole shares a number of options with the brand new Terrapin 8L, launched only a few weeks earlier than the Vole was first introduced. Essentially the most notable is the brand new type of saddle rail straps. As an alternative of utilizing a center-mounted webbing level that loops over the rails, Revelate applied unbiased, side-mounted, urethane-coated loops that individually thread by way of every rail from the within out. Every loop is then linked to one of many fundamental straps with a plastic hitch and tightened with an auto-locking lively cam buckle. This pulls the bag tight in opposition to the saddle, and, from a efficiency perspective, is a large enchancment over the single-mount rail strap on earlier baggage. The opposite two fundamental straps are the 1” seatpost strap that’s meant to be used with the Wolf Tooth Valais, which is included with the Vole.
- Weight: 319 grams (11.3 oz)
- Worth: $150
- Place of Manufacture: Oregon, USA
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What to Pack in Dropper Seat Put up Baggage
As talked about in our information to bikepacking with a dropper publish, droppers aren’t all the time highly effective sufficient to hoist a heavy load. The important thing to bikepacking with a dropper is to pack mild. Most bikepackers will agree that area is often extra of a problem than weight, so so long as you consider shifting ultralight objects to the seat pack and having extra weight within the handlebar bag, it ought to give you the results you want.
For instance, right here’s a typical packlist that Logan makes use of in a smaller dropper publish seat bag:
Spare underwear
Patagonia Merino Air baselayer
Merino wool jersey
Wool socks
Rain jacket (Search and State PJ-1)
Down jacket (Montbell Anorak)
Dinner (Good To-Go double meal)
Toiletries (toothbrush/paste, and so on.)
This equipment weighs about 3lbs 8oz (1.6kg), bag included, which is an effective weight for many of the dropper posts we’ve examined and a little bit a lot for some others. We’d most likely advocate capturing for a weight round three kilos even, which must be a little bit higher for many dropper posts and preserve bulk to a minimal, enabling extra of the dropper for use. Listed below are a number of different packing tricks to contemplate:
- Pack your sleeping bag and pad in your seat pack to maintain the burden down; an affordable summer season bag/quilt and sleeping pad ought to get the burden down below three kilos.
- Should you pack clothes in your seat pack, roll every merchandise up tightly and insert it the great distance to assist the seat pack’s stability.
- Put the heaviest and most dense objects on the nostril of the pack to reduce sway.
Mount-less Racks & Baggage
For anybody who appears to be like on the record above and isn’t happy with the quantity or tire clearance and doesn’t have rear rack mounts, a mount-less rack or bag is likely to be the answer. To supply further carrying capability for bikes with out rack mounts, manufacturers together with Tailfin, Outdated Man Mountain, and Aeroe have all provide you with distinctive methods to safe their merchandise onto bikes. The profit right here is that every one stays away from the saddle, leading to unobstructed dropper publish operate and elevated packing area and flexibility.
Tailfin Aeropack
The Tailfin AeroPack is a cross between a rack-top bag and a seatpack. It’s primarily based round a big roll-top drybag that’s secured to the bike through an adjustable seatpost clamp and supported by two legs that connect down close to the rear axle. The fantastic thing about the design is the vary of decrease attachment factors Tailfin affords, from quick-release mounts to bolt-on, to clamps that connect straight onto a thru-axle or quick-release skewer. The AeroPack requires no mounting factors and is as versatile as they arrive, with choices so as to add their very own mini panniers, cargo cages, and extra. Make sure that to learn Cass’ evaluate right here.
OMM Elkhorn
The Outdated Man Mountain (OMM) Elkhorn Rack is designed to be light-weight and secure, and much like the Tumbleweed T-Rack, it options three-pack mounts on every leg. The Elkhorn is available in Quick and Tall sizes. The Quick is designed for 27.5″ tires as much as 3″ huge and as much as 700c x 38mm tires. The Tall is made for optimum mud clearance and bikes with 29″ tires as much as 29 x 3.25″ huge. Just like the AeroPack, OMM affords quite a lot of match kits for thru-axle and quick-release axles, in addition to customary bolt-on choices for bikes with mounts. Its distinctive design makes it probably the most versatile racks obtainable. Learn Logan’s evaluate right here.
Aeroe Spider Rack
Not like the AeroPack and Elkhorn, which make the most of completely different match kits to extend versatility, the Aeroe Spider Rack attaches on to the seat stays utilizing silicone-coated straps and plastic brackets. From there, Aeroe has quite a lot of add-ons for hauling gear on the rack, together with an adjustable Spider Cradle and dry baggage, in addition to fast mount gear pods that may connect to the edges of the rack like panniers. Whereas all the system is considerably unorthodox, its modular design is beneficial and appropriate with most bikes, and we discovered it secure sufficient for tough singletrack using. Learn the evaluate right here.
Minimal Rear Racks
In case your bike has rear rack mounts, probably the most environment friendly methods to go bikepacking with a dropper publish is by merely working a rear rack. Considered one of our favourite setups is a light-weight rear rack with a 10-15L drybag strapped straight on prime. Small or mini panniers are one other nice possibility. Each choices are very secure, and though a rack provides some further weight in comparison with the baggage above, it’s versatile and tucks the burden nearer to your rear wheel. Plus, a rear rack eliminates undue stress to your dropper publish, in contrast to a loaded bag. Whereas any outdated racks will do, not all racks are created equal or rated for off-road use. We’ve had nice success utilizing the Tumbleweed T Rack, which has the additional benefit of triple pack mounts on the legs. Additionally take a look at the racks from Tubus, the OMM Divide rack, and even the light-weight Nitto R10 Bag Assist for smaller hundreds.
We’ve examined a whole lot of dropper publish seat baggage, racks, and dropper-friendly options for packing the rear of the bike. Nevertheless, likelihood is probably that we missed a pair, or that different choices might be launched quickly. When you’ve got a suggestion on a bag, minimal rack system, or different answer, please go away a observe within the dialog beneath.
