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Kokopelli, a model higher recognized for its line of inflatable and extremely packable packrafts, not too long ago unveiled a full line of bikepacking luggage designed particularly for packrafting and moist circumstances. Miles snuck out on some bikerafting journeys to see how they maintain as much as real-world use. Discover his first impressions right here…
Teased final yr, the brand new Kokopelli Durango Bikepacking Luggage encompass an entire lineup of on-bike storage designed particularly for bikerafting and moist circumstances. All the luggage are both extremely water-resistant or 100% waterproof and have welded seams, heavy-duty materials, and distinctive options that handle the challenges of using with with a packraft and paddles. Though I’ve simply began to dip my toes into the world of bikerafting, I can already see an alternatives for higher methods to hold the required gear, and it’s nice to see a packraft model rise to the problem.
Kokopelli Durango Handlebar Bag and Harness
One hurdle of becoming a packraft setup on a motorcycle is determining the place to tuck your paddle. 4-piece paddles collapse down the smallest, however the paddle blades are massive and awkward to hold, so we usually see them ending up in a backpack or lazily strapped on a rack. The Durango Handlebar Bag and Harness addresses this with two built-in paddle sleeves for carrying four-piece paddles and a easy harness system for carrying a rolled up packraft or every other cylindrical gear.
The Durango Handlebar Bag makes use of two FidLock Magnetic Stealth V-Buckles to securely safe all gear within the harness, webbing straps with foam spacers to connect the system to the bars and head tube, and features a 100% waterproof double-ended roll-top dry bag to maintain gear dry and guarded.
After a couple of rides, the built-in paddle sleeves and straps have confirmed actually helpful, they usually maintain the paddles solidly in place over tough terrain. The primary FidLock straps additionally maintain tight and are fast to connect/detach, and they’re lengthy sufficient to simply accommodate a packraft. For reference, that’s the Kokopelli Rogue R-Deck pictured in my images. With the paddles and raft secured within the dry bag, the load ended up sitting round 12″ (30cm) beneath the handlebar, which suggests entrance tire clearance could possibly be a difficulty for some frames. On more moderen rides, I made certain to roll my raft tighter and wider to extend the room between the underside of the harness and the entrance tire. I’ve additionally seen the handlebar straps loosening barely after some using since they’re normal ladder-lock buckles. It could have been good to see the absolutely locking selection to correctly accommodate a heavy raft.
I’ve discovered the Durango Handlebar Harness to be probably the most spectacular piece of equipment within the sequence. Kokopelli got down to present luggage that clear up points particular to biking with a packraft, and the harness addresses the problem of packing a four-piece paddle. It’s heavy, possibly too heavy, however general it does an awesome job and carrying a raft and paddle, so long as the raft rolled tight sufficient.
- Capability: 20L
- Materials: 210d coated nylon (bag), 420d double-sided 0.6mm TPU nylon (harness)
- Weight: 311 grams (bag), 651 grams (harness)
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Worth: $109 USD
- Producer’s Particulars: Kokopelli.com
Kokopelli Durango Seat Put up Bag
The Durango Seat Put up Bag is 100% waterproof and makes use of a singular magnetic FidLock quick-connect base for straightforward elimination. There are detachable PE stiffeners within the base of the bag, higher and decrease compression straps, a Hypalon seize deal with, reflective detailing, and bungees on prime for strapping gear onto. The saddle rail straps velcro into place after which clip onto the edges of the bag, permitting the saddle strap portion to remain on the bike when eradicating the saddle bag. This has confirmed to be fairly helpful when stashing gear contained in the pontoons of the raft, and it makes eradicating and putting in the seat submit bag a cinch.
The Durango Seat Put up Bag is by far the heaviest seat bag I’ve used. It’s a beast of a bag created from a sturdy 420-denier double-sided TPU cloth, weighing in at a pound and a half with the optionally available stiffener put in. The magnetic FidLock fast join attachment is nifty and fast to make use of, however your complete bag tends to sway again and fourth because of the rigidity of the Fidlock mechanism in opposition to the bag. It additionally requires round 5 inches of uncovered seat submit and a contact extra to clear the rear tire, making it somewhat chunky.
That mentioned, the Durango Seat Put up Bag feels very sturdy. With a couple of rolls of the primary closure, I’d belief the contents to remain dry even after a tumble down a river or full submersion in a lake. I’m not completely offered on the Fidlock integration, and I want there was a correct saddle rail stabilizer—just like what we’ve seen from WOHO, Bedrock Luggage, and Ortlieb—but it surely’s huge, fast to put in/take away between pedaling and paddling, and prices $99, which is fairly good.
- Capability: 10L
- Materials: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
- Weight: 680 grams
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Worth: $99 USD
- Producer’s Particulars: Kokopelli.com
Kokopelli Durango Body Bag
The Durango Body Bag is 100% waterproof because of its absolutely welded seams, hermetic building, and waterproof TruZip zipper on the primary compartment. It’s created from a 420-denier double-sided TPU cloth, and the zipper makes use of a toothless, self-healing design that can maintain as much as years of use with dust and dirt, in accordance with Kokopelli. It options exterior Hypalon daisy chains and detachable straps, a non-drive-side map pocket with a YKK urethane coated zipper, and inside velcro baffles to maintain issues from bulging out whereas using.
I respect Kokpelli getting the form proper for a universal-fit body bag, and the truth that it is available in three sizes and has adjustable straps can also be promising. It appears to suit bikes with barely sloping prime tube the perfect. The TruZip zipper is tougher to function than a standard zipper, but it surely’s waterproof, made within the USA, and simply maintained by cleansing and lubricating repeatedly. My solely grievance could be that it feels a bit of slender at 2.5″ broad and the material/zipper mixture doesn’t present a lot stretch when attempting to stuff additional gear in. However, with a removable inside divider, it may be expanded barely when wanted. I additionally like how their velcro straps additionally stick with the body bag itself, so whereas they’re detachable, they received’t get misplaced when eradicating the bag from the bike if doing so is required for paddling.
- Capability: 3L (SM), 4.5L (M), 6L (LG)
- Materials: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
- Weight: 283 grams (SM), 340 grams (MD), 396 grams (LG)
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Worth: $89 USD
- Producer’s Particulars: Kokopelli.com
Kokopelli Durango Prime Tube Bag
The Durango Prime Tube Bag makes use of the identical magnetic quick-connect FidLock attachment because the saddle bag. The bottom straps onto your prime tube and the primary bag clicks firmly into place because of a powerful mechanical/magnet attachment. There may be a further steerer tube strap for additional stability, and your complete bag might be faraway from the bottom with a fast twist. The bag makes use of a water-proof TruZip zipper and has absolutely welded seams, making it 100% waterproof and hermetic. There’s additionally a transparent waterproof telephone pocket on the highest of the bag with a touchscreen-friendly window that means that you can use your telephone with out eradicating it from the bag.
Like the remainder of the lineup, the Durango Prime Tube Bag is well-built and strong feeling. Whereas I don’t usually experience with my telephone on show, I might see this being actually useful for anybody who navigates with their telephone. My iPhone 13 with a case put in simply slipped into the telephone pocket and was straightforward to make use of by means of the clear display. The TruZip zipper requires extra pressure than conventional zippers but it surely runs easy, and there are a couple of factors on the bag to seize whereas opening and shutting. Having the magnetic quick-release base may appear barely gimmicky, however I see this characteristic being actually helpful whereas packrafting as a strategy to maintain your bag shut by or stashed away contained in the boat. It’s a giant bag, which is good, but it surely’s unlucky that it doesn’t taper towards the top, as I discovered it was usually rubbing my knees whereas using. Just like the saddle bag, the mixture of the inflexible Fidlock base and cloth building makes for a considerably floppy setup.
- Capability: 1.5L
- Materials: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
- Weight: 170 grams (6 oz)
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Worth: $89 USD
- Producer’s Particulars: Kokopelli.com
Kokopelli Durango Feed Bag
The Durango Feed Bag is the only bag of the bunch however shares the identical strong building as your complete lineup. It’s created from a 420-denier TPU cloth, has two stretchy exterior mesh pockets, a stashable decrease strap, and detachable/adjustable handlebar and stem straps. There are a couple of completely different Hypalon attachment factors for added straps, a one-handed drawstring closure, and reflective detailing on two of the 4 sides. It’s not the largest feed bag I’ve used, but it surely has simply sufficient room for a giant 64-ounce Klean Kanteen or wide-mouth Nalgene, and it has a barely tapered profile that ought to depart extra room in your knees whereas using.
- Capability: 2L
- Materials: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
- Weight: 113 grams (4 oz)
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Worth: $29 USD
- Producer’s Particulars: Kokopelli.com
Execs
- The handlebar harness is an actual win, conserving four-piece paddles stashed away properly for using,
- Total lineup is rugged and waterproof, which is ideal for packrafting.
- Costs aren’t dangerous, besides the highest tube bag, which appears barely excessive.
- Most inexpensive waterproof body bag in the marketplace.
Cons
- Heavy. Your entire lineup is surprisingly weighty.
- Fidlock integrations are good to make use of however lower general stability of the seat bag and prime tube bag.
- Handlebar attachment must be locking and beefier to accommodate the load of a packrafting setup.
- Harness and seat submit bag aren’t low profile and won’t work on smaller rigs
Wrap Up
General, Kokopelli’s Durango lineup does a superb job at addressing the particular wants of loading packrafting gear on a bicycle. The Durango Handlebar Harness is maybe probably the most spectacular, as carrying paddles is an ungainly job, and the built-in sleeves simplifies this. The body luggage are additionally fairly promising, given their 100% waterproof building, numerous sizes, and burly zippers. Nonetheless, your complete lineup is considerably heavier than most bikepacking luggage, which one might argue is the price of really waterproof luggage, but it surely appears a bit of extreme, particularly if you begin including on the load of a full packrafting setup.
Additional Studying
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