Panniers! Reccomendations! Please!

ThatGuyOnABike

i actually only need to know about what luggage i should put on the top of my rack as i already have a very good pair of pro-action waterproof panniers. i also have a large capacity hadlebar bag. i have front suspension and as i am not going for long i do not want to invest in/ do not think i need special rack and front panniers.
neway i thought if anyone else needs pannier advice they could look at this. but please tell me what to put on top of my rack. all the ones i've seen don't please me or are far too expensive i.e ortlieb rear bike suitcase thing. i was thinking i could customize a small duffle bag (i know a good seamtress for all the sowing stuff), would you advice this. also any general advice where to put my tent (ultralight), sleeping bag and mat would be useful.

thankyou in advance.

mandie

What you can put on the top of you rack will depend on the design of the rack.
If the panier rails are on the rack top it will be difficult if not impossible to fit a rack pack.
If the rack has a set of panier rails below the rack top then you could fit a rack pack, Various makes, but Ortlieb, Carradice and Altura are all pretty good in their individual ways. Prices from £ 25 up to about £60.
Some racks eg TopPeak come with a special fitting to take their particular make of Rack pack.

Having said all that A Carradice Camper Longflap saddle bag will probably take all you need for a short trip, so you can dispense with the panniers and rack altogether.

I put my sleeping bag in the panniers and the tent and mat are bungeed onto the rack.If you do that it eliminates your worry about what to put on top of the rack.

ThatGuyOnABike

all connections for my side panneirs are under main rack. and the trip is two weeks so you know. i have a massload rack from halfords. and i'm looking to spend no more than £30 on a 'rack pack'; btw is that what it is actually called? i've been searching for rack top bags, rear bike luggage and all sorts of names. i've had a look at carradice, i like the stuff sack, anymore of those anyone can reccomend. i want more then say... 10litre capacity for the rack pack.

cycladelic

You could buy a small waterproof stuff bag - such as Ortlieb - second-hand on eBay quite cheaply: just bungee it on top of the rack.
I think you'll get one for less than a tenner. And you can later use it for other things.

cycladelic

Here' s one...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/22-litre-small-or ... dZViewItem

ThatGuyOnABike

thanks, the only thing is i don't trust the whole 'bungee it to the top' thing, i'd perfer proper connections. i am currently looking at the creek 2 peak discovery rack pack. it's got 30l capacity and looks good. any people know this product? anyone recommend it? it's £35 so i want to know its good.
if you do use a dry stuffsack, exactly how do you attach it and how does it feel on the back? does it move about?
oh and for anyone else interested it's not suitable for me cos it's only 15l and i decided i will go for as big as possible. but there is a american company called Jandd that make a rack sack/ duffle bag that looks very good.
thanks again for telling me it's called rack pack. as soon as i found that out i found plenty of products. i'm really suprised i didn't find out sooner, i've spent ages on the web!

julk

I use the 30 litre carradice super c stuffsack and 35 litre ortlieb packsack drybags to hold things like tent, sleeping mats and collapsible stools on camping trips. The cheaper ortlieb packsack drybag is £15 and weighs very little.

I find it best to fix the stuffsack across the rack so it rests on the back panniers as well. 2 straps which don't stretch and have an adjustable buckle are used to fasten each stuffsack to a rear rack. This setup stays where you fix it after you pull the straps tight, but is quickly unstrapped if necessary. You can also fasten oddments like a jacket under the straps.

If a rear pannier has hooks which stick up and would possibly cause damage then I put a gardening foam kneeling pad between them and the stuffsack. The foam kneeling pad is cheap, light and doubles as a seat when camping.

andrew_s

Stuffsacks attach perfectly well with adjustable buckle straps provided that they don't contain small loose objects that can move out from under the strap.
Don't mix wet and dry kit in the same totally waterproof bag, or the wet kit will get the dry kit wet.

If you keep your sleeping bag on top, it should be in a good quality waterproof bag (eg Ortlieb, though there are other brands).
I'd be inclined to roll the tent in your sleeping mat (closed cell foam, like Karrimat?), put it all in a Carradice stuffsack or a heavy duty plastic bag (like a fertiliser bag), and strap it all lengthways on the top of the rack. Everything else in the panniers.

ThatGuyOnABike

i was going to put tuff plastic bags (i think they are gardening waste bags of some sort, far superior to rubbish bags though) in all my panniers, and your advice on stuffsacks is much appriciated.

thanks all.

julk

Pannier liners - supermarket bags for life are good, 40p for 4 and free replacements when they eventually tear.

ppp123

Builders rubble sacks are really tough and hardwearing as pannier liners and even for strapping to the rack with bungee cords. They don't break or puncture even when full of broken bricks... Poundland has them at 6 for a quid.