Originally Posted by
zoltani
BTW, I use a cargo net to secure my dry bag also, and if you need it for the rack pack to be stable then I am not sure I see the real benefit of the securing mechanism .
You're right, but having the rack pack actually clipped in to the panniers does give just that little bit extra degree of knowing that the thing isn't as likely to fall off if a bungee snaps.
I kept all my clothing in the rack pack on my last tour in 2008, and that seemed to work well. I put the tent and other camping gear in the rear panniers, where I don't need to access them during the day.
Before I tried this setup, my usual configuration was to put the tent lengthways on top of the rack (i.e. oriented front-to-back), with the sleeping bag and sleeping pad crossways on top of that. All three were in their own drybags. This arrangement served to maintain access to the top of the Ortlieb rollers by raising the crossways bags above the rack platform (otherwise, if you just put stuff crossways directly on the rack, it tends to obscure access to the rollers). Here's a pic of that arrangement:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...580&size=large
I think as long as the stuff you're piling up high isn't too heavy, then it shouldn't affect stability too much.
Neil