Originally Posted by
Chalupa102
I commute with a backpack on my rear rack. Every time it rains pretty hard, the contents get wet inside of my bag. Usually it just the ends of the books and not all the way through, but it's still not fun having wet things. What do you guys do to keep your things dry in the rain? Are there any hi-viz waterproof covers out there that you prefer to use?
I've used: plastic bags, waterproof pannier covers, waterproof bags. The easiest is the waterproof bag.
I used a Carradice Nelson Longflap for a couple of years, and it did very well for me. However, I changed jobs and needed more space. I put my rear rack back on and went with the Carradice Super C panniers, which are made of the same material as the Nelson. I've also used a Junior as a handlebar bag.
In 4 years of year around 1+ day per week commuting, I have ridden in all kinds of weather with temps ranging from the low 20s up to 100. I have never had one drop of water or even dampness inside any of my Carradice bags. I live in the Seattle area, so my bags have seen a lot of rain.