Originally Posted by
bikemig
Good to know. 2 pounds really isn't bad if you back out the weight of a rack (maybe 700 or so grams). The camper long flap is positively svelte if you use this as your baseline.
The right comparison would be a rack with really lightweight bags (say the Arkel dry lites). This gets you to 1200 or so grams (assuming a 700 gram rear rack) (the camper long flap is 980 I believe) but you end up with more storage space (the Arkels hold 28 liters and you gain the top of the rack for that wet tent. That's not a bad trade off and the arkels plus lightweight rack might be the way to go. The tubus fly and arkels get you to 900 grams (less than the Carradice) with more carrying capacity.
Yes, the Arkel Drylites look very interesting. However, I like the simplicity of the saddlebag and front bag combo. Having only two smallish bags means I can carry them on planes and trains as hand luggage and not having a rack makes it easier to pack the bike. Also, without the extra width of panniers it's easier to carry my bike up stairs in motels.