Nope, it doesn’t. Using bikepacking bags where you would normally use panniers makes you look silly. I use both…look at my pictures…but I use them for different applications. My aborted trip was a prime example of why I don’t like using bikepacking bags unless I have to. The bike wasn’t particularly stable nor a joy to ride. There is just too much weight too high on the bike for good handling. While panniers carry much the same load (and perhaps more) low down, bikepacking bags carry the weight much higher. I have to be much more aware of this weight distribution while off-reading using bikepacking bags because I’m much more likely to go over the bars because of the higher load and the general type of riding off-road I experience. I’ve gone over the bars several times…usually about once per trip.

For illustration here are 3 comparisons of ride loads on bikepacking and panniers. The panniers are estimates while the bikepacking loads have actually been measured.

First up, a rugged bikepacking trip done over 4 days. You can see that all of the weight is above the axle. 16.4 lbs (70%) of the load plus the 13.7 lb of my Camelback is above the already high center of gravity of the bike.


Since I had to do more “real” cooking and camping on a longer trip, I had to carry more load for this trip. 17.6 lb (50%) of the load is carried near the center of gravity and there is actually some weight…8.3 lb (23%)…was carried near the axles. It was still a handful.



Traditional pannier load. You could say that 10lb (22%) was carried near the center of gravity. But the bulk of the load…35lb (77%)… was carried near the axles. Handling is much more predictable.



Also note that the bulk of the bikepacking load is carried 12” to nearly 24” higher than the pannier load.

All that said, the reason I don’t use panniers off-road are many. Bikepacking bags are attached to the bike better. I’ve had panniers fly off while off-road touring. Lowrider panniers would suffer from the same problem that my fork bags did on one of my trips. Pannier hardware is more prone to breakage because they have only 2 attachment points per bag.

The reasons that I don’t use bikepacking bags on-road are equally many. If you have to take the bags off the bike, there are 6 to 9 bags of various sizes and shapes to deal with. The bags aren’t easy to carry since they don’t mate together well. There are also dozens of nooks and crannies in the bags. Where panniers can be organized into specific uses per bag…food, cooking, clothing, etc…bikepacking bags have to carry gear where it can be carried. Your stove fits in one bag but your fuel fits in another. Food might be in several different bags. Setting up camp is usually an exercise in unpacking all the bags (9 of them!) and repacking the every morning. It’s a pain.

But, just like I use the right bike for the ride, I use the right bags for the ride. I don’t look on it as an “one or the other” choice. I looking on it as a “right tool for the job” choice.