Looking for a reflective water resistant backpack
 

I'm looking for a backpack for my daily bicycle commute (as a supplement to my Topeak/MTX combo). Does anybody have suggestions for something that is reflective (or a really noticable color) and somewhat water resistant?

Check out Ortleib products as they are all waterproof. The Flight seems like it would fit the bill.

http://www.ortleib.com/art/flight_detail1.jpg

http://www.ortleib.com/_prod.php?lan...rodukt=flight#

Here are some more ideas:

You could sew some SOLAS reflective tape onto it to add to the reflective surface.

There are also lighted reflective bands like NiteIze stuff, which give off their own light so they show even if peoples' lights are off, or people who don't have lights (ninja cyclists, pedestrians). And they reflect when there's incoming light to reflect, of course.

I have a PolyBrite self-illuminating belt that is pretty visible at close range. http://www.hivis.biz/products/safety...1&tid=5&pid=95 For $5.50, hey. :) If you ride fairly low (like on a road bike) then you could "U" this around the bottom & sides of the backpack to get rear & side visibility, I guess you'd want to stitch it on. If you ride more upright (hybrid or mountain bike) then it might be better just to wear the belt around your waist, fairly low across your behind.

And of course a person could clip a couple small blinkies onto the bag, all the reflectivity in the world is great but active lights are still valuable. I was riding on 29th here, they've just repaved it and they have a bunch of traffic markers. Well, it was most of the way to nightfall, and I had my HID headlight on, and it was surprising to have road-construction workers appearing out of nowhere, with nothing but reflective ANSI vests (orange). Their reflective tape simply blended into the surroundings of those traffic markers. If their vests were neon-lime instead of orange, that would've helped, but just one econo-blinkie would've done everything to make them stand out.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/image...peariabc03.jpg

Take a look at the Pearl Izumi Velocipak. It is designed for the rider and commuter in mind. It is designed to ride cool on your back, and actually does. It has a tiny upper compartment that holds a tethered, fold-out bright yellow rain cover that you can deploy if you are out in the wet. It completely envelops your backpack and snugs right up along the straps via bungie cord. I have used it a lot in the rain, including some heavy stuff. I had no issues with anything getting wet or even damp. Once it is dry, it is really easy to fold back up and zip back into its compartment. It has two hanging reflective tabs that give it some reflective material too.


http://i1.tinypic.com/se0i0j.jpg

Here's my set up. The backpack is visible on the left side of this picture. I bought a slow moving vehicle reflective triangle (Nathan Reflective Yield Symbol Belt - $8 from REI) and velcroed it into place behind the bungie cord netting on the back side of the packpack. It gives me great visibility day or night. I have had many drivers tell me at stop lights that it really helped them pick me up on the road. Plus I've had cops tell me that it is a really smart idea on the road in that it communicates exactly the right warning and safety message to the drivers too.

Another thing that I like about this backpack is that there are loops everywhere that are perfect for attaching rear and side flashers for riding in the dark. Otherwise, it has a laptop storage section, and plenty of compartments, internal and external, to hold your gear.

I'm really happy with mine and it is holding up really well after over a year of commuting. Hope this helps. ;)

Wow, that power cord for your rear wheel is HUGE! :D That must be one of those 400-watt wheels we keep hearing about :roflmao: