I've been struggling with carrying my panniers around during the day (on foot.) They're great on the bike, but they're terrible to lug around by hand all day when you don't have a storage locker to put them, and you have to keep them with you on the move (like a student would on a college campus - even though I'm not in college.)

I tried transplanting a shoulder strap onto my Jandds, but it made them really lopsided and dangly - really uncomfortable to carry around via strap. If the panniers could "lock" together into one unit, a strap would work great, but as separate pieces, they're a mess with the strap.

Any tricks?

Have you tried attaching a shoulder strap to a piece of tubing (maybe a dowel rod) of the same diameter as your rack tubing? Then you could hook them together offset and back to back.

I just bring one. I can fit a lot in it and it has a shoulder strap. It's quite easy to carry.

Why two?

Get yourself a cheap, light canvas or nylon grocery bag (they make big ones) and plunk both panniers in it. Problem solved.

It sounds like you're carrying two panniers for balance, which I do as well. another option if the panniers are half empty: Empty the contents of one pannier into the other, then stuff the empty pannier in the other pannier on top of the stuff.

I can't fit all my stuff into 1 pannier - I get heel strike when I use a extra-large pannier.

I also find myself using my 2 panniers more often and have the same problem as you. (https://store.trekbikes.com/shopping/...355&picindex=1). My Panniers have big handles on them. I am thinking about making some sort of strap that will join them together at the top. If you see the pics you'll notice the round mushroom head that are used to keep the pannier in place once on the rack. Off the rack and back to back they actually hit each other so i'm thinking magnets on both mushroom heads or a bungee cord around both panniers around the bottom.

Maybe with some pics we could figure something out

use two dowels, connected with a shoulder strap.....then you can attach 1 pannier to each dowel, and toss the strap over your shoulder to make it easier to carry them.

How about velcro(hook and loom) on the back of both panniers. Then you can use the shoulder strap without the panniers dancing around. just a thought

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/236014-home-cobbled-camera-bag-pannier.html

Taht's actualy what I thought at first, until I realized one could offset them the width of a single hook and they could fit on the same dowl

yeah...but its easier to carry weight on the shoulders.

You mean something like this?

Better panniers!

The panniers I have been using since the mid '80s lock together and have nice leather covered handle to make carrying quite easy.

So there are better panniers out there.

Not sure if this will work with your panniers and it is dependent on you only needing one.
https://www.rei.com/product/737836
Ortliebs use a rigid hook that would be similar to many panniers.

Nashbar sells a back pack pannier as well. Often on sale for $50 with mixed reviews.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...7_10000_201501

On sale for $35!!! might have to get that now.

??? I'm not sure I'm envisioning what you're envisioning... of the two ways I'm seeing it (one or two dowels, common shoulder strap) I can't imagine how either would be better than the other for your shoulders.

Here's a top down view of what I'm envisioning... the white is the dowel rod (s), the blue is one pannier, red the other, black is the shoulder strap.

Can you adjust the hooks on your panniers? Yesterday I rode home with half a lamb, several large folders, and my repair kit all in one Ortleib Backroller pannier with no heel strike on a bike with 42.5cm chainstays.