KC8QVO

I went for a ride this past Saturday and took my "normal" gear set for a day tour, plus some extras for the extra length (ended up being close to a 15 hour day with no re-supply, took all my water along too). In the past this has mostly been 2 small bags - a fanny pack and a handlebar bag used as micro panniers (tools and some basic bike necessities is all they carry, and some first aid stuff) plus my day pack backpack and a dry sack inside of a sleeping bag stuff sack (to keep abrasion down, plus it makes it easier to tie on to the rack). Below is my set up about 3/4 the way through the day, and in the middle of a 2 hour rain. The white bag is my backpack double bagged in trash bags. I had to patch the bags with duct tape because of some tears, but the bags did the trick that day, although it was a PITA.



Sunday I did a little shopping at Bass Pro Shop for my upcoming summer trips to my cabins and while I was scoping out fishing tackle I thought about the dry sack idea and recalled there being some discussion about the kayak dry sacks here. So I went surfing the camping section first for dry sacks like the one I have. They didn't have any, just tent fabric type "stuff sacks" that were labeled as "water repellent". So then I made my way over to the canoe and kayak section. There they had real dry sacks. They had two different types - a thin, soft type like what I had and a real heavy duty version. I figured the heavier duty I could get the better = they will hold up to hard wear better.

Here is a link to their website with the different sizes:
Ascend® Heavy-Duty Round-Bottom Dry Bags | Bass Pro Shops

I picked up the 10L versions first, but then I did the math in my head. I figured they would end up being way too small so I decided to go with the 20L versions instead. I figured I could always roll up the bags more to make them smaller, but I can't go the other way.

Here are the bags mounted on the rear rack:





The straps are buckle straps from the camping section of Walmart. I bought a couple of them earlier in the riding season and use them all the time. While I was out today I picked up a bunch more - mostly 3ft ones. The dry sacks have handles in them so I put the handles facing out and used them as the main structural connection to the buckle straps, which loop up and over the top of the rear rack. I can adjust the ride height by tightening or slackening the straps. Then I went around the stuff sacks with another strap to cinch it down against the upright members of the track.

The bags seen there have all my gear from this past weekend, they are right about 8lbs each. These are rolled up pretty tight too, if I went the recommended 3 rolls I could put a bit more in the bags. One of them has my hammock, tarp, and some clothes so that would also compress a bit more as well.

Now I need another trip to test out these bags with! Maybe next time it can be a multi-day trek.

I am in the process of making a front/rear rack set. As I get time I will work on it, but it won't be done this summer at least. The dry sacks are to fill the gap between now and when I get racks and can mount real panniers.

MassiveD

https://www.backpacking.net/MAKEGEAR/panniers/index.html

KC8QVO

On a side note - if someone is looking for more capacity (again, back to the math and adding up the capacity you may need) - you can do the 10L sacks in the front and another 20L, or even a 30L, as a top duffel in the back, or a 10L hanging from the handle bar. I suppose if you had a lot of bulky light weight items you could go 20L's on the front, having the extra capacity may be nice if you need it, you just don't want to load up the front too much. I would be curious how the 30L sacks would work out as the rears. They would be another inch or so in diameter and a few inches taller so they may work out fine too.

djb

if this works out for you, great--just be wary of the main danger that if a strap or whatever comes loose or shifts, and ends up in your wheel, you could easily end up spending more on a wheel/rear derailleur repair than just buying a reasonably priced set of panniers that hook onto your rack easily, and are quickly removed.

this sort of stuff always comes down to the old balancing of time spent/money actually spent vs buying something designed for the purpose. The great thing nowadays is that there are lots of pannier options that are waterproof, but are not overly expensive (along the lines of REI, Nashbar, Mountain Equipment Coop here in canada)

you have already bought this stuff, so as you try it out and work on the attachment system, just be extra careful about what I mentioned and think around avoiding chances of stuff getting into a wheel, it would be a real shame to have to spend more money on a wheel repair, not to mention the risk of a fall and messing up a bike trip.

all the best with the project.

Cyclebum

Interesting.

JoeyBike

The bags will get holes rubbed through them by the rack pretty quickly.

Do a web search for Kitty Litter Panniers. Waterproof, tough, will not rub through.

djb

be aware too that with any weight in these bags, when you hit a bump or pothole at speed, there will be a reasonable downward force on the bags, which could also move them inwards towards the rear wheel. With your strap system, with accumulative bumps, the straps could easily move, loosen, stretch or whatever, leading to more and more play, and more and more movement by the bags up, down and inwards.
I wonder if a lower support could be rigged up to support the lower part of the bags?

KC8QVO

Thanks for the cautions. I know about getting stuff in the wheels - I dance around that now anyway.

As to the support idea - I thought about that as I went last night. Im thinking of an L bracket of some kind to give bottom and back support to the sacks. Ill look at what I can come up with. I wont be able to test ride with a load until later this week, maybe, but Id like to see how the bags handle the road now.

MichaelW

Strap them to some correx and mount the correx back plate to the rack.

arctos

For stable off-pavement use I long ago also used a light dry bag inside a more durable Cordura shell with three cinch straps with Fastex buckles. The shell handles dry bags from 30L to almost 65L as needed for clothing,shelter,sleeping pad,quilt or sleeping bag and rain gear. All this is mounted on top of the rear rack front to back not across the rack. When there is a bike N hike section I can push while quite close to the bike as there is no side rear pannier hitting my leg or knee. Very useful on the Divide Ride at times.
I only use two smaller panniers mounted high,not low rider level, and a full frame triangle bag up front for more dense and heavier items including water bladders. The balance front to rear is good and the higher rear weight comes from lighter higher volume items that do not impact bike handling in my experience.
Below are photos of these ideas in practice:

LeeG

That sounds like the best configuration. I'd be inclined to use a 5" x 10" strip of correx zip tied horizontally to the sides of the narrow Axiom Streamliner rack with a 13 liter dry bag secured horizontally over that to the rack. If the goal is reducing total weight it doesn't make sense to replicate big panniers with big dry bags where securing the load becomes dificult.

LeeG

[QUOTE=arctos;16892241]

Elegant solution, is that a homemade rack bag?

VT_Speed_TR

Or for ready made light panniers (14 oz) you could just buy these new Arkel panniers

Arkel - Dry-Lites - Ultralite Saddle bags

arctos

[QUOTE=LeeG;16892982]The one on the bike was made 30 years ago by Kangaroo Bags locally here. Simple Cordura and very durable and stable. I made it about 6 inches longer to handle the volume I needed and a third cinch strap.

The other one was custom made (updating the best ideas from the original Kangaroo Bag stuffer shell) by Carousel Design Works before they went out of business 5 or 6 years ago. The D shape/flat bottom works great and the 6 pockets were a CDW idea. I just use the appropriate sized light weight roll top dry bags inside the outer shell for the particular tour length and conditions.

KC8QVO

Thanks for the suggestion. However, I am getting a full set of Ortleibs in the future. I need to get my racks built up next. This summer is going to be hard to get any time, but I am hoping this Fall I can have things together. I may do a couple trips between now and then with the set up I have. The dry sacks will come in handy on my boats too so they are multipurpose sacks.

KC8QVO

That looks like a neat solution. However, I am trying to drop my center of gravity. The balance of the bike is not good the way I have it now. I make it work, but it needs to be better. I need to transfer some of the weight to the front as well. That will come when I get my racks made up. Until then I only have a rear rack so that is where everything goes.