The Soggy Bottoms bikepacking trip was fantastic and having the right gear made the riding portion even better. I’ll preface this with, this was my first bikepacking trip in a minute and there’s still a lot to be learned. So, definitely take all this with a grain of salt and let me know what gear you're stoked on by leaving a comment below.
ALLIED ECHO & Restrap bags all packed up!
So, this trip came about the weekend before and there wasn’t much time to track everything down. A few years back I purchased a couple of Revelate Designs bags, but I have moved my office/shop at least four times since then, so despite a very half-hearted effort to find them, they didn’t turn up and I started scouring bikepacking gear reviews to see what was out there.
I came across Restrap. I hadn’t heard of them before, but they had received several great reviews, I liked their social, and they’re a relatively small company making a run at it and that’s something I appreciate. I went with the Bar Bag ($194.99) which comes with a holster and 14L dry bag, and the Saddle Bag ($179.99) which also includes a holster and 14L dry bag. What I found most appealing about these bags was that they both came with a holster. I previously had a front roll that had a holster but didn’t have a seat bag that included the holster and that makes it way nicer when taking the pack off and on. I was able to cinch the holster down super tight, packed the rear bag with the heaviest items in first, tighten the strap, and nearly eliminated all the sway your might experience from a rear bag.
So, let’s check out the gear!
For the front roll, I used an old Sea to Summit bag I was able to find. They compress down really nicely. I carried a Patagonia Nano Puff jacket and my sleeping bag up front. It was about 12” in length and had about 1” of clearance between the bottom of the bag and the top of the tire. There was also still room for me to move my hands around on the tops of my bars or in the drop if I wanted.
For the seat bag, I used the dry bag that came with the Restrap holster. This bag measured about 15” in length and was able to fit in the holster with no problems. This pic was taken once we returned and a dehydrated food bag and a fuel canister are not included. So, the bag might have been another few inches. Inside this bag I carried:
Sleeping pad
Bivy sack (just in case, wasn’t needed)
Bag of Elemental Coffee
BIC lighter
Change of clothes (the coffee set was rolled tightly up in this)
Rapha merino wool leg warmers
Deodorant
Toothbrush & toothpaste
MSR fuel canister (not pictured)
Strapped to the outside of the seat bag was a pair of lightweight Patagonia slip-ons.
All in all, everything worked out perfectly. I wouldn’t say I over-packed and don’t think I packed too little. I packed a few things that just make me happy (the VSSL grinder) and could have spared a little weight there, but hey, YOLO, right? I could have pre-ground my coffee and just taken what was needed, but preparing my coffee outside was one of the things I was looking forward to. I learned a little by packing my seat bag and packing it a little better for the return trip home.
It was a great re-introduction to bikepacking and I’m already looking forward to the next overnighter!
Shameless plug for the shop, we have or can get you most all of the items I mentioned above. If you need something, we’d be stoked to help!