Quote:
Originally Posted by ebonho I've always been a duffel bag guy ...
... my riding style and touring philosophy (light and fast)
... am now veering towards a single pod style tailbag on the rear seat (in line with the bike and not jutting out to either side - a change from the duffel) if solo, and tail rack if with a pillion.
... 20 liters seems like the sweet spot for me with the advent of thin and light synthetics and dri fits that dry literally in an hour or two after a rinse
... So 2 dri fit t shirts and a light pair of shorts or tracks for the lodge/night, a pair of chappals or aqua shoes for the same, a light cotton/terry towel, a spare pair of socks, a spare light pair of gloves (I always carry another pair of gloves), an extra warm layer/thermal if it gets chilly, your bag of toiletries and medicines, and your pouch of documents and chargers, power bank/s, etc. That's all you really need for 4-5 days or 15 days or 30 days on the road.
... And 20 liters (max 30 liters) is more than enough. |
And can we get an Amen! (long post alert)
So this post should be titled
"How much can you fit in a small gym bag/duffel, inside 20 litres, and how much would it weigh"
Not happy with the pod and strap and buckle solution, and wanting to stick to my preferred duffel bag, but wayyyy smaller and leaner and lighter, I started scouring the online stores for what would fit my particular needs and taste, rather than picking up a readymade product from one of the many bike bag brands.
Finally the duffel I chose after a lot of online research, and the rain covers (one black and small, one hi vis and bigger) arrived, and I sat down with pen and paper to make a "worst case overpacking scenario" list of clothes I would carry on a ride, and then see how much of that in the real world I could lay out, roll tight into military rolls, and fit into the baby duffel bag, and how much would be left out, without forcing the zippers in any way to anywhere near the point of failure.
The bag measures 16" x 9" x 9" for the main compartment (21 litres), and one of my primary must haves was that it should have two separate zippered side pockets at both ends that could be used for bike stuff, away from the main clothes and personal stuff in the central main compartment. A front zippered pocket was not a must have, but an added bonus. The whole bag end to end, with the two side pockets, measures 18" x 9" x 9" (24 litres).
The bike rear seat where the bag will sit measures 13" length-wise (to the tip of the tail lamp assembly) and 15" across (measured across the widest points of the grab handles on either side). The aim was to have maximum support, with minimal unsupported overhang in either axes, and as less side to side jutting out as possible. This was KEY for my exercise, based on all my prior experience. Both with duffels as well as saddlebags.
For perspective, this is how a 60 litre duffel that measures 22" x 12" x 12" would fit on the rear seat of the bike. My favourite black duffel, that I have done most of my big tours with, and which I cannot find, was maybe a bit smaller. Maybe 45-50 litres. Can't say for sure though. But those were the days of cottons and no dri fits. And less experience of what and how much to pack, and more importantly, how much you actually land up using. Even on tours extending from beyond 10 days to over 3 weeks on the road.
The list of items to be carried ... in addition to what is being worn on the bike daily (lots of "worst case" redundancies obvious, as explained) -
1 Track Pant stepping out of the hotel/lodge when necessary/colder nights)
1 Full Length Tights (spare ... longer tours/chance of getting wet)
3 shorts (night/swim/spare ... I would probably carry 2)
7 dri fit T shirts (I would probably carry 2-3 only)
2 dri fit long sleeve zipper collared jerseys (would replace one of the dri fit T shirts with one of these depending on the weather)
1 grey Roadshakers IV Anniversary sweat shirt for the night (a must take/talisman regardless of the weather!)
2 pairs of socks (spare ... shorter tours under a week, would carry one, 2 if chance of getting wet ... all my socks are woollen, full length for my riding boots, don't smell, and dry very quickly)
4 briefs (overkill ... but I'll spare the readers from the real reasoning ...)
1 gym towel (Decathlon ... cotton gamcha does not dry as quickly, is more bulky ... again, you just need to dry yourself, not walk in it wrapped around)
1 Beanie (always)
1 Glove Inners (always)
1 spare short cuff quick dry armoured gloves (always, always)
1 woollen cap (spare ... redundant)
1 leather gloves (spare ... redundant)
1 Baseball cap
TOTAL 28 items ... managed to get all inside except for the baseball cap (more from not wanting to squish and damage the peak of my favourite tattered Aussie Outback cap!) ... so 27 items.
Not seen in photo - Enough space inside as well as in the front zippered pocket to slip in a plastic bag of toiletries and medicines, and a pair of light bathroom slippers (hotel/airlines non-Turkish ones are great for this, as they as weightless, and pack near totally flat).
Both side pockets still totally empty - Puncture kit, Inflator, Chain kit, Cables and Spares.
Total WEIGHT of the fully packed bag - Under 3 kilos!
Tried out both the rain covers. The hi vis Orange one with a reflective stripe is bigger, has 2 internal buckle straps to hold it in place, and is brighter. The black one is very good quality and fits a bit better though. Will try both. Importantly, as is the case for almost all rain covers available online, their sizes start from the smallest size of 30-45 litres, and are made for
flattish rectangular backpacks, and not cylindrical duffel bags, so I was initially unsure how these would fit, in spite of the elasticated rim and the adjusting straps. Happily, they fit great, as can be seen.
Finally the moment of truth. Placed the packed bag on the rear seat of the bike. Both length-wise as well as across. There is less of an unsupported overhang across than length-wise, and it does not seem to be big enough to go beyond the level of my knees, so I think the across fitment would work better, as I've been used to.
Length-wise, along the length of the seat, pod tail bag style -
Across, traditional old school duffel bungee style -
For the length-wise off chance, I got a pair of high load trekking straps with buckles from Decathlon to loop under the rear saddle and strap across the top of the bag as in the case of the branded strap-on pod type tail bags discussed above. But with placing the bag across, I guess standard old school bungees will still work better.
In ending, I'll say that at first glance (and even second and third ...) the bag looks and feels really small, and one is tempted to look for another slightly bigger duffel that is at least 30-35 litres. But if this small hero is taking in all of this, and a lot of it I am not really going to carry, then why lug around a bigger bag at all??????
A light backpack with my hydration bladder, rain upper and lower, and a lightweight 0 degree puffer jacket will eventually go on to my back, with the shoulder straps adjusted such that the base of the bag rests perfectly on and is supported by the top of the duffel bungeed behind.
Thank you for your attention!
Cheers, Doc