# Which panniers...off road touring



## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

Okay, I know everyone says Ortlieb, Arkel, etc for panniers, but I think this question may be different enough to get some additional input.

I have a Salsa Fargo and I plan on doing some off road touring in NH this year. I have no desire for custom frame bags from Revelate, etc. I want pannier bags. I need something that can do single track, dirt roads, logging roads, etc. I want something that can take a beating.
I plan on going rather minimilast so the smaller the bags the better. I'm not doing 2-3 week tours, I am doing 2-5 day tours.
Anyone out there got some recommendations? I was thinking for awhile of doing a BOB Yak trailer, but I already have a rear rack and right now a set of nice panniers will be a lot less than a whole BOB trailer system.
I've also got a Salsa minimalist rack for the front that will fit my tent and sleeping bag perfectly.
So, just looking to see if anyone has any good ideas or is it really just go with Ortlieb or Arkel?

Thanks,
-Pete


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## StageHand (Dec 27, 2002)

You insist on panniers, so those two are probably the best. What makes them more useful is their attachment hardware. The clamp-on systems are less likely to bounce off on rough terrain.

The knock on panniers for off-road touring is the way they change the balance of the bike. For what you're doing, it doesn't sound like a big deal, though.

Have fun.


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## dustyrider (Aug 10, 2007)

I use ortlieb on my road tourer and have nothing but good to say about them, but I couldn't imagine listening to them bounce away on bumpy roads and trail. Nor would I want to make my way through the woods of NH with panniers on my bike...

I know if I was going to ride on any type of singletrack I would forego the panniers for a revelate seat-bag. I would strap my tent to my bars, fill the main triangle with cookware and water and call it good. The seat bag will cost you as much as a set of ortliebs will....

Panniers on a rack make for a balancing act that isn't fun on trail. Never mind they will be bouncing around and getting hooked on everything that even comes close to your bike.

Jandd is another maker of quality panniers you may want to consider if you're really certain panniers are for you.


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## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

I should probably expand on my views.
I',m short. 5'4". I have a concern that even the Revelate Pika won't clear my rear tire from the seatpost. My saddle height from center of BB to top of saddle is 66.5cm. The salsa Fargo is a 29er and I have 2.2" tires on the thing.
I also commute to work on this bike most days and it already has a rear rack attached. My philosophy is to keep it simple.
I've got some old roll top Nashbar panniers that I commute with that are waterproof, but nothing very special. I am looking at upgrading them down the line. These bikepacking bag(s) will also serve as my commuting bag.
The rear rack also fits perfectly my Z-lite sleeping pad strapped to the top. This is accordian style when folded up and not roll up like many sleeping bag pads. Hence one more reason to just keep the rack and skip frame or seat bags.
I've also already got a bunch of dry sacks for hiking so these will go into any panniers to help keep me organized.
I'm not overly concerned about the additional weight on the sides of the bike. I'm not going to be doing crazy singletrack very often with this setup. Just White Mountain logging roads, service roads, and the hiking trails that also allow bikes.
The current plan is to go from Concord to Waterville Valley via Route 175 to Perch Pond Rd, to Eastern Corner Road, Algonquin Rd to Sandwich Notch Road and then cut over Greely Ponds to the Kanc, drop from the Kanc to Bear Notch Road to Cherry Mtn Road to Gorham and up into Berlin for some exploring. It will be a mix of paved, dirt, trail, singletrack, etc.
I think that about covers my reasons for not wanting custom frame bags or a seatbag. These bags will be doing other service too.


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

xxxXXX


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## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

I've used Ortliebs off road a little and they stay attached, but they rattle. You might consider adding a secondary strap around the rack and bag to keep everything tightly in place. If you sew you could make this as a permanent addition. If not, some sort of cam strap might do the trick, I like the ones with actual metal buckles.


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## Hjalti (Feb 26, 2004)

I've used Ortlieb front rollers on the rear rack with good success. I had to rig a second lower attachment point to keep things from rattling around.


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