Panniers, Bags and Pouches

Ortlieb Front and Back Panniers

There are some products you buy where you know right out of the box, that you've selected well.  Ortlieb's Panniers are made tough.  They've are demonstrated themselves to be fully waterproof, and they are extremely easy to take on and off your bike rack.  Ortlieb has designed the bags with a handle, which when pulled, releases the lock on the bike rack, and making them easy to pull free.  German Engineering at its best.

Back Panniers are made slightly larger than the front panniers, as you want most of your weight towards the read of the bike.  Otherwise steering becomes a challenge.  I keep my clothes in the front to panniers and everything else in the back ones.  These are the workhorses.

The one complaint I have with them is the attachment mechanism on the bottom.  While the top lock does most of the work, there is a small plastic lever on the bottom which is supposed to lock around some part of your bike frame.  With the rear bags, it works like a charm, but with the front bags, it will not fit onto my rack.  Consequently, I have to wrap the front panniers with bungees in order to keep the bags from bouncing around.

All and all, a minor quibble.  These are great bags that will last a long time.  Kudos.

Handlebar Bag

I must admit that I made a hasty decision here, and I hope that I'm able to set it right before it bites me.  I did not take the time to do thorough research on handlebar baskets and purchased a water resistant pouch.  Rackline boasts a rain cover, but placed beside the Ortlieb handlebar bag, you can tell with one glance which you'd rather be stuck in a rainstorm with.

I keep a lot of my small electronics in this front basket, and it should be fully waterproof.  It could also stand to be a touch bigger.  I hope to be replacing this when I reach Bogota next month.

The Rackline bag is by no means a bad product.  I just need something more like this.

3 Dry Sacks - 2Liter and 2 x 8Liter

I bought 3 of these Sea to Summit dry bags not knowing exactly how I would put them to use.  I wish I'd purchased an additional 3.  They are great for keeping things organized, and if my gear is spread out at a camp site, I know whatever is in these bags is safe from any sudden showers that might appear.

I use 1 8Liter bag for Laundry, 1 8Liter bag for all my kitchen items, and the 2Liter for most of my bike tools and spare parts.  I would like to purchase an additional 3 small bags for toiletries, water purification drops, and contact lenses.  Zip locks are great for a few weeks before dumping their contents into the rest of your gear.

Computer Bag

I got this bag when I purchased my first Apple.  There's nothing truly exceptional about it, and perhaps a water proof case would have been a good choice.  However I keep my computer close by my side or buried deep in my Ortlieb Panniers, so this serves its purpose.

Camera Bag

Shock absorbing with a few well placed pouches on both the inside and outside.  No complaints.

30 Zip Lock Bags

Go to organizational pouches.  They also make great gifts in small rural villages.

GPS Waterproof Case / Handlebar Mount

The handlebar mount that I use for my GPS is actually designed for the cellphone I had intended to use for this trip.  When I discovered that I could not utilize the phone's GPS capabilities without being under contract in the States with a telecommunications company which would inevitably send me an outrageous bill for roaming expenses, I decided to switch to the Etrex for my mapping needs. The GPS fits in the case, but the plastic protection tends to push down the top button at unwanted times.