This topic contains 8 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by 
-
I am after some advice please :blush: I have just got these wolfman bags for my birthday and are just trying to work out what to pack and where. Say for example you were going on a 5day ride and camping. You may possibly stay overnight for 1 night at a pub or motel.
I usually carry the things that i may need quickly in my tank bag or backpak, such as camera, spare gloves, visor/goggle cleaner, rag etc.I would probably carry the lighter stuff in the top bag; say tent, mattress, sleeping bag, camp chair and the heavier stuff in the saddle bags to keep the weight lower. (As TB has suggested)
As for what to pack and where, your thoughts would be much appreciated
I was also looking at using this container which is 4ltr capacity to enclose any items which may puncture the side of the bags….. It fits perfectly in the bags, any thoughts?
Thanks for your input,
Cheers,
LeftyI have 20ltr water bottles with the tops cut off to fit inside my pannier bags and large holes cut in the bottom for emergency drainage. I have TB`s old Andy`s bags though, not Wolfman,,,
Only used the liners once,,, They hold the bags in perfect shape and make it easy to pack and strap them onto my frames,,,
But, as pointed out by a bloke we know,,, Can be painful in the event of a fall onto the side if your leg gets trapped (same as hard cased pannier boxes) :whistle:
Also not much use if only taking minimal gear and wanting to roll the bags down at the top to reduce size. For example, Gauranteed pub stays etc when not carting as much camping/cooking gear,,,I pack all heavier items like tools, spare tube, container of spare part/nuts and bolts etc down low and the lighter gear on top. Also thinking of as even distribution of weight from side to side .
Maybe use those containers towards the back of the bags and softer gear to the front maybe ???
Plenty of experiences to be shared on here anyway from the ADV crew that have tried and tested all this sort of stuff
Good Luck with it,,, you will end up packing, unpackin and repacking numerous times each trip anyway from experience :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
EAGLE`02 wrote:I have 20ltr water bottles with the tops cut off to fit inside my pannier bags and large holes cut in the bottom for emergency drainage. I have TB`s old Andy`s bags though, not Wolfman,,,Only used the liners once,,, They hold the bags in perfect shape and make it easy to pack and strap them onto my frames,,,
But, as pointed out by a bloke we know,,, Can be painful in the event of a fall onto the side if your leg gets trapped (same as hard cased pannier boxes) :whistle:
Also not much use if only taking minimal gear and wanting to roll the bags down at the top to reduce size. For example, Gauranteed pub stays etc when not carting as much camping/cooking gear,,,I pack all heavier items like tools, spare tube, container of spare part/nuts and bolts etc down low and the lighter gear on top. Also thinking of as even distribution of weight from side to side .
Maybe use those containers towards the back of the bags and softer gear to the front maybe ???
Plenty of experiences to be shared on here anyway from the ADV crew that have tried and tested all this sort of stuff
Good Luck with it,,, you will end up packing, unpackin and repacking numerous times each trip anyway from experience :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Cheers Eags, thanks for the info
Lefty wrote:I am after some advice please :blush: I have just got these wolfman bags for my birthday and are just trying to work out what to pack and where. Say for example you were going on a 5day ride and camping. You may possibly stay overnight for 1 night at a pub or motel.
I usually carry the things that i may need quickly in my tank bag or backpak, such as camera, spare gloves, visor/goggle cleaner, rag etc.I would probably carry the lighter stuff in the top bag; say tent, mattress, sleeping bag, camp chair and the heavier stuff in the saddle bags to keep the weight lower. (As TB has suggested)
As for what to pack and where, your thoughts would be much appreciated
Thanks for your input,
Cheers,
LeftyLefty I think you pretty well have it covered mate, honestly from there on in its personal choice I reckon. I always try heavy stuff in the bottom of the two packs, from there I pack clothes and cooking in the left. The right has my sleeping bag and spares clothes, empty water bladder etc.
Something to work on is to always pack them the same once you get it sorted so you know where stuff is it saves rooting around looking for your crap.TB
Hi Lefty,
Nice new bags for the bike there, great birthday present.
I certainly do not think I have THE right system, but what I am currently using seems to be working well for me. I have done a few trips and I have used a couple of different bags (Andy Strapz and Wolfman), and I am now starting to get an idea of what works and doesn’t work (for me :blink: ). But it really depends on how long I am going away for etc…
On last years APC I used Andy Strapz panniers, I also used the 20 litre water container idea inside the pannier. That works a treat because you can simply pull the container out to access your gear and it just seems an easy way to pack. Unfortunately I broke the Velcro straps on these panniers. (NO fault of the manufacture, I didn’t have the right racks,,,, I was also over loaded). I realised that the bigger the bags-the more stuff we seem to pack.
After that I got the Wolfman bags, so I now have the same set up as you. The duffel bag across the back and the same panniers.
In the duffel bag I put, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat (or in my case air matters and electric pump) and anything else that only relates to sleeping/camping gear. Depending on the ride I will also put some cooking gear in this bag. By having this bag only contain this gear, if I don’t camp I don’t need to open the bag or even take it off the bike. Less energy used and less effort the next day repacking.
I also like that this bag is water tight so this gear is safe and dry, even if the bike takes a dunk in a creek. Nothing worse than wet camping/sleeping gear!!!!
The Wolfman panniers are smaller than the Andy’s and I actually like this (because i take less stuff), but I really miss the added stability of the container gave to the Andy’s panniers. The Wolfman system doesn’t have this.
The best I have found to overcome this is to use Packing Cells and Roll Top bags to organise the contents of the panniers. These packing cells are a great idea, there are a few varieties, but the ones I have are from Kathmandu. There are different styles, sizes and colours. They help you organise your gear so you know where everything is at just a glance and you don’t have to rummage around the panniers just to find one thing. So tee-shirts and jeans in one, and toiletries in another etc…i think you get my point. The best thing is that fit into the Wolfman panniers really well.
See three different size Packing Cells.
(note. camel pack only there for size comparison)If I’m seriously camping and carrying food I have two small soft eskies that I use. The ones I have again fit perfectly into the Wolfman bags. I also improved these by my lining them with a high grade insulation tape. All from Bunnings. This now can keep meat frozen for about 12 hrs.
Esky
Tools are kept in another tool bag that is strapped to the very back of my bike. This is kept to only what I absolutely need for tire change or minor repairs. Larger tire levers or spare clutch and break levers are zip tied to the inside of the pannier rack. The tool bag is accessible without removing any other bags and does not get removed from the bike at night.
Again, if I’m camping I like to carry a chair, but those three legged things are a night mare. In some cases a table is nice for food prep etc. I recently found a butterfly chair and a very small take that are nothing short of brilliant for this sort of thing. They are called Helinox (google it), they are expensive, but it’s bloody good. Apparently you can get the same chairs from other people and cheaper (called butterfly chairs), but I’m not sure about the table. These two items sit in front of the duffel bag, across my seat.
I also carry a tank bag for smaller stuff like other people have mentioned.
I find accessing the panniers easier than the duffel bag, so once its packs it’s not coming off until I need a sleeping bag or tent at the end of the day.
So until I see a better system, this is the one for me. But the important point here is to organise your stuff into areas that you;
a) know where it is and,
b) access it only when you want or need it.
Water…..I have seen a great expandable soft expandable water container that you can strap across the back of your gear, but i dont have this yet. . Maybe somebody else knows what it’s called??
It goes without saying that I didn’t come up with all these ideas and was shown by somebody else.
If it works, share it around!!Flying Fish
Thanks very much for the information guy’s and gal. That is great info and will help heaps in knowing what to pack and where.
Cheers, Lefty
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.