How To Pack Your Panniers: An Inside Look
August 12, 2008 by Darren Alff
Currently, the most popular article on the site here at BicycleTouringPro.com is an article simply titled, “How To Pack Your Panniers.” The article features a detailed breakdown of everything I carry in my panniers and also includes a 30 minute video where I physically show you the contents of my bicycle touring bags.
Since writing that article, I’ve received a lot of feedback and questions. My goal today is to expand further on the information I provided in that first article by showing you exactly how I place my gear inside my panniers and by pointing out two very important things you should consider when packing your panniers for a bicycle tour.
To get started, please watch the video below:
There are two main points I am trying to make with this article/video. First of all…
Weight
When packing for a bike trip, balancing the weight of your panniers is quite important. By balancing the weight of the gear inside your panniers you are 1) improving the maneuverability of your bike and 2) ensuring that no abnormal stress is placed on your bicycle’s frame or wheels. If you get the weight wrong, you could have a hard time controlling your bike… or you could break a spoke, bend your wheel, and get stuck out in the middle of nowehere. Both of these situations are easily avoided if you simply pack your panniers with weight in mind.
You will note that the way I’ve packed my bags has given a pretty even weight distribution to both bags. In my left pannier, the heavy objects include my tent, food, and fuel. In my right pannier, the heavy objects are my sleeping bag, spare tubes, water bottle, and tools.
The weight of my panniers is going to change on a daily basis. Because my left pannier is going to contain most of my food, the weight of that pannier will depend on exactly how much food I’m carrying at any given time.
On the same hand, if it is a cold day, I might decide to take my jacket out of my right pannier and wear it while I’m riding. If that’s the case, my right pannier would be considerably lighter at that point in time.
In just about any situation the weight is not going to be 100% even, but you want to do your best to get it as close as possible. Being off by a few pounds isn’t a big deal, but if one pannier weighs considerably more than the other, then you seriously need to consider repacking your gear.
Organization
The other thing you should take note of after watching the video above is that I have organized the items inside my panniers so that items of a similar nature are all in the same bag and/or pocket. My tools are all in one pocket, my electronic devices are in another pocket, my food and cooking gear is all in one pannier, and my most unused items (tubes, arm warmers, and backup water bottle) are all in another pocket.
By organizing my gear this way I able to accomplish two things.
1. First of all, by placing similar items all in the same pocket or pannier I always know where my things are. I know that my left rear pannier holds my electronics and my right rear pannier holds my tools.
2. Secondly, by packing in this manner, I am able to access items of a similar nature in record time. If I had my stove in one pannier, my cook pot in another pannier, my fuel in another pannier, and my food in another pannier, I’d have to tear all four bags apart just to cook my dinner. But by packing these items together, I can simply grab one pannier, cook my dinner, and leave the other three panniers completely untouched. By packing this way, it not only allows me to more easily find the items I want, but most importantly, it keeps me from tearing all of my panniers apart as I look for the item(s) I’m trying to find.
In the video above and the diagrams below, I’m using a Lone Peak P-500 Mount Superior Pannier to demonstrate my packing techniques.
If you have a question or additional piece of information you would like to share in regards to how to better organize and adjust the weight of your panniers, please use the comments box below to interact with other BicycleTouringPro.com readers.
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Awesome! This is just what I needed… and unlike anything else I’ve seen before. Definitely bookmarking this one. Thanks!
A very useful video guide! Having just returned from a week long bicycle tour using the exact same bag sets, I can say the most important pieces of advise to take from this are 1) To pack your panniers so that they are relatively balanced in weight, and 2) Pack items of similar use in the same sections.
Something else I found to be very valuable is the use of solar cell. I used an ICP brand (now Sunsei) flexible 10W solar cell. I know Brunton also makes the SolarRolls. With small bungie cords, this fit over the top of my rear panniers perfectly and securely. I was then able to keep my cell phone juiced up, as well as the rechargable batteries for my flashlights and similar. In short, I didn’t have to worry about when the next time I’d find a plug to recharge my phone, nor did I have to bring extra batteries. I’d be happy to provide pictures if anyone is curious.
Thanks Darren!
CJ,
I took a Brunton Solar Roll with me on my recent trip to Europe and I used it for the same thing you did. I was able to charge my camera batteries and my Palm Pilot while I was riding and I didn’t have to worry about finding outlets to charge my electronic devices. But it wasn’t very sunny most of the time, so it took a long time to charge these items up. But solar panels are definitely something I want to talk about in the future. Glad you had a great trip!
I would definately not mix food and tent in one bag. Nor would I mix toiletries with sleeping bag/tent, etc.
As a former scoutmaster. I was taught that,t o avoid animals foraging (including bears), to separate all food & food prep stuff and other smellables into one bag/pannier and hang or bearbox this.
I would not like my tent or clothing to entice a hungry nighttime visitor.
Milt,
That is a good point, but I really don’t think it’s an issue. I know, based on my own experiences, that I have never had a problem packing this way. Does anyone else have a story where packing their food with their tent, clothes, or sleeping bag caused an animal to bother you at night?
I would imagine that as a Boy Scout you went on backpacking trips where your food, clothes, tent, and sleeping bag were all in one big backpack… so I don’t see how this is any different. Am I wrong?
I think it’s defintely something to keep in mind if you are in an area where animals might be a danger, but in most cases, I just don’t think it’s going to be an issue.
Hi Darren,
I enjoy receiving your emails about bicycle touring. Thank you.
I just watched your video about packing your rear panniers.
Comments: Perhaps the mesh pocket on the outside of your pannier can be used when you are wearing a long sleeve jersey until you warm up in the morning. When you take it off if it is all sweaty you can put it in the mesh pocket to dry out rather than pack it away damp. That works for rain jackets too. When you take them off they are usually wet on the inside. Turn them inside out, stuff them in the mesh pocket and ride a few miles.
Instead of carrying three spare tubes, I carry one and carry several patch kits. One kit with glue and one glueless patch kit. On one occasion (only two miles from home) I had a flat tire. My spare tube had a bad valve so I had to patch the flat tube. Then I discovered my glue was all dried out, but the glueless patch worked and I rode another 500 miles on that tube. I now buy a new patch kit after every time I open the glue.
When I received my Commotion touring bike in 2005, the shop installed front and rear racks. After only 100 training miles several screws which held the rack on were loose and some were missing. I asked the shop to reinstall the rack and use lock tight on all the screws. 3060 miles later all the screws were still tight. I now use lock tight on all those critical joints. Lock tight is a liquid that come in several strengths. Apply it to the screw and when it dries it turns into a rubbery substance which fills all the voids between the screw threads and prevents the screw from wiggling and therefore wiggling loose. Great stuff and effective.
I have done two cross country tours, one in 2005 and one in 2006, one supported and one self supported. And the best thing about both trips was that my daughter (aged 24 now) did them with me. We faced the many daily challenges that come from a tour together and we grew closer because of it.
My wife enjoys an 8 mile ride and I am very happy to that with her as well. Life is good.
Thanks for being a bicycle touring professional.
Roger Messman Barrington Illinois (retired high school math teacher)
Darren,
I use the mesh pockets on the outside of my panniers to dry laundry. I use dish soap to do laundry in a light plastic folding multi use pail I carry. If I see a stream on the road that I can reach easily I stop and wash my spare shirt and shorts which usually needs it. I wring them out then place the laundry in my mesh pockets or tie them on top of the gear on my back rack to dry on the road. Of course carry a clothes line to dry things at camp.
Thanks for all the good advice you have given us.
Dave
This is a fantastic diagram that has many valid points in it, I’m glad I’ve found it. However, I was wondering where you put your clothing? Do you take spare clothes? If so what do you take? Is there an essential list?
There may be an obvious answer to this but I don’t want to set off with too much, or even worse, too little.
Would these going in the front panniers or do I even need fronts? Can I just pop them in a waterproof bag on top of my rack?
Thanks guys,
J
Jamie,
What you are seeing in this article is just the stuff I put in my rear panniers. The clothes all go in the front panniers. Or you could, as you suggest, put them in a big bag on your rear rack.
For a list of some of the essential bicycle touring clothes, check out this article here: http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/bicycle-tour-clothing-essentials/