In 2013, I led my first bicycle tour down the pacific coast, from Eugene, OR to San Francisco, CA. I had never toured on a bicycle before, my background was almost entirely in kayaking and backpacking. Luckily, many of the same principles and gear apply to all three outdoor pursuits, but cycling definitely has a mechanical element that I had to learn. It also involves keeping kids safe when there are cars zipping by them at 4 times their speed. Terrifying. That was my introduction to cycling and I loved it.
The next summer, I led a 4-week cycling trip from Amsterdam to Venice. Being a more seasoned cyclist, I decided to upgrade some of my gear. I bought the Ortlieb Rack Pack for this adventure. It was my answer to the ever-present predicament of bike touring: the gypsy wagon. Not necessarily the most politically correct term, but a “gypsy wagon” refers to a haphazardly bungee corded together pile of junk that you need access to throughout the day while you are touring. They are generally unsafe, unsightly, and unproductive. I’ve always liked to keep my equipment dialed, so my gypsy wagon was never excessive. That being said, a full grocery shop would leave me with bananas, bagels, and chips tucked under any available bungeed real estate.
For Europe, the Rack Pack was my next level solution to the “gypsy wagon”. It provides 44 liters of waterproof storage for any touring set up. Definitely overkill for solo travel or small group travel, but essential for larger groups. If you can imagine stuffing the contents of a grocery shop for a group of 14 adolescent bike tourers under bungee cords and into panniers, then you have some idea of how “gypsy” that caravan might look. The Rack Pack allowed me to safely transport large amounts of food safely and securely. I became a packhorse, but that never bothered me.
The Rack Pack is basically indestructible when used for its intended purpose. I spent a little too much time kicking mine around on the floor and managed to tear a small section of on the underside. Whoops. Nothing that duct tape can’t fix.
On the bike though, this thing is unstoppable. It actually is compatible with Ortlieb’s Front/Back Roller’s Plus panniers so that it clips directly into the set up. Sadly, I have the Bike Packer Plus, which means the straps don’t link up. That being said, the Rack Pack can be looped into just about any pannier system. Once attached, it is solid. It takes the brunt of the weather by covering up the tops of your panniers, and never leaked for me.
The final bonus is that the Rack Pack gives you an entirely new way to carry your stuff when you are off your bike. Panniers are just about useless when it comes to carrying anything off of the bike. From grocery shopping to packing out laundry, the Rack Pack makes hauling anything just a little bit more waterproof and way more comfortable.
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