How to pack panniers?

[citybabe]

Looking for a little bit of help packing my panniers.
I have a tour booked for cycling the Rhine and the Mosel rivers. It will be my first time doing a long tour.
How should I pack my panniers?
I’ll be using 2 front and 2 back panniers and also a bag on the handle bars.
What do you all put in each pannier?

 

[All uphill]

I'm newish to touring too.

My plan is to put things I need often (map, camera, money) closest to hand; heavy things low down and squishy things (food) at the top of the rear panniers.

I'll be interested to hear how I should do it before my trip to the Netherlands in May!

 

[MontyVeda]

sleeping kit in one; bag, liners, mat, pyjamas, night cap, etc...
camping kit in another; tent, poles, groundsheet
clothing in the 3rd and cooking kit in the 4th

I have 4 small ish panniers; 2x 12.5ltr and 2x 17.5ltr so it works quite well.

I don't worry about balancing the weight because the amount of time i ride with just one pannier full of shopping, i know an unbalanced bike isn't a problem because i don't even notice once I'm pedalling

 

[Baldy]

Camping or hostelling?

Don't over fill them, spread the weight evenly between all four. Have things you'll want during your ride in the handle bar bag.

 

[chriswoody]

Aside from the excellent advice above, I would also say don't fret too much and over think it. I've often repacked and moved things around mid tour. Just do what feels right and expect to adjust things as you go along as you discover what's working and what's not.

One top tip though, put your waterproofs in very easy reach and make sure nothing else can get wet as you reach for them.

 

[citybabe]

Camping or hostelling?

Don't over fill them, spread the weight evenly between all four. Have things you'll want during your ride in the handle bar bag.

It’ll be camping

 

[presta]

Looking for a little bit of help packing my panniers.
I have a tour booked for cycling the Rhine and the Mosel rivers. It will be my first time doing a long tour.
How should I pack my panniers?
I’ll be using 2 front and 2 back panniers and also a bag on the handle bars.
What do you all put in each pannier?

I just use two panniers for hostelling, and have all my outdoor clothing in the right(*) one, waterproofs on top, and the left one has dry indoor clothing at the bottom, and food on top. You'll want to experiment, but the important thing is to draw a diagram of your packing, and make a list of all your luggage so you can repeat it next time. Clothes take up less space if you roll them tightly rather than folding them, and compression straps can be handy for bulky items. Don't forget to waterproof everything in poly bags. Stuff like sandwiches, tools, wash kit, lock etc get scattered around the pockets. I use ziplok sandwich bags for sandwiches and just about everything else, such as waterproofing my wallet & phone, storing litter, etc.

I was packing for a trip once, and I didn't find out until 10pm the evening before that the luggage wouldn't all fit in the panniers, even though it was exactly the same list as I always used. Eventually I realised that I'd bought a couple of new fleece jumpers, and whilst they looked identical to the old ones, they were 50% larger volume. Be warned, it's easy to lose space a bit at a time without noticing.

(*Because I can stand at the side of the road and rummage in the right pannier two handed whilst I support the bike with the left pannier held between my legs)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I only ever use two panniers. But I have one bag for use during day and one for stuff only used at my overnight stops. I don’t want to be opening multiple bags at day time stops or if changing my layers due to weather changes.

 

[citybabe]

I just use two panniers for hostelling, and have all my outdoor clothing in the right(*) one, waterproofs on top, and the left one has dry indoor clothing at the bottom, and food on top. You'll want to experiment, but the important thing is to draw a diagram of your packing, and make a list of all your luggage so you can repeat it next time. Clothes take up less space if you roll them tightly rather than folding them, and compression straps can be handy for bulky items. Don't forget to waterproof everything in poly bags. Stuff like sandwiches, tools, wash kit, lock etc get scattered around the pockets. I use ziplok sandwich bags for sandwiches and just about everything else, such as waterproofing my wallet & phone, storing litter, etc.

I was packing for a trip once, and I didn't find out until 10pm the evening before that the luggage wouldn't all fit in the panniers, even though it was exactly the same list as I always used. Eventually I realised that I'd bought a couple of new fleece jumpers, and whilst they looked identical to the old ones, they were 50% larger volume. Be warned, it's easy to lose space a bit at a time without noticing.

(*Because I can stand at the side of the road and rummage in the right pannier two handed whilst I support the bike with the left pannier held between my legs)

Thank you. That makes a lot of sense.
I’ll spend the next couple of weeks getting my gear together and experimenting

 

[simongt]

Advice from an expereinced backpacker years ago was whern you get back from your trip, divide all the stuff you took into three piles; the stuff you used every day, the stuff you used occasionally and the stuff you didn't use.
Next time out, leave behind the stuff in the third pile, excepting things like tools or a first aid kit. Repeat this process after each subsequent trip and he said you'd be surprised how easy it is to lighten your load - !
But he was a backpacker and a bike will carry a lot more, but there is the temptation to take too much because the weight isn't on your back.

 

[MichaelW2]

Keep sharp objects, hard corners and edges away from pannier fabric. Use clothing as padding.
I line the pannier with a waterproof bag, the lightweight nylon drybags are good.
Wet things can go outside the drybag.
Keep the stuff you need during the day at the top, eg waterproofs repair kit, extra layer.
Keep your shelter kit ( tent tarp etc) accessible so you dont have to unpack in the rain.
Use a front barbag for most of the stuff you need during the day, and as a navigation platform.
Keep spare room for food shopping esp crushables. I carry a minimalist 15l unpadded daysac ( free with Paramo), takes up no space, use as pillow, extra bag for food shopping.
The rucksac rules about weight distribution are no so important.
Some people put tent , sleeping mat and even bag on top of the rear rack, held with good straps eg old inner tubes.

Do a shakedown day ride then a weekend camp.

 

[HelenD123]

I use two panniers, rack bag and bar bag. I try to keep the number of bags to a minimum for getting on and off trains.

One pannier has sleeping bag, mat and clothes. I shouldn't need to access this during the day so it keeps dry if it's raining. The other pannier has tools, first aid kit, cooking kit, food and random stuff. I'm going to reassess this as I don't have enough space for food and water.

On the rear rack I have a minimalist rucksack/dry bag for my tent. I like to keep this separate to stop other things getting wet. There's room in there for my waterproofs too. It has bungie cord on top so often ends up with a jacket or food shop strapped to it.

 

[MichaelW2]

One thing to consider when camping is whether to cook or not. I have done both ways. If you are riding through civilization and have money, then eat out and travel light. If money is tight ,you want to explore wilderness or your trip is extended, then cooking is worthwhile. This varies from Just Add hot water to proper food preparation. I have carried a small kitchen kit complete with food knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, spork, herbs spices, stock cubes, oil etc, rice, pasta, veg and protein as well as stove, fuel. The weight and volume soon add up.
If you go non-cooking carry a plastic spoon for yogourt and a small plastic cup in case anyone at a campsite offers you tea.

 

[mudsticks]

I nearly always go by train ( or ferry) first when touring.

I find having four smaller panniers easier for getting on and off public transport. by myself.

Just occasionally an officious train guard will insist you take everything off
But it's not usually a problem..


I strap the tent, and sleeping mat lengthwise in a bag, onto the rear rack with bungies.

The bungies are useful for tucking waterproofs under, if you think you might need them quickly

Also useful for drying washing on the go..

As to which of the four panniers I use for cookset, food, sleeping bag, tech stuff, tools, and spare clothes..??

Tends to depend on what my plans for that day are, what I need to be instantly accessible

But no matter how 'waterproof' panniers claim to be I'll always use a drybag to double wrap anything that absolutely must stay dry..

The bag I use for my tent is also a fairly basic rucksack, so I can go off for a daywalk, or even an overnight hike and camp somewhere I consider 'uncyclable'

After a few trips you'll find out what works for you...

And then you'll fancy a change, and swap it all around again

 

[citybabe]

One thing to consider when camping is whether to cook or not. I have done both ways. If you are riding through civilization and have money, then eat out and travel light. If money is tight ,you want to explore wilderness or your trip is extended, then cooking is worthwhile. This varies from Just Add hot water to proper food preparation. I have carried a small kitchen kit complete with food knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, spork, herbs spices, stock cubes, oil etc, rice, pasta, veg and protein as well as stove, fuel. The weight and volume soon add up.
If you go non-cooking carry a plastic spoon for yogourt and a small plastic cup in case anyone at a campsite offers you tea.

I’ll be using a trangia and buying food on the go