[QUOTE=Tourist in MSN;23088609]
Originally Posted by
Steve B.
Thanks for mentioning that, the majority of bikepackers that I have seen were wearing a backpack, but virtually nobody that I see with panniers does that.
Capacity of the bags is the driving issue. A pair of Ortleib front and rear rack mounted panniers can carry 65 liters of gear, where with a bikepacking setup, as a large under seat duffle as well as round bar bag is around 30 liters. Add a frame triangle bag for another 15 liters, maybe. Really big difference in what you can carry. Also consider that typically bikepacking was intended for off-road backcountry type trips where panniers on a touring bike was not the ideal setup, but there were also usually fewer opportunities to re-supply as you do on a road centric self supported tour. Thus the amount of food you carry limits how many days you can be out there, thus moving to very minimalist gear for shelter, bag and clothing yields you more room for food and more days riding.