BobG

Ti, for me I would say the room to carry extra food when needed and extra clothing for foul weather. The pictured trip was 37 years ago, an ACA group trip from Durango CO to Jasper AB. I was carrying my own cook kit independent of the group gear in the event that I went off on my own which I did. I left the group at Yellowstone. The big pot in the WY photo above was ACA group gear.

I must ask what is in the front panniers?

I'm guessing the front left bag had foul weather gear including rain/wind gear, hat, gloves, leg coverings and maybe tools. On top of that it probably contained my camera. In 1983 that would have been a clunky SLR with a bag of extra Kodachrome. I don't like the weight of a handlebar bag up high.

The front right bag is my kitchen. The pictured trip I was carrying a Svea stove, a pint of fuel and a cook kit. On top of that I would carry extra food as needed considering the services expected to be provided up the road ahead. I made lots of gravel road side trips on my own thus I often had to carry a couple days of provisions. How the modern bikepacker does that with just a few frame bags is beyond me. The stuff sack tied on to the rear at photo 2 above was likely extra food to get me from Lake Louise to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway.

I also had a fairly bulky sleeping bag and tent. I carried the tent on top of the front rack ...



On more recent trips with a more compact tent I've just stuffed the tent into a front bag without its stuff sack with foul weather gear on top. A compact down sleeping bag now goes inside a rear pannier. There is left over room in three of four bags for provisions when needed.