BMadd, I just purchased a pair of the Leather Native bags based on your review. I thought you would want to know. Thanks! Next is a rear luggage rack in chrome and some sort of bag to ride on it. Suggestions welcomed.
9fingers
They may have
done away with their traditional lifetime no questions asked replacement warranty last year, but for flexibility and ruggedness it's hard to beat any L.L. Bean nylon backpack that might strike your fancy. There's always plenty of good used ones on eBay or craigslist. I keep a medium-sized one stowed in my "Miiltary's" righthand metal pannier that I've had since maybe the late '80s or early '90s. It's been pretty much indestructible, and not only keeps those bottled or canned beverages well cushioned and fairly cool in the pannier (though I also have a little zip-up soft cooler bag big enough for four cans and a little Sponge Bob freezer brick atop them in the other pannier), but I can also break out the backpack whenever I suddenly feel the need to haul a 14 pound frozen turkey or whatnot homeward, either bungeed onto the rack or as, you know, just as a backpack (though I tend to avoid backpacking on the bike whenever possible except for shortish runs for safety's sake). Still, it gives one that extra bit of portage flexibilityfor those times when you just
gotta buy that Party Size bag of Cheetoz as well as the other humdrum necessaries the wife asked you to get, and many even have reflective stripes--a plus for better visibility after the sun goes down.
By the way, if you've also got those metal "army-style panniers" here's a tip: Next time your wife buys a set of queen-sized sheets and pillowcases, grab that clear zippered rectangular plastic packaging they typically come in nowadays. It's an absolutely perfectly tailored fit length and width-wise for those panniers, and will keep whatever's inside absolutely dry and tidy. Never mind "water resistant"...They are "monsoon proof". Meanwhile one of those bright yellow Ikea shopping bags will help keep your sleeping bag nice and dry, and also be nicely visible while doing so.