Carradice saddlebag for touring - luggage on top

[hoppy58]

Not sure where to post this, so have cut and pasted from ‘Does anyone know’ board !

I have a Carradice Barley attached to my bike with the leather straps (to a Brooks saddle) and also sitting on a bagman sport frame. I have been contemplating getting a bigger bag for touring, but don’t really want the expense.....so I just experimented with a dry bag strapped to the loops on top of the Barley to carry a lightweight tent, about 1.4 kg. It seems stable and the total weight is well within the 10 kg weight limit.

Does anyone have experience of doing this and does it work okay in practice?

[thirdcrank]

If you didn't already know, the loops on the flap of a traditional saddlebag are for the once universal cape, the point being it was kept there for quick access if it began to rain and replaced there so it didn't soak the contents of the bag. No reason why you shouldn't use it for what you like.

[hoppy58]

Thanks, yes, it was just the extra weight over a rain jacket that I was concerned about..

[thirdcrank]

Within reasonable limits, I think that saddlebag weight needs to be taken as a whole. On my first YHA tour I ended up in the bottom of a deep ditch - fortunately completely dry - when I didn't realise that a heavy saddlebag might lift the front of the bike and topple me over. Once bitten etc. Of course, the more you pile up a saddlebag, the higher you have to raise your leg if you mount the bike that way. I'm pretty sure you should be ok but the obvious course is a short trial run before you are committed on tour. If you are concerned that the loops won't stand the extra load, you might try something like a webbing belt wrapped round the whole lot. That reminds me: I'd forgotten that in my long-gone commuting days, I bought a couple of long webbing straps from ASDA IIRC. I used them to supplement the Camper Longflap if I had to carry something bulky to work. Not the same as camping, of course, but never any problems

[PH]

The Bagman frames, which I like, bounce about with a bit of weight in them, I've overdone the shopping a couple of times and felt it on the way home, I wouldn't want to ride with it heavily loaded all day, though suck it and see is probably the best advice. I rode behind someone who had a stuff sack underneath the Bagman, looked quite neat, though I didn't get a close look to see how it was attached, or know what was in it.
I use the loops for a waterproof jacket, seems the obvious place for it for the reasons thirdcrank gave, I don't want to be opening the saddle bag when it starts raining to get it out, or putting a damp jacket back in.