# Blackburn Outpost handlebar and seat bags, anyone using them yet?



## CraigH (Dec 22, 2003)

Blackburn Outpost handlebar and seat bags, anyone using them yet?

From Fatbike.com's Sea Otter coverage:
It?s Not Just About the Bees ? Sea Otter Day 1 ? Part 2 | FAT-BIKE.COM



> Blackburn is getting into the Bikepacking scene with the introduction of their affordable Outpost line of bags that currently include a Handlebar Roll, Top Tube Bag and Seat Pack.














> The Outpost Seat Pack is a two piece system that includes the part that attaches to the seatpost/seat and a removable 10.5 liter capacity bag that is weather resistant and easily expandable or collapsable depending on your load. Retail is set at $99.95.














> Blackburn's Handlebar Roll is designed to carry rolled up stuff on your handlebar. Clever name, that! Said stuff could go in the included, weather resistant, 10 liter stuff bag or you can strap on your sleeping bag, small tent, hammock, etc. The quick-release attachment works on most handlebars and compression straps make sure your gear stays put. Look for a retail price of $74.99.


Doing bikepacking trips with my wife means I need 2 sets of gear so total package price is a factor.

Reviews, comments?


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## CraigH (Dec 22, 2003)

Pic of the Outpost top tube bag is here:


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

CraigH said:


> Reviews, comments?


I haven't used the B-burn gear, but I did fondle it at a LBS. It's uber heavy. The front roll bag weighs more than all four of my Porcelain Rocket bags combined.

If they are cheap they could be fine for occasional use, but if the cost is up there I'd stick with one of the dedicated bikepacking gear companies.


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

I like that the top tube bag has little outer pockets but the designs, especially the bar bag, of the other stuff looks less then stellar. And those pictures make it look very cheaply made.

Considering the prices are only marginally cheaper then some of the established company's stuff I don't know that I'd bother.

MSRP from their website:
Seatback - $99.99
Bar bag -$74.99
TT bag - $44.00


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## CraigH (Dec 22, 2003)

Thanks for the comments, was just wondering if I could keep the cost down a little since I need to buy 2 sets for my wife's bike and mine.


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## Killroy (Mar 9, 2006)

Who are dedicated bikepacking gear companies?


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Killroy said:


> Who are dedicated bikepacking gear companies?


There is a thread at the top of the page with Bpacking gear companies:

http://forums.mtbr.com/bikepacking-bike-expedition/bikepacking-gear-bags-who-makes-em-766873.html

Look for companies where the owner/designers actually bikepack and their focus is primarily making this gear.

Bikepacking is one of the hot trends right now and it's easy to make a bag that looks good in a photo. It's a lot harder to make one that works well when actually out on the trail.


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## helmach21 (Aug 15, 2006)

With extreme excitement I ordered all three bags (seat, roll, and top tube). I could have ordered the token Revelate but I was lured by the slightly lower price and nifty quick release attachment bracket of the roll. I just finished a 3 day bikepacking trip this weekend and was very disappointed. I will be returning all three bags. Long story short, they are nice designs but they just don't work. It's as if they were never tested before going to retail. Here is my full review:

Roll: The roll is awesome, the included dry bag is awesome, but the handlebar attachment mechanism is JUNK. It is a cheap plastic part that I suspect was sourced from a smaller handlebar bag and not designed for this product. There is absolutely NOTHING you can do to keep it from rotating over rough terrain. Rest assured, if you buy this, it will rotate downward when you hit a bump and eventually stop when it hits your fork. I tried everything including various torque settings, carbon paste, support strap configurations, and even significantly less weight in the roll. This can be a serious safety hazard if it hits your wheel while you are rolling fast. 

Blackburn obviously knows this is a problem and included a large zip tie that attaches to your stem to keep it from rotating. You heard me right, a ZIP TIE. Even that proved inadequate. Another guy on the trip had the same roll on a different bike setup and had the exact same problem. Epic fail. 

Seat Bag-The holster is pretty nice, and the included drybag is awesome. The major weakness is the steatpost straps. While the Revelate has one super beefy strap with a rubber friction pad, the Blackburn has 2 puny nylon straps and nothing more. This allows the bag to sway from side to side with your pedal stroke, especially if you are out of the saddle hammering. All loaded bags do this to a degree, but IMO the Blackburn is excessive. Another guy on the trip had a Revelate and his barely moved at all. 

Also, the overall quality of the Velcro and straps is not the best. They were fraying and kind of generally falling apart after one trip. Medium fail. 

Top Tube Bag- Overall a very nice design but will be too wide for a lot of folks. I am 5'11" 185lbs and the inside of my knees were constantly hitting it during the seated pedal stroke. The Revelate bag is about 3/4" narrower which makes all the difference in the world. Minor fail. 

I will be posting this review everywhere I can so others do not suffer the same disappointment as I did. Being a product designer myself, I cannot stress enough the importance of adequately testing products in their environment before bringing them to market. Sorry Blackburn, I REALLY wanted to like these bags.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Well at least you saved some money! That counts for something. :eekster::nono:


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## CarlS (Feb 25, 2008)

So I thought I would share my review for what it's worth. Granted, I'm kind of a newb to bike packing, and don't have any experience with other bags. I've only done two overnighter trips and had these bags loaned to me from a friend. that said, I didn't find them all that horrible. Yes they are heavy, but I can add some positive notes.

By far the best thing about all 3 bags is they are very water tight when riding in rain. This past weekend we had one of the largest thunderstorm systems come through southern CA and these bags were soaked for hours and hours. all items inside were nice and dry.

The Seat bag: You can really pack a lot in the supplied dry bag, and maybe that's part of the problem. As you extend the bag further from the post, the more it wants to swing around. I used a section of thick foam padding taped to the seat post to increase the dia and give it some friction to strap against. Doing that and pulling down all the straps real tight seemed to secure it well and limit any sway.

The bar bag: 
I'm not sure if I like it or not. The dry bag is large enough for a lot of gear. I had my tent, pad, down jacket and some other misc stuffed in it. As the other poster commented, the plastic bar clamp is kinda cheezy. The quick release mechanism broke on me and i had to take it apart and reset the spring to bring it back to life. I did have the bar clamp also slip, but after tightening the crap out of the allen bolts it was fine. I would probably say the bar bag has room for improvement, but it did it's job. and the supplied red strap also can be used to snug it down tight and secure other items.

The top "gas tank" type bag: 
nothing negitive to add here. it worked great for storing small items and quick munchies. and when the rain started pouring like crazy I stashed my new cannon elph camera in there and it stayed dry.

So overall the bags worked for me on two different trips of about 60-80 miles each on rough terrain. I'm sure there are better products out there, but these bags can work if you take the time to fiddle with them.


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## Killroy (Mar 9, 2006)

CarlS, nice review.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

Wrote up some comments which you can read here.


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## klord1 (Apr 12, 2015)

I just bought the bb outpost cargo cage (similar to salsa's anything cage) haven't used it yet but it feels sturdy and is nicely designed..will post up when I use it for the first trip.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

I did do a quick write up on these and also got out overnight with the rear bag and fuel cell bag...the bar bag would not fit on the carbon Bullmoose bar as the clamps did not accept the shape of the bar...epic fail number 2 for the clamping system. The seat bag was pretty good. Can't say I cared for the gas tank bag. No internal separation, the outside pockets are kinda lame and it was wide enough that i hit standing and pedaling. Meh. I think I can mod the bar bag to be better though by replacing the plastic clamps. I need to update the article now. Blackburn Outpost Bags


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

*P29 with the bags on...note: Bar bag is my own, an old CDW bag.*


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