# Strapping a drybag to the seat



## jlt199 (Jun 4, 2017)

Has anyone had any success strapping a drybag to the seat of their bike?

I have a full suspension bike, with a dropper post, and tried this at the weekend but the bag would hit the tire as the suspension compressed. My bike doesn't have a lock on the rear suspension. I'm looking for a better solution but I don't have a budget so trying to do it on a shoestring. Any suggestions? Thanks


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## NickSmolinske (Mar 8, 2008)

My main suggestion would be to bring less stuff. That's the cheapest way to go lightweight and you could get away with a smaller drybag. Maybe see if you can mount it carradace-style, horizontally instead of vertically?


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

I found with the dry bag portion of my seat bag, it worked best when it was packed as tightly as possible, with as much air removed as possible, and the bag rolled up as far as possible for the amount of stuff inside. That resulted in a much firmer bag that was easier to keep off the wheel. Might not be enough to help with your full suspension (since I have none), but when I found my bag hitting the wheel, it meant I needed to pack the bag tighter.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

More rear shock air? Stiffer, less travel. Try this, get some coroplast and make a tube or 2 sidewalls inside the bag to stiffen it up. Coroplast is that lightweight, stiff plastic corrugated stuff they use for political/yard signs.


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## lentamentalisk (Jul 21, 2015)

Yeah, that bag is waaaay too big to go under your seat. First thing you need to do is figure out how much space you actually have. Let all the air out of your shock and compress it all the way. Then you'll see how much room there is for a bag.

Once you see how much room there is you can start to figure out how to fit a bag in that space.


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## jlt199 (Jun 4, 2017)

It is big, it's a 15 litre drybag that only contained my tent and sleeping bag. I like the idea of corrugated plastic to help stiffen it.

@lentamentalisk that's a good idea. I guess I need to buy a shock pump.

I like the idea of this seat bag https://porcelainrocket.com/collections/store/products/albert but I can't afford it right now and I don't think it would be big enough. I'm toying with the idea of mocking up a similar type of frame as this bag has to secure a drybag to. Has anyone tried something similar?


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

jlt199 said:


> It is big, it's a 15 litre drybag that only contained my tent and sleeping bag. I like the idea of corrugated plastic to help stiffen it.
> 
> @lentamentalisk that's a good idea. I guess I need to buy a shock pump.
> 
> I like the idea of this seat bag https://porcelainrocket.com/collections/store/products/albert but I can't afford it right now and I don't think it would be big enough. I'm toying with the idea of mocking up a similar type of frame as this bag has to secure a drybag to. Has anyone tried something similar?


First, as others have said, that bag is too big and too loosely packed. You said it only contains your sleeping bag and tent, so you should be able to compress it a bunch more. I'd say stuff the tent in first, don't roll it up or fold it, just stuff it in as tightly as you can, and then stuff the sleeping bag in after that. With the sleeping bag you really have to stuff it and compress it as much as possible, and then get as much air out of the bag as possible when you roll up the end.

As for DIY support frame, some ideas here:

DIY Seat Pack Stabiliser?


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## riderx (Jan 6, 2004)

A few things I would try if this was my setup and was looking to do it on a tight budget:


Don't pack tent/sleeping bag in the same bag, if it rains you have a wet tent that will be packed with your bag.
Move water bottle to under down tube or on the fork leg to free up triangle space
Use a compression sack for the sleeping bag, then mount in the triangle with a Salsa Anything cage. I just used a 10L Granite Gear compression/dry sack in 4 days of rain in Vermont and it kept my bag dry. Find one at this backcountry link or Sierra Trading Post has the 13L for cheap (got my 10L there originally) https://www.backcountry.com/granite-gear-event-sil-compression-drysack
Tent can now go under seat in a much smaller package
What's in the front roll? Looks pretty large if your sleeping bag and tent is packed out back, try slimming down up there if you can

BikeNY's link has info on my DIY stablizer like the Porcelain Rocket. Made that bag and the rack for my wife but I have been testing it on a few trips to see look for ways to improve the next version. It is solid, I'll only be making some minor bag tweaks.

Compression sack up front, bag/stabilizer in the back:


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## jlt199 (Jun 4, 2017)

A quick breakdown of what I have stored where:

Bottle cage in the triangle: Bear spray

Drybag behind saddle: Tent and sleeping bag

Drybag on handlebars: Saucepan (filled with cooking stuff, bowl, cup etc.), sleeping pad, clothes, toiletries, other little odds and sods including rope for hanging food bag up at night

Gar tank bag: 2 inner tubes, tools and other emergency equipment (duct tape, puncture repair kit, cable ties etc.)

Backpack: Water, first aid kit, spare layer, snacks


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## jlt199 (Jun 4, 2017)

riderx said:


> A few things I would try if this was my setup and was looking to do it on a tight budget:
> 
> 
> Don't pack tent/sleeping bag in the same bag, if it rains you have a wet tent that will be packed with your bag.
> ...


Thanks, there's some good suggestions there. I think I used almost all of the stuff I took - with the exception of most of the emergency stuff, so not sure what I can par down. I only found things I didn't have, such as a rain jacket and a warm layer for the campsite in the evening


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