Micro Pannier Options For Bikepacking (Without Hooks)
Alpine Luddites HAB Panniers-US $275
The HAB (Hike-A-Bike) set has been designed around the demands of bikepacking. These bags are custom made, so you can choose between a few fabric types and two different bag compression styles. The back is stiffened with a thin layer of polyethylene to keep your gear out of the spokes and the panniers attach with velcro. The pannier profile can be built as thin as 7.5cm/3.0″.
Alpkit Toliari 12 Panniers-£80
The Alpkit Toliaris are a VERY cheap and lightweight pannier option for bikepacking. They are available with and without hooks, the latter being a bit heavier. The hookless version has webbing ladders on the back of the bag that allow you to perfectly adjust the mounts to your rack.
Altura Vortex Ultralite Panniers-£100
These well-priced panniers have a particularly large volume while also being light, narrow and waterproof. They connect to the rack via two upper straps and a lower velcro hook.
Arkel Dry-Lites Bikepacking Panniers-US $90
The Arkel Dry-Lites are cheap and well-known for their reliability; I've met people on very long tours who were happily using them. While they have a front profile width on the wide side, they taper from the bottom providing a little extra clearance. You can buy them in black or red.
Bedrock Hermosa UL-US $300
Bedrock Bags use both X-Pac and ballistic nylon materials to make a light and durable product. They have an excellent front profile width given their volume and mount using velcro straps. They're available in six standard colours and eight custom colours.
Buckhorn Waxed Canvas Panniers-US $295
Buckhorn panniers are handmade with green or tan waxed canvas (New Mexico, USA) for that classic look. Four Voile straps attach the pannier to the top of your rack and two straps connect up the lower bag.
Mesabi Rear Rack Panniers-US $60
The low-cost Mesabi bags are a similar size and design to the Revelate Nano panniers. They have a simple roll-top closure and are secured to a rack using four small buckles.
Outer Shell Adventure Pico Panniers-US $200
The Outer Shell Pico Panniers attach to 3-boss cargo cage mounts (or suspension fork lowers using the Clamp Kit Add-On) with no rack or cage necessary. The mounting plates are made of ultra-tough waterjet-cut polycarbonate. Each Pico Pannier can fit a 1.9l/64oz water bottle and you can buy them in 11 colours.
Revelate Nano Panniers-US $160
Here we have one of the lowest volume panniers with the narrowest front profile width at just 7.5cm per bag. Unlike the other pannier options, the Revelate Nano Panniers use zips to access stored goods. They are optimised for Old Man Mountain racks but can adjust to most racks.
Rockgeist Microwave Panniers-US $275
The Microwave Panniers are a modular bag set that has featured on dozens of bikepacking rigs over the years. The panniers incorporate two main components: a holster that straps directly to a rack using some neat Voile straps, and a dry bag that can be quickly removed and brought into your tent. The holsters are available in two different colours.
Stealth Mountain Panniers-US $175
These handmade micro panniers (New Zealand) are particularly narrow and are available in a variety of materials and colours. They attach using two upper velcro straps and one lower adjustable strap.
