bikepacking – BikepackersFoundry

This blog post is another pictorial “recipe” for creating or retrofitting frame bags that are very stable and can carry more gear. The pictured bag has a capacity of more than 15 litres, and is loaded with water and gear. The key to maximizing the stable usable volume are internal composite stiffening panels fastened to portions inside the sides, back, and top of the fabric bag. If you’re retrofitting an existing bag just cut it down the centre line and then add a width strip to your needs (including Velcro OneWrap daisy chains), and the internal panels. This project took about 20 hours to complete. The materials and design are intended to accessible to folks. Several thousand hours of prototyping and field-testing have been incorporated into this design. While this implementation is ultra-light and not inexpensive, you can get creative with found and upcycled materials. Avoid using coiled zippers if you want to create a durable and high-performing project.

**Overview:** 14 litres of water in three bladders, plus the other gear pictured below. The left side internal composite panel is visible in the lower triangle of the bag. The perimeter of the bag is attached to the frame with Velcro and a few zip ties. This bag is made from Challenge Sailcloth Ultra 200 and weighs about 300 grams. All seams are taped with Challenge Sailcloth Ultra TNT. The combination of the materials and rain cover on the zipper create a highly water resistant bag. Ultra 200 is a UHMWPE fabric (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene), and is extremely strong and durable.

The spare fatbike tube (white rectangle, top right) sits in the bottom of the bag. The three bladders are then stacked in the frame bag, with the remaining gear sitting on top. An MSR hydration hose can be attached to any of the bladders and routed out through a front or back port.

Both upper and lower zipper tracks are stiffened to maintain tooth alignment. YKK #5 Vislon zippers represent a durable yet lightweight choice. Coil zippers will fail prematurely.

Two DIY frame bags for #19, a 29’er hardtail. The bag on the left was constructed in January 2024 and incorporates all the design details outlined below. The bag on the right was built in early-2020 without the benefit of using internal composite stiffening panels and elements. The Velcro OneWrap daisy chain on each bag is used to directly secure the bag onto the centre-line of the frame. *The bag on the right has many thousands of kilometers of backcountry usage.*

Two of the industrial Hook Velcro VHB backed mounting patches on the frame. The lower downtube patch is ~3/4″ wide to match the exposed Loop OneWrap on the frame bag. A typical frame mounting system consists of seven to ten 3/4″ x 2″ Hook Velcro pads aligned to the centre-line of the frame. I cut these from a roll, Velcro Part #90197. A few zip ties are added at key locations to tension the bag in the frame and eliminate any movement. The dropper post cable gets routed immediately behind and below the installed frame bag.

Checking crank and drive clearances on the completed fat bike bag.

Overall construction steps: This design of framebag is based on a single cardboard template that has been carefully shaped to completely fill the main triangle of a bicycle frame. Seam allowances are added to the edges of all panels. All of the perimeter panels are measured based on the four sides of the cardboard template, plus seam allowances. The cardboard template will also be used to size the two composite stiffeners for the side panels.

Velcro OneWrap bar tacked to three edges enables secure mounting to the frame.

Bottom seam in the zipper cover formed from a strip of Ultra 200. A composite stiffener [aka string trimmer line 🙂 ] will be inserted into this resulting pocket.

Adding another seam to the lower zipper track. This forms a pocket for insertion of a third composite stiffener.

OneWrap bar tacked with 2″ spacing. The front end of the panel has Velcro attached to create a closable port for cables or hoses.

Joining the zipper (left) side panel to the perimeter panels.

Using a zipper foot to complete one of the closing seams.

Using a commercial grade of line helps ensure sustained performance of the bag. *Look for items that have rated performance (cycles, temperature) on the packaging.*

Half of the width of tape is applied to one side and then carefully folded over onto the matching face.

Lower left side panel. The height of the panel is determined by pedal sweep plus an allowance forward of the pedals. If unsure, start with a larger panel and trim it down, if appropriate.

Adding VHB tape to the top (left) and back (right) panels. The back panel is sized to keep that plane of the bag in tension. Once installed with the Velcro attachment system and zip ties the competed bag is extremely stable.

While not easy to see, the side panels have 2″ Outdoor Repair tape applied to the top edges and the inside of the fabric. TNT tape also works in this application.

Tools and spares with 36″ of OneWrap sitting directly on top of the Pinion bridge of the bike frame.

The stiffening system is just visible in the zipper tracks and cover. *The cover is being held open with my left hand while taking this picture.*

The dropper post cable has been routed behind and below the bag. The heads of the zip ties in the top rear corner are again just visible. The edges of the upper and lower Velcro patches on the frame are visible as a line on the frame tube.

This is one of those real-world trail images that highlights this frame bag design and construction. I’d packed the bike up at about -20C after a winter overnighter. The framebag holds all water, food, stove & fuel, spare parts and belt, and some quick access outer layers. Perhaps about 15 kg of contents loosely dumped into the bag. Despite this lack of packing there’s no sag from all this weight and lack of organization.

After several thousand kilometers of Fall, Winter, and early-Spring fatbiking I’m really happy with this design and construction. At risk of over stating things …. this bag has FUNDAMENTALLY altered my bike-packing practices. Food, water, stove, fuel, tools, spares, etc. all have a stable and secure space inside ALL dimensions of a bicycle frame. The handling of the bike has noticeably improved with the overall lowered centre of gravity. The rear prototype CompressionPanniers and Sara’s new Bikepackers Foundry HandlebarBag+ (size Large) and a pair of custom StraddleBags (size Large) yield a solid expedition luggage system.

Thanks for reading!

Scenic vista from a pond adjacent to Lake Abraham.

Kista Peak and surrounds viewed from a superb coffee outside spot! — Kista Peak and surrounds viewed from a superb #coffeeoutside spot!

The route is named after Kista Peak (centre) which forms an impressive vista for a camping location, and can be seen from many locations along the route. Kista Peak is a 2,576-metre (8,451-foot) mountain located in the North Saskatchewan River valley and is part of the Ram Range in the Canadian Rockies.

The Alberta (Canada) Bighorn Backcountry is an area covering more than 5,000 square kilometres (1.2 million acres) of public lands east of Banff and Jasper National Parks. The Stoney-Nakoda Nations have been using the area, particularly the nearby Kootenay Plains, for generations. This route is adjacent to Abraham Lake, Alberta’s largest reservoir, and is accessed from the Bighorn Dam which is less than 30 km west of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (Jasper extension), and less than 75 km east of the Icefields Parkway. The Icefields Parkway consistently ranks as one of the ten best paved routes in the world. As a weekend destination, the area is readily accessible to many folks in Alberta and British Columbia.

The mixed-use trails on this route have been developed and are maintained primarily for OHV use by the Bighorn Heritage ATV Society. However, the area is closed to OHV traffic between May 1 and June 30 each year. This closure represents an opportunity to quietly explore a very scenic area on well-maintained two-track. Riders exploring the area between July 1 and April 30 can expect to be sharing the trails with OHVs and/or snowmobiles.

Detail map of the area that is posted at the access point. — Detail map of the area that is posted at the access point (marked as the ? on the above map).

While the route is presented as a simple loop, best ridden counter clockwise, there are numerous opportunities to extend the route or enjoy more challenging day rides. The route is entirely unpaved and has some chunky sections on the steeper pitches. The ATV group that maintains the trails are doing an excellent job mitigating OHV damage, and focused on a July 1 opening, so expect a few downed trees to deal with. Surface water (treatment required) is seasonally available in several locations.

Random camping sites are available in several locations, and identified on the RWGPS route file. A public lands camping pass is required. There are also developed drive-in campsites with pit toilets on the north side of the Bighorn Dam. As always, Leave No Trace!