Gear Update - November 30, 2023
I've used an XLC trunk bag since my trip to Garrison, NY, in 2014. That bag has served me well on all my trips, its several pockets letting me organize what I've used it to carry. However the bag is not waterproof, so whenever there was a chance of rain I needed to put my clothes in a large plastic bag inside the main compartment to keep them dry. Furthermore the bag has had several repairs due to the mediocre material with which it is made. Some time ago I looked at the trunk bags made by Ortlieb, the company that made my waterproof handlebar and top tube bags, but found their trunk bags lacking the pockets to provide the organization I need.
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| Left side of XLC bag |
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| Right side of XLC bag |
In December of 2022 I asked Uriel Gurgov, an expert shoemaker who has done several repairs of my equipment, whether he could make me a trunk bag based on the design of the XLC bag with materials like those used by Ortlieb. Uriel said he could, but when I showed him my XLC trunk bag and my Ortlieb handlebar bag, he said it would be easier if I were to buy an Ortlieb trunk bag to which he would add pockets. That very day I learned that Tread Bike Shop had one Ortlieb trunk bag in stock that could be modified to suit my needs. It was an older model, no longer made by Ortlieb, with colors matching my handlebar and top tube bags. I rode twelve miles to Tread Bike Shop and bought the bag.
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| Ortlieb trunk bag with no modifications |
Like my two other Ortlieb bags, the trunk bag is waterproof. In the picture above, note the flat zippered pocket on the outside of the bag. There's also such a pocket on the other side of the bag. I had Uriel remove the carrying strap.
Uriel made two large zippered outside pockets, one on each side of the bag, similar to the large zippered pocket outside the right side of the XLC bag. I bought fabric for the pockets from Guide Fabrics and zippers for the pockets from Pacific Trimming. Uriel also added two pairs of Velcro straps on the right side of the bag to hold my tent pole and stakes in their stuff sack.
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Right side of Ortlieb bag |
As you can see in the picture below, the flat zippered pockets on the outside of each side of the bag are now inside the pockets Uriel attached to the bag.
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| Flat zippered pocket inside of large outside pocket |
The trunk bag came with one 6" x 8.5" pocket inside the bag on the right side.
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I wrote to Ortlieb to ask whether they could supply me another inside pocket. They couldn't supply me a perfect match, but they did send the same type of pocket that is in my handlebar bag. Note that it includes a carabiner useful for holding keys. Uriel installed this 4"x 8" pocket inside the bag on the left side.
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| 4"x 8" pocket |
Both of the zippered pockets inside the bag will be used to keep small items separate from the other items stored in the main compartment.
The Ortlieb trunk bag has the Rack-Lock system (superseded by the Top-Lock system) which securely holds the bag to my rack. The video below shows how the Rack-Lock system works.
The Ortlieb bag with its Rack-Lock system is easier to install on, and remove from, the rack than the XLC bag which is attached with three straps and a bungee cord.
Now that I have replaced the XLC trunk bag I have published new pages Complete List of My Gear and How I Pack My Gear.
I'm grateful to Uriel Gurgov for his excellent work and for his idea to modify a bag rather than to make one from scratch. Thank you, Uriel!
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| Uriel Gurgov |
Uriel's Shoe Repair Shop
is located at 208 West 29th Street in Manhattan.
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