wolfman rolie's or Giant loop? I'm torn.

[mtbiker]

I have the GL coyote bag and i've been extremely satisfied with it. I rode in the pouring rain for several hours with it on the back of my Drz400 and it didn't leak a drop! It's easy to put on/ take off the bike and it fits all of the bikes that I own. The best part is I didn't have to buy expensive racks!!!

[dondesmo]

I have the GL Basin on a '92 Yamaha TDM 850. I rode from Seattle to Osoyoos last weekend and it rained from Seattle to Wenatchee which is approx. 150 miles and everything stayed dry, although it wasn't raining hard. We did some off roading in Canada on fairly rough dirt and rocky roads and the bag was very stable and I couldn't tell it was on the bike. It has pouches for the bottom of both legs and when loaded with tools it keeps the weight down low. I am happy with the bag.

[Sparrowhawk]

I've been using the GL Coyote for a couple of years and it works great. When you are riding you don't even notice it is there. While not technically waterproof, I've ridden in wet conditions and never had noticeable leakage.


Rollies look like a good solution because they are really water prooof and would be handier in camp because the bags come off the bike and you can put them next to your tent or wherever and everything will be dry. The downside is that they are smaller (3Xmediums vs 1 Coyote) so you really have to pack small to get everything in.

On the other hand, you can make the Coyotes just as waterproof by using something like these as an inner bag with the stuff sacks that come with the GL.


http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/ac...y-sack-1l.html

Then you get all the advantages of the Rollies, double protection from moisture and abrasion, and a little more volume.

[tgeliot]

Originally Posted by kclark

I use the GL Great Basin and a generic role up waterproof bag. That is all I need for multi day trips. If I can't fit it in those 2 bags I don't need it.

Does that include camping equipment -- tent, sleeping bag, stove, etc.?

[BoerSchoeman]

Originally Posted by tgeliot

Yikes! I'm glad you didn't have a broken ankle!

....and you think you were glad...

[kclark]

Originally Posted by derrickbwg

Don't take this as me giving you a hard time, but that's just not an acceptable solution for me. It's not always raining when I start out on a ride so it would require that EVERY time I loaded up I'd have to put everything I didn't want getting wet inside a garbage bag before the ride or stop when it starts raining to do the same. That's a pretty lame requirement for luggage that costs $300-$450. I love the design/shape of the GL and I'm hoping they make a product in the future that is welded instead of sewn. I'd be willing to give up the ease of use of the zipper for a design that's more tedious to open but waterproof. If they don't do it soon I'm sure someone else will.

I understand what you're looking for and don't feel like the request is unreasonable. To me placing my items in a plastic bag is routine. I don't believe you will find a soft luggage that will be waterproof in all weather conditions. Although I don't have experience with the Wolfmann luggage, I do have years of experience with soft bags of many designs in inclement weather (Military, Hunting, Backpacking, Motorcycling...etc). I've always had to line the bag with some form of waterproof bag...the cheapest option being large plastic trash bags. I think hard luggage with an o-ring seal will be the only way to acheive the desired waterproof level, but that's definately more expensive than a GL and a plastic bag.

And just to clarify, when I say waterproof I really mean water resistent.

[kclark]

Originally Posted by tgeliot

Does that include camping equipment -- tent, sleeping bag, stove, etc.?

Absolutely.

I find most people pack too much clothes, which takes up alot of room. Beyond clothes, I carry food, spare tools, oil, backpacking stove & 2 butane cans, sleeping bag, tent, tow rope, wet weather gear, toiletries, gps & compass/map and camera gear.

If you want I could post a picture of my load out.

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by kclark

I don't believe you will find a soft luggage that will be waterproof in all weather conditions.

My Cabelas boundary waters bag has been sealed with nothing but air and has been sitting here on the floor for a couple weeks. You can sit on it as if it were a blow up beanbag chair.

The reason the Kriega bags are so waterproof is because they are essentially a drybag inside an outer bag. It's the inner drybag that is velcroed in place that keeps water out and the outer tough cordura is what keeps it solid and in one piece.

[CamelBurgers]

In case you haven't yet made up your mind, I'll vouch for the Wolfman Rollies.

They are UBER Waterproof. In a typical (two-up) setup, I use the dual ended duffle for camp stools, sleeping bags, towels, etc, and I use a small rollie tied over the right cylinder (using a wunderlich universal mount on the crash bar) for 2 1L primus fuel canisters carrying camp stove fuel and motor oil. They both do the job, and I was especially impressed with the small rollie, which kept the canisters dry even in rain and heavy (soaking) mountain fog conditions, and it was tied very low on the bike, which takes all of the road spray from the front tire. (And I had the roll top facing forward, so it took the full force of the water.)

[fbj913]

I am waiting for my expedition bags to arrive so I used my large rollie bags this weekend for a quick 2 day ride. It worked out perfect!

[VikB]

Originally Posted by kclark

I don't believe you will find a soft luggage that will be waterproof in all weather conditions.

Ortlieb MC panniers can be thrown in a river - they'll stay dry and float. Same with their waterproof duffel bags. Making soft luggage 100% waterproof is easy - seal or weld the seams and use a waterproof closure.

[rtadlock]

Originally Posted by kclark

I understand what you're looking for and don't feel like the request is unreasonable. To me placing my items in a plastic bag is routine. I don't believe you will find a soft luggage that will be waterproof in all weather conditions. Although I don't have experience with the Wolfmann luggage, I do have years of experience with soft bags of many designs in inclement weather (Military, Hunting, Backpacking, Motorcycling...etc). I've always had to line the bag with some form of waterproof bag...the cheapest option being large plastic trash bags. I think hard luggage with an o-ring seal will be the only way to acheive the desired waterproof level, but that's definately more expensive than a GL and a plastic bag.

And just to clarify, when I say waterproof I really mean water resistent.

My Wolfman expedition bag is absolutely waterproof. I'd throw it in the river with all my stuff in it even. It's that waterproof. I've ridden in driving rain for hours, let it sit in the back of my truck overnight while it pored rain, and I leave it outside my tent every time I camp because I know it's waterproof. It has the same construction and design as a roll top dry bag used for kayaking/rafting. If you wear a hole in it or something, that's a different story, but I've got 5k miles of good hard riding on mine (Moab and the Continential Divide included) and not a single drop has been inside.

YMMV.

Disclaimer: I am friend's with Eric @ Wolfman but I'd give his stuff the same review even if I didn't drink beers with him from time to time. I've not used GL or any other bag, I'm just talking specifically to my experiences with a certain bag.

[killurtv]

I have had the Giant Loop Great Basin bag 3 years now, I really can not imagine a finer piece of motorcycle luggage. The ease of these things is such a big thing for me, one bag on, one bag off. As far as the water proof goes, Seam seal it and now the newer bags have a storm flap over the zipper to keep water out. Also by positioning the zipper pulls up out of the way of wheel spray ( I keep mine in the middle top of the zipper) you can protect the zipper even further. I can not say enough about these bags, they are in my opinion unmatched in quality and ease of use.

[kclark]

I would still caution you guys to place your items in a dry bag, ziploc bag, etc.. inside of them.

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by kclark

I would still caution you guys to place your items in a dry bag, ziploc bag, etc.. inside of them.

If we had to double bag it to keep stuff dry then spending a dime on anything from wolfman or otherwise claimed waterproof MC luggage would be a waste of money. We'd all be using $5 duffel bags from Walmart.