Kriega USA Luggage Q&A

[pechorin75]

Michael,

Thank you very much for the helpful info....I'll give it another shot and see how it goes. Didn't mean to be negative; just got a bit frustrated (and I wasn't thinking I'd have to use the alternate means of attachment on the rear--though obviously I will).

On the tankbag adaptor, I'd actually tried threading the clips through, but I'd attached them to loops on the bottom of the bag, rather than the straps themselves. Your solution seems like it would work better.

Thanks

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by pechorin75

Michael,

Thank you very much for the helpful info....I'll give it another shot and see how it goes. Didn't mean to be negative; just got a bit frustrated (and I wasn't thinking I'd have to use the alternate means of attachment on the rear--though obviously I will).

On the tankbag adaptor, I'd actually tried threading the clips through, but I'd attached them to loops on the bottom of the bag, rather than the straps themselves. Your solution seems like it would work better.

Thanks

No worries, mate! That's what I'm here for

Just want you to be 100% happy with your gear.


Cheers,



Michael

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by team ftb

OK going to give the Overlander 30 a try along with a couple pull straps for the bike.

A question on packs.

I have used hiking packs due to the suspension of the pack and its ability to handle the load effectively. Kriega has got a different take on this system and not quite sure it makes sense to me but willing to give it a shot.

Here's what I need to replace:




A 25 liter pack that carries 3 liters of fluids, 11" laptop, and the rest of the stuff.

A feature I enjoy in my various packs is multiple storage compartments to keep me organized without having to dig through 25 liters of stuff looking for things.

*passport and bike paperwork in one location (handy for border crossings)
* insulin, needles and glucose meter in separate compartment
* wads of cash in secret compartment hidden from view when digging inside the pack
* Motion Pro multi tool and headlight in another small compartment for convenience

Rest of the stuff in the main compartment.

What would be the pack I should be looking for from Kriega? Keep in mind I'm not stuck on the 25 liter size and could trim down to a little smaller size if it works.

Thank you.

Hi mate,

Congrats on settling your luggage dilemma. You sure did your homework, so I'm convinced you won't regret opting for the Overlander 30. Thanks for trusting Kriega!

Before I throw down with my recommendation, I have a few questions for, if you don't mind:

1. How would you like your drink served, sir? I ask because the way in which the R25 and R20 (for these are the packs I'm currently oscillating between) store the reservoir and route the tube are different. Both do the job great, but the R20 was designed specifically to be fully hydration compatible (i.e. the reservoir slots into a dedicated compression sleeve against your back, with a strap to keep it upright and there are ducts in the top corners of the main compartment for the tube to be threaded through and out over your shoulder). With the R25, the reservoir is placed in the outer zip pocket (with a strap to keep it upright in there) and the tube is just fed out of the top of the zipper.
2. How important are 'organizer pockets'? Kriega packs are all essentially open in design. The ones we are talking about have a large main compartment, a small reinforced nylon / polyurethane mesh inner, a sleeve against the back panel (in the R20 this has compression straps for the aforementioned hydration system, while in the R25 it is just a slim 'document sleeve' for papers, maps etc, but you can fit slim 15" and below laptops in it) and a zippered outer pocket . in general we tend to stay away from organizer pockets for a few reasons. One is that they involve lighter weight material and more stitching, which all has the potential to wear out over time. Another is that organizer pockets make less efficient use of space (if you have a round object and a square organizer pocket, for example, you’re screwed). This is based on military packing principals – and those boys know how to carry a lot of gear in minimal space! For organization we have the Kube 1 and Kube 4 laptop case (works as a general storage pod too!), or recommend other stuff sacks / pods etc from outdoors stores etc to separate things. For passports, cash and papers etc, we have the Stash, made especially for that job. And funnily enough, I have had a customer contact me to say it works great for his insulin equipment too! The Kube Pocket is invaluable too...

Kube 1:



Kube 4:



Stash:

Kube Pocket on R25:



So, if hydration is a key function for you, the R20 might be the way to go. However, based on what you need to carry, it does look like you would need the R25's 25-liter (with Kriega gear, the number in the name always denotes the capacity in liters) size. The heavier duty R25 harness might also be good too.

Usually I recommend the smaller R15 /R20 for off-road riding, but - based on the pack you have been using - I am sure you would be fine with the R25. More than fine in fact - the way Kriega packs distribute the weight and enable total freedom of movement, not to mention easy on and off, will be a revelation after riding with a hiking backpack!

But if you were to go for the R20 for the reasons stated above, I would supplement its 20 liter capacity with either a US-5 or US-10. Probably the 5.

Oh yeah! And there's always these if you go for the R20, which is short enough to wear one with. Great for stuff you want to keep very close.

R3:


R8 (with removable tool roll):



Let me know your thoughts / comments.


Cheers,


Michael

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by team ftb

I'm goona give the OL 30 a try thanks to the brainwashing (by you and others) of this thread.

Red thing is a Sven Saw





Fits in the packs avalanche probe pocket perfectly and zips shut. Pefect for getting rid of nagging wives and GF's.

P.S. Cool tool!

... And I prefer the term 'enthusiasm' to 'brainwashing'. Mind you, I suppose brainwashing isn't such a bad thing, as long as your grey matter is actually fresh and clean once it's done!

[traveltoad]

Once again, Michael prooves why he is Mr. Kriega.

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by traveltoad

Once again, Michael prooves why he is Mr. Kriega.

That's what Mrs. Kriega said!

[gots_a_sol]

Is there some kind of key ring/clip in the Hydro-3 that I am blind to? Considering I never noticed the strap in my R25 for the hydration bladder (it is just a buckle in mine?), it is entirely possible I just don't see it somewhere


One of the things I liked about my old camelbak was not worrying if my keys were going to randomly fall out while digging around in the pocket. It isn't enough of a concern to go back to it though

[Droptarotter]

Ready for the RTW trip;

US10 on the tank.....US20 on the tail and OV30 on the sides.............
















It might be better with a US5 on the tank and the US10 on the tail??

It's nice that I have a few options.



Cheers

[traveltoad]

Is there a bike under there?

[Droptarotter]

Originally Posted by traveltoad

Is there a bike under there?

Yeah............I usually just put the Hodaka inside my US20 and strap it to the back rack of my KTM 640!

Cheers

[team ftb]

Originally Posted by amanlikemike

Hi mate,

Congrats on settling your luggage dilemma. You sure did your homework, so I'm convinced you won't regret opting for the Overlander 30. Thanks for trusting Kriega!

Before I throw down with my recommendation, I have a few questions for, if you don't mind:

1. How would you like your drink served, sir? I ask because the way in which the R25 and R20 (for these are the packs I'm currently oscillating between) store the reservoir and route the tube are different. Both do the job great, but the R20 was designed specifically to be fully hydration compatible (i.e. the reservoir slots into a dedicated compression sleeve against your back, with a strap to keep it upright and there are ducts in the top corners of the main compartment for the tube to be threaded through and out over your shoulder). With the R25, the reservoir is placed in the outer zip pocket (with a strap to keep it upright in there) and the tube is just fed out of the top of the zipper.
2. How important are 'organizer pockets'? Kriega packs are all essentially open in design. The ones we are talking about have a large main compartment, a small reinforced nylon / polyurethane mesh inner, a sleeve against the back panel (in the R20 this has compression straps for the aforementioned hydration system, while in the R25 it is just a slim 'document sleeve' for papers, maps etc, but you can fit slim 15" and below laptops in it) and a zippered outer pocket . in general we tend to stay away from organizer pockets for a few reasons. One is that they involve lighter weight material and more stitching, which all has the potential to wear out over time. Another is that organizer pockets make less efficient use of space (if you have a round object and a square organizer pocket, for example, you’re screwed). This is based on military packing principals – and those boys know how to carry a lot of gear in minimal space! For organization we have the Kube 1 and Kube 4 laptop case (works as a general storage pod too!), or recommend other stuff sacks / pods etc from outdoors stores etc to separate things. For passports, cash and papers etc, we have the Stash, made especially for that job. And funnily enough, I have had a customer contact me to say it works great for his insulin equipment too! The Kube Pocket is invaluable too...

Kube 1:



Kube 4:



Stash:

Kube Pocket on R25:



So, if hydration is a key function for you, the R20 might be the way to go. However, based on what you need to carry, it does look like you would need the R25's 25-liter (with Kriega gear, the number in the name always denotes the capacity in liters) size. The heavier duty R25 harness might also be good too.

Usually I recommend the smaller R15 /R20 for off-road riding, but - based on the pack you have been using - I am sure you would be fine with the R25. More than fine in fact - the way Kriega packs distribute the weight and enable total freedom of movement, not to mention easy on and off, will be a revelation after riding with a hiking backpack!

But if you were to go for the R20 for the reasons stated above, I would supplement its 20 liter capacity with either a US-5 or US-10. Probably the 5.

Oh yeah! And there's always these if you go for the R20, which is short enough to wear one with. Great for stuff you want to keep very close.

R3:


R8 (with removable tool roll):



Let me know your thoughts / comments.


Cheers,


Michael

Thanks for the details Mike. I understand Kriegas view of pockets, they just make life easy on me and if going Kriega I just have to adapt. I do most of my riding in Southeast Asia and heat is ever present so a full 3 liters of fluids is always in whatever pack I have. The idea of having the weight of the 3 liter bladder packed into a pocket that is hung outside of the axis of the body (off the spine) like I'm thinking the R25 is designed does not interest me. If I'm mistaken about the location of the water bladder of the R25 please correct me.

The R20 then would be a better choice assuming i could get my goods loaded into it properly. Soooooooooooooo a couple questions. How much room is left in the R20 once a full 3 liter bladder is installed and a 13 X 9 X 1 laptop do you think? Is it a true 6" depth the full length of the pack or does it taper a lot? Another option you mentioned is adding a R3 below the pack, Would this work for someone with a torso measurement (from the top of the hip bone to the top of my trapezoid) of only 17"?

If an US 5 is attached, is access to the side zip pocket still possible?

I would order the R25 without a doubt for the bomber suspension set-up if it had a hydration sleeve. Why Kriega chose to omit such a basic feature I'm not sure. OK now onto another potential mod of mine of a Kreiga product. Is there any reason why I could not use the sleeve in the R25 for a hydration bladder and then punch a port through the top of the pack for the hydration tube? Tell me why this would be a poor idea?

Again thanks for your time.

[Balkan Boy]

Since we are all in the mood for sharing, here are some pictures of R25.
My first complaint about it was for lack of pockets and compartments, but I adapted.
It's also a bit heavy - 1500g empty.

FTB,
Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the size.
I think the size is just right.

13'' laptop with a pair of gloves for reference.
This one will not fit in the sleeve.




With the 2l bladder (puffy one) and a pair of gloves. A lot of room left.
There is a hook to tether the bladder or some other load, but everything stays in place when you compress it with outside straps.
You can thread the the water hose trough one of the metal rings in the front. Works well enough. A new hole on the top of the pack would be nice, though.




Same load compressed down.



This pack has a thick foam padding in the back (and a sort of plastic spine that gives it rigidity). So you'll get hot wearing it. Really hot if you wear a back protector. Chest harness also restricts air flow and cooling.




Pack hangs pretty low on your back. Depending on your hight it may interfere with aggressive off road riding. I'm 190cm and it's about right.

[bill1960]

Question for those using the Hydro-3 with no addons like the US5 or Kube

In the advertised 1 liter storage space, what are you carrying.

I'm just after some real world ideas on what can actually fit in the storage space when the 3 liter bladder is full

[gots_a_sol]

Originally Posted by bill1960

Question for those using the Hydro-3 with no addons like the US5 or Kube

In the advertised 1 liter storage space, what are you carrying.

I'm just after some real world ideas on what can actually fit in the storage space when the 3 liter bladder is full

It is actually surprisingly roomy.

I carry a small pelican case with my gopro batteries and memory cards, keys to my truck, and some snack bars. I can put my gopro in there too and still have some room left for small stuff.

I shoved a 30 oz MSR fuel bottle in there before also, but I only had the bladder about 2/3 full.



And for shits and giggles, US-5 as a number plate bag. Main purpose was to hold the batteries for my light (they are in the mesh back pocket)

[bill1960]

Originally Posted by gots_a_sol

It is actually surprisingly roomy.

I carry a small pelican case with my gopro batteries and memory cards, keys to my truck, and some snack bars. I can put my gopro in there too and still have some room left for small stuff.

I shoved a 30 oz MSR fuel bottle in there before also, but I only had the bladder about 2/3 full.



And for shits and giggles, US-5 as a number plate bag. Main purpose was to hold the batteries for my light (they are in the mesh back pocket)

Thx for the feedback
I'd be looking to carry a light rainjacket in there.
Seems like it should fit going by your post.