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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 29 May 2013
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Chris, you mention about squeezing air out on your last post. It's one of my bugbears about any waterproof roll top luggage, I always seem to get air trapped inside, admittedly more with my roll top bag than my Enduristan panniers.

To get round this I've put in a Boston valve as used in inflatable boats.



I just melted a hole the right size with a soldering iron and screwed the two parts together, no glue needed. OK so the valve is designed to keep air in, but a push on the central core lets air out as you squeeze the bag.

The other perk when installed in a roll top bag is that you can use it as a pillow, just trap air in as you close the bag and then let the correct amount out for you as you lay your weary head upon it. I've even blown extra air in my bag, stood it on end and used it as a rudimentary stool.
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  #2  
Old 15 Aug 2013
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Well, from being a happy Ortlieb saddlebags user, I'm now starting to think that something that is more field repairable would be better.
I had one of the welded seams pull apart in a low load area, possibly from the roll top closing action

It's not feasible to ship them back to Ortlieb for repair in the USA or Germany, so will have to compromise it with glue and stitching...

The dealer (Aerostich in the USA) told me to look up Ortlieb customer service, neither Ortlieb USA or Germany have responded after 4 days...

What types of seam joins do other expedition type systems use?

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  #3  
Old 15 Aug 2013
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I don't understand the problem. Can it not be stitched back together? Bit of seam sealer over the stitches and away you go.
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  #4  
Old 15 Aug 2013
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Try Aquaseal/Aquasure or SeamSeal (same thing but thinner) - all produced by McNett. Great stuff - can be all-purpose glue or a sealant and just right for smooth PVC.

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Old 15 Aug 2013
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If you choose not to sew have a good scrub with some sandpaper or scotch pad and clean up really well after. Better to see still though.
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  #6  
Old 15 Aug 2013
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I'll have a look around the outdoor shops here, to see what I can find with the seam sealer. There is only really one that would have anything imported from the USA.

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Old 16 Aug 2013
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It doesn't have to seamgrip but it would be the best. Superglie works as well. But you've highlight the problem with relying on the shell for waterproofing. A good slide down the road and you really lots waterproofing. Poly or PVC coated nylon isn't famous for abrasion resistance.

I'd get roll closure bags for the stuff that really can't get wet, like fabrics, electronics and down gear, whilst you can.
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  #8  
Old 17 Aug 2013
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Soft panniers
panniers 50+ litres mounted to racks made from lorry tilt
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Best soft panniers-dsc_0072.jpg  

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Old 17 Aug 2013
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Nice job. How's the seam constructed ?
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Old 18 Aug 2013
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Seam glued then stitched together covered with binding then sewn with 2 more rows of stitching . So far water tight,used most weekends camping etc.
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Old 19 Aug 2013
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Chris, from reading the reports of your recent US trip it appears that you tweaked your Magadans but I'm not certain how. If you've got the time could you explain what you've done?
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Old 19 Aug 2013
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Hi Alex, all I did was rivet some attachment tabs (not very well) to the two bottom inner corners to help locate the bags against a rack.
I suggested this to Walter and he said future versions may incorporate the idea even though on ASpec the rationale for not doing this was they'd rip off.
Very unlikely if it was like the rest of the sewing and the bag was held on with the horizontal strap as well.

Below; attached with an elastic 'ball bungy' to a rack. (The semi-demountable rack became part of the bag, but that's another story).

I just looked back through my SWUSA reports - what a great trip that was!
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Old 19 Aug 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
I just looked back through my SWUSA reports - what a great trip that was!
I enjoyed reading it, even if you did have a bike with too many cc's. I'm intrigued by the rack too.
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Old 14 Jan 2015
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I know this is an old thread, but I did want to add Mosko Moto soft panniers to the list.

They mount on a rack (in my case TT) with a back plate, so come off QD (handy if the bike is on its side and you need to quickly lighten it) and are made of very tough materials with a removable dry sac liner. No straps either over or under the seat- something I was keen to avoid!

I tested them on a recent trip to France and Spain and they were completely waterproof through some utterly shite weather in the UK. They are not as light as true soft panniers but are a deal lighter than ally boxes. There is no way they can burn on the pipe and no stray straps to tangle up in the wheel or whatever. Anyway, I'm pleased with them.



Handy flap for temporary storage..



No connection, justy a happy customer. One warning though- they are quite pricey for soft bags, but they are very 'technical' bags.
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  #15  
Old 14 Jan 2015
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Nice looking bags Reg. Pricey like you say but that comes with the nifty slip-on & clip-on feature. Like the baguette sleeve too - or should I call it 'beavertail' + the outside pocket + Molle straps.

Do they sell them in the UK?

Wrt my previous post above - as we all know, the latest MkII Magadans now feature lower tabs for fixing to the bike or rack to limit movement.

Used some recently in Morocco and no complaints: simple but study system.
Most nights I left the bags on and took the inners inside, but in a foreign city I can see the value of removing the bags entirely even if they're empty, to make the bike less noticeable.

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