Ortlieb Packing Cubes For Panniers

When I'm not cyclotouring, I live in a VW bus. And I'm a picky old bastard, not easily impressed, but Ortlieb did it again.

On tour, these cubes replaced an assortment of ill-fitting stuff sacks. Perfect fit means I can pack more in the same space, or pack the same stuff smaller. I tried two sets, then got four. It is easier than ever to find stuff, even in the dark. I wish I had these sooner than I did. My tent fits in one, my sleeping bag in another, and so on through the kitchen, toiletries, spares, rain gear, office, etc.

Back home in the VW, the cubes have revolutionized my organization. I have other cubes, made for suitcase travel, but they don't compare in quality or design. These stack nicely and are the right size for my merino tops and bottoms, socks, sweaters, shells, you name it. Again, I can find black clothing items in the dark.

12 similar-looking Ortlieb cubes COULD make finding stuff harder. I keep a representative item in the net pocket, identifying the contents (by feel if necessary) and sometimes offering a quick grab. I don't baby any of my gear, and these nearly weightless items look brand new after lots of use. If they were lost or stolen, I would immediately replace them.

These little zippered organizer bags seemed really expensive, but now I'm glad I bought them. They fit the shape of Ortlieb's backroller panniers exactly. No wasted space. They make packing and unpacking much faster. Also, finding that one, little item that you need mid-ride is soooo much easier. No more digging through a jumbled mess in your pannier.

Got one set of these to try out with my new panniers, and am likely to order another for the other side. The fabric, zippers, and pulls are all solid. They make unpacking the necessities after a long days ride easy, and also make it easy to unpack/repack if you need to scramble through gear during a stop.

Clothes are folded or rolled and put into their own "departments". They work for me. Also helpful to manage clean vs dirty.

Cubes allow for segregation of clothing, gear, tools, toiletries, accessories. They fit well in a variety of panniers...lightweight and functional.

When I first got the cubes, the material seemed a bit flimsy and did hold its shape. However, upon using them every day, I find they are perfect for my needs as the flexibility of the material allows me to be flexible with what I pack. The larger cube holds all of my clothing needs, the medium is for my tools, medical kit, etc, and the smallest is for snacks. Perfect! You could probably come up with your own version of pannier bags. But because these are specifically made for my Ortlieb panniers, they work better than a makeshift version.

These are made to fit the Ortlieb Roller Classic and similar sized paniers. They appear to fit perfectly. Construction is solid, with light weight material. Awaiting better weather and open campgrounds for their first trial in the wild.

I believe these will be an excellent way to segregate equipment during bike-packing week(s). We shall see.

I'll see when warmer weather allows me the opportunity to start my longer trips.