Topeak BackLoader 10L seat pack

It's likely that a saddle bag is the first bit of kit you're going to look at buying if you want to get into bikepacking or light touring, and Topeak's BackLoader would be a good investment. It's a versatile piece of luggage that will serve you well when attached to a racing, commuting, touring or mountain bike.

The BackLoader is really easy to use and its simple hook and loop attachment helps to keep weight down. It has its cons, but is certainly worth considering for a credit card tour or the like.

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The BackLoader is available in two different sizes: 6 litres or 10 litres. Both will take a maximum load of 5kg. I got to test the larger capacity version. Other than 'lightweight, polyethylene/nylon construction', Topeak doesn't say a lot about the materials used to make the bag on either the packaging or its website, but it feels and looks very robust.

Mounting

Mounting the pack is exceptionally quick and easy: one wide Velcro strap around the seatpost and two buckles passing out either side of the saddle rails that attach to female counterparts coming from under the pack. I tested it on three different bikes: a carbon road bike (with an aero seatpost), a touring road bike (30.9mm diameter) and a mountain bike (27.2mm diameter). The wide Velcro strap fitted well on all three. There is a generous strip of soft Velcro on the bag itself to ensure that any excess strap does not flap about.

All three bikes have roughly 10cm of seatpost showing (from the top of the seat tube to the bend in the post). Passing the buckles through the saddle rails was a little fiddly first time round but you soon develop the knack, and once it was mounted I never removed the pack during a trip anyway.

The saddle rail straps also provide girth compression for the pack once it has been stuffed full. They are easily loosened to aid repacking. Some kind of inner packing – a dry bag invariably (Topeak provides one) – is an ideal setup so that you can simply unroll the BackLoader and pull out your kit. The two pairs of straps (saddle mounting and roll closure) are connected to their counterparts with side release buckles; once pulled tight, a clip then snaps over to guarantee that there is no loosening. After long days of riding the straps hadn't loosened at all – impressive really.

Filling space

The waterproof stuffsack provided with the pack features a bleed valve to compress it down to the smallest package possible, making it easier to get it back into the main bag. This is a great added feature, but I quickly discovered that the stuffsack is almost cylindrical while the BackLoader itself is more conical; there is a whole load of unused space left to fill if you want to pack efficiently – like any avid bikepacker does.

The base of the BackLoader is reinforced with a rigid piece of plastic so if you are going to maximise space you need to use more than just the supplied stuffsack. The rigid plastic was not a point scorer for Topeak; it forces you to make your kit mould to the bag rather than the easier option of making the bag mould/compress to your kit.

If you choose not to use up the space, the elastic cords can be used to compress the pack to a satisfactory level. It is effective, though not to the level of Ortlieb's Seat Pack which features an exterior purge valve.

I trialled different setups to make use of the space – extra stuffsacks around the main one, one bigger stuffsack, and no stuffsack at all, varying it depending upon the type of trip I was doing and the weather conditions. All had their pros and cons.

Ultimately, the stuffsack provided is not an ideal shape for the BackLoader so be prepared to buy some additional smaller ones, one larger one, or be inventive if you are trying to really maximise the space. Pack smartly and you will get loads of kit in there.

For several weeks I used the pack for commuting, and the supplied dry bag made life very easy and I really didn't worry about packing efficiently.

Strap and go

Topeak's extra wide seatpost strap is an alternative to many other manufacturers' two-strap systems (for example the Alpkit Koala or the Apidura Saddle Pack). The obvious advantage to having two straps is that if one fails or comes loose the other is a back-up until you can reattach or repair, though I never once had an issue with the single strap coming loose and it seems very robust.

The straps that extend from the roll closure clip to those coming from the side of the pack pull as tight as required to compress the length of the pack before clamping shut. These straps also pull taut against side pockets. Because of the angle that the bag sits at, the pockets are pretty useless for anything but perhaps a protected map – I found that small or weighty items would simply fall out.

Swings and...

The no-hassle attachment and minimal weight unfortunately come at a small cost: the bag is not completely stable. The pack swings a little when you are out of the saddle or on rough terrain. If you are looking for a rigid saddle pack then you will have to compromise on the weight stakes and go for something like the Specialized Burra Burra or Caradice Carradry which use clamp systems rather than hooks and loops.

When I used it on my carbon road bike the movement was quite noticeable and it altered the bike's handling. On my heavier road touring bike it was less obvious. It swayed a little on rough off-road terrain. All of this motion was strange at first but, just like putting panniers on your bike, you soon become used to your bike's 'new feeling'. I wouldn't slate Topeak too much for this; if you load up any similarly designed bikepacking saddle bag to its maximum weight limit you will experience some degree of movement.

> Beginner's guide to carrying stuff on your bike

The BackLoader is a streamlined design. It looks good on the bike and I personally had no issues with my legs brushing against it, though ultimately this would depend on the saddle/seatpost setup and your position on the saddle.

Value-wise the BackLoader scores well too – of those I've already mentioned here, the Carradice Carradry is closest in price at £75, while the Ortlieb Seat-Pack is £110 and the Specialized Burra Burra £125. You can find them all cheaper than RRP online, of course, but you can also find the BackLoader cheaper than RRP too...

Topeak's claim of water resistance is genuine – light rain just beads up and rolls off the bag. Prolonged heavy rain eventually penetrates and if you are using the pack without a mudguard you definitely need to put your kit in a dry bag. The BackLoader does act as a great mudguard if you don't have one, and it brushes clean really easily once dried out.

As with virtually all bikepacking saddle bags, potential mounting positions for a rear light become limited. Topeak has incorporated several possible mounting slots on its pack so that there is always space to clip on a light however full the bag is. You need to use a light with an attachment that will slide onto one of the slots. There is a noticeable absence of reflective material, so having a light that will mount is pretty important if you are planning on using the pack all year round in all conditions.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed making use of the BackLoader for commuting and short, light road touring trips. I would say that it is perfect for a one or two-day credit card tour when very little kit is needed and you want to keep things simple without a rack and panniers. Team it with a frame pack and handlebar pack for a more adventurous bikepacking expedition. Topeak has produced a competitively priced, robust piece of kit that functions very well and will certainly stand up to plenty of use.

Verdict

Perfect for light touring and bikepacking, it's exceptionally easy to mount, unload and repack, but buy spare drybags