Apidura Expedition Tool Pack (1L)

Straight out of the packaging the Apidura Expedition Tool Pack looks almost perfect. And while it does have the odd quirk, in use that’s pretty much how it turns out. It’s almost perfect.

> Buy now: Apidura Expedition Tool Pack (1L) for £53 from Apidura

It’s amazing how many things a small, simple seatpack like this can get wrong. This Apidura avoids all of them.

Firstly, such packs obviously sit directly in the line of fire from your rear wheel, yet many aren’t waterproof – that’s great if you like rusty tools. This one is built from a tough, smooth fabric that’s seam welded, and keeps all water out.

Then there’s the zip, or lack of one. Regular zips leak for extra rust and rapidly stiffen as they gum up with wheel-flingings, and waterproof ones are inherently stiff and awkward to start with. I’ve actually had to cut through the side of a seatpack to get my stuff out before, after a zip just seized absolutely solid.

This pack uses a roll closure with a magnetic catch instead, and it’s both extremely easy to use and dependably waterproof. Fully rolled and cinched down it won’t let in a drop during anything short of actual submersion. The rolled end also means it opens to absoutely full width, which helps when stuffing tools, spares and whatever else in there.

It doesn’t hold much else, to be fair – it’s only 1L. That’s perfect for, say, a tube, levers, multi-tool and one or two CO2 cylinders, plus maybe a Buff and/or a snack. It’s also broad enough for a typically large phone. Note there’s a 0.5L version (£40) if you travel very light.

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The next common problem with seatpacks is fabric that wears through – the seat clamp bolts can dig in and eventually rub holes on top. This material is quite thick to start with, plus there’s an extra panel covering the high-wear areas against the seat, and a soft, rubbery stripe where it straps against the seatpost. It bodes well and certainly showed no wear during the test.

This pack also features plastic stiffeners top and bottom, which means it keeps its shape well and doesn’t need to be strapped madly tight to the rail in the first place.

Guess what? Strap design is another common problem area, with many packs using one long and unwieldy loop of Velcro (or off-brand equivalents), which can be awkward to thread through the saddle rails. Unbacked hook and loop tape also tends to stretch. The Expedition uses hook and loop, but it’s backed with Hypalon – the stuff they make RIBS and other inflatable boats from – and the rail attachments are short, easily manipulated tabs. They seal to each side of the pack. As a result there’s no fiddling about trying to thread a huge sticky strap back through a plastic eyelet that’s now buried up underneath the saddle. The Expedition takes seconds to install or remove.

Oh, one more thing: the magnetic buckle slides on sideways and is held there by the movement of electrons. Which is pretty fancy. And the graphics are reflective. So, it’s pretty much a perfect design, right? Yeah, pretty much.

The only small issue I had was with the closure. The fabric is stiff-ish and very slippery, so if you don’t snug the strap down right then your tightly curled end will unroll to fill whatever gap it finds. Also, when the pack is full it’s not always easy to get the buckle pulling at 90 degrees to the large pin it engages with; at too much of an angle it can slip off under minimal side pressure. I never had it undo while riding, but there were times where it felt so ready to pop undone, I wasn’t prepared to risk it.

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After some fiddling I discovered a very easy fix: if you roll the end onto the top of the pack – the opposite way to that shown in Apidura’s video – it gives the strap a nice flat approach to the buckle. Then it’s entirely secure, no matter what the tension. Also, if you keep it pretty full, the strap has something to squeeze against to stop the end unrolling beneath it. To be clear it’ll never unroll far enough for anything to drop out whichever way you roll it, but it could loosen enough to spoil the water resistance.

That resistance is very good. Though Apidura says this is waterproof, you wouldn’t want to rely on it at the bottom of a river – though hopefully you’re like me and don’t ride at the bottom of a river – as there are gaps either side of the magnet that even the tightest rolling won’t seal entirely. In reality, when rolled (at least three times, Apidura says) this pack is entirely trustworthy against any amount of rain or spray.

Value

While you can easily buy similarly sized packs for less than the £53 asked here, they’re going to get a lot of things wrong which this Expedition doesn’t. This is a ‘one and done’ purchase, and for that reason – plus the useful size and the longevity promised by its build – I think it’s worth the money.

Decathlon’s Rockrider 1L Saddle Bag Easy L is a good example of cheap, and it’ll carry your stuff just fine assuming you don’t mind damp stuff, bulky looks and a zip around the bottom that means everything falls out when you undo it. Such disappointments are just £12.99 away.

The £29.99 Evoc Seat Bag Tour 1L is a more typical design with a flap at the end, but as is so often the case it has a (non-waterproof) zip and fabric that is only water repellent. Unless you live in a desert or only ride on a few nice days per year, such design and material choices are non-starters, for me anyway. Despite this they’re absolutely the default for most manufacturers, which again is why I feel Apidura’s relatively expensive offering is actually pretty good value.

Overall

This is very well designed (in the UK) and very well made (in China). It avoids the pitfalls a great many similar bags fall into only too often, and that alone – if you value dry belongings, ease of use and not having to buy replacements annoyingly often – makes it worth at least considering paying the premium. It’s an excellent bag.

> Buy now: Apidura Expedition Tool Pack (1L) for £53 from Apidura

Verdict

Very well-designed pack that’s actually waterproof enough to protect your tools – it’s worth the price

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