Brooks Scape Seat Bag

The Brooks Scape Seat Bag, from its latest bike luggage range, is a beautiful bit of kit. Top quality materials have been used to not only make sure it looks the part, but also that it is functional, durable and waterproof. For the money it's not the biggest pack out there, though.

Seat packs like this tend to come in two styles: a large bag that straps to your seatpost and saddle rails, or, like the Scape, a holster that fits to the bike which you then use to carry a dry bag.

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This holster style allows you to remove the bag without having to keep faffing with clips and straps to attach it to your saddle and seatpost, making it ideal if you want to take your stuff with you into a shop or café while leaving your bike parked up outside.

For stability the Scape uses two Velcro straps around the seatpost and a clamp system attached to nylon webbing which wraps around the holster and the saddle rails. When loaded there is a small amount of sway, but on the whole it's a very sturdy setup.

The holster material is hugely tough and hardwearing. It's been battered by the elements and covered in mud with no ill effects. If the front section that sits near the seatpost gets full of water there is a drainage hole in place to get rid of it – a nice touch.

The top panel has various loops, a daisy chain, which allows plenty of adjustment when using the strap that secures the dry bag, and also means you can add various bags from Brooks' line-up.

On that strap there are also two loops to attach a rear light. Most bags like this will cover your entire seatpost length so that's very important.

The dry bag is constructed from 420D nylon with fully welded seams, and I found the waterproofing great, both out on the trail and when giving it a shower with the hosepipe out on the drive.

Overall capacity is 8 litres, which isn't as big as the likes of Restrap's slightly cheaper offering at 14 litres.

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I could still fit in a lightweight sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping mat and pillow, large titanium mug filled with stove, utensils etc and a gas canister. Various small bits of clothing could be shoved into the little nooks and crannies too.

That would leave enough space to roll the end of the dry bag over a couple of times to seal it, with excess air squeezed out through the pressure valve to make the bag as compact as possible.

One thing to bear in mind is that the weight limit for the Scape is just 3kg.

The overall quality of the Scape Seat Bag is top notch and that goes a long way to explain the £120 price tag.

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The Restrap I mentioned earlier is slightly cheaper at £109.99 and you are getting an extra 6 litres of storage; Restrap also does an 8-litre version for £104.99.

I recently tested the Zefal Z Adventure R17 seat pack and was very impressed. It doesn't use a holster/dry bag design, it's just a bag you attach to the bike. It has 17 litres of space, though, and costs just £69.99. I managed to get the whole of my sleeping stuff in it, including a one-man tent.

Conclusion

Overall, the Scape Seat Bag is definitely up there with the best when it comes to the quality and I like the attention to detail. The materials are tough, so it'll retain its new look for a long time to come, and you can rely on it to keep your kit dry. It is priced right at the top end, though, and you can get more packing space for less cash if that's what you need.

Verdict

Top quality seat pack with great waterproofing and attention to detail, though you're paying a premium price