My panniers and my handlebar bag are both Ortlieb products. Of the riders I’ve seen so far they all rode with Ortlieb gear. It’s waterproof unless submerged and is generally thought of as some of the best touring equipment out there. One of my friends told me before I left “Ortlieb or don’t go”; I’m glad I made that choice.

I’ve had two failures with this equipment since I left. Once I sheared off a top clip on my front bag when I laid the bike down. I wasn’t surprised it broke with the amount of force that was exerted on it. I called up Ian at Ortlieb, he shipped the replacement part to a convenient location on my route. I picked up the part and replaced it; all at no charge to me. That’s right, they paid for everything even though in my opinion it was totally my fault.

Next, one of the snaps on my front bag came loose, and the rivet holding it on sheared off. This was likely due to the corrosion building on the button from the salty sea air my bike was exposed to daily. I would have preferred it was a metal rivet but regardless, Ian took care of me anyway. He shipped me a replacement snap and some extras along with some cool stickers that the trucker is now sporting. Again, all at no charge.

For the most part, the engineering is good with these products. Sure it could be better in some aspects, but it’s a good balance of weight savings and durability. I don’t care if it’s only 98% and they have warranty service like this. I have heard that they provide this same level of service regardless of your location around the globe.

Thanks again Ian and Ortlieb!