Soft or hard luggage ? There ’ s plenty of options available to the adventure rider , the overland traveller . We took a look at the Backcountry 35 litre pannier kit by Mosko Moto .
Extremely well made , the Backcountry 35s are an impressive kit that offers quality materials , construction , and design . Versatility is a consideration that Mosko Moto have put into the design , these are soft panniers
that offer the ease of use as that offered by a hard pannier option .
All of this comes at an extreme cost , maybe you really do pay for quality , added to this is that you need a hard rack system that the bags attach to , these are a constant on your bike , and we ’ d say they ’ re not the prettiest thing to have stuck on the rear of any bike . Amazingly the panniers don ’ t lock to these racks , in most circumstances you need to remove the bags when leaving the bike over night or for extended periods .
A positive is that when the panniers are attached to the racks they really do look the goods , the racks and panniers fit together perfectly , there ’ s no need to worry about things coming loose or dislodged . A downside to this is that the panniers and their attaching system are heavy , as much as equivalent sized aluminium boxes . Something to be considered .
Unlike many other well known brands the panniers offered by Mosko Moto are 100 % water proof and offer a number of additional packing solutions external to the bags ( these aren ’ t waterproof ), 35 litres can easily become 40 , 50 or more .
Durability is assured , our test Backcountry 35s have been through everything , on two bikes across multiple countries , even sliding down the road a few times . Yes , there ’ s scuffs plus wear and tear , yet after 30,000 kilometres of extreme
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