Kokopelli Durango Bikepacking Bags Review: For Pedaling and Paddling

Teased last year, the new Kokopelli Durango Bikepacking Bags consist of a complete lineup of on-bike storage designed specifically for bikerafting and wet conditions. All of the bags are either highly water resistant or 100% waterproof and feature welded seams, heavy-duty fabrics, and unique features that address the challenges of riding with with a packraft and paddles. Although I’ve just started to dip my toes into the world of bikerafting, I can already see an opportunities for better ways to carry the required gear, and it’s great to see a packraft brand rise to the challenge.

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Kokopelli Durango Handlebar Bag and Harness

One hurdle of fitting a packraft setup on a bike is figuring out where to tuck your paddle. Four-piece paddles collapse down the smallest, but the paddle blades are big and awkward to carry, so we normally see them ending up in a backpack or lazily strapped on a rack. The Durango Handlebar Bag and Harness addresses this with two integrated paddle sleeves for carrying four-piece paddles and a simple harness system for carrying a rolled up packraft or any other cylindrical gear.

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The Durango Handlebar Bag uses two FidLock Magnetic Stealth V-Buckles to safely secure all gear in the harness, webbing straps with foam spacers to attach the system to the bars and head tube, and includes a 100% waterproof double-ended roll-top dry bag to keep gear dry and protected.

After a few rides, the integrated paddle sleeves and straps have proven really useful, and they hold the paddles solidly in place over rough terrain. The main FidLock straps also hold tight and are quick to attach/detach, and they are long enough to easily accommodate a packraft. For reference, that’s the Kokopelli Rogue R-Deck pictured in my photos. With the paddles and raft secured in the dry bag, the load ended up sitting around 12″ (30cm) below the handlebar, which means front tire clearance could be an issue for some frames. On more recent rides, I made sure to roll my raft tighter and wider to increase the room between the bottom of the harness and the front tire. I’ve also noticed the handlebar straps loosening slightly after some riding since they are standard ladder-lock buckles. It would have been nice to see the fully locking variety to properly accommodate a heavy raft.

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I’ve found the Durango Handlebar Harness to be the most impressive piece of kit in the series. Kokopelli set out to provide bags that solve issues specific to biking with a packraft, and the harness addresses the challenge of packing a four-piece paddle. It’s heavy, maybe too heavy, but overall it does a great job and carrying a raft and paddle, as long as the raft rolled tight enough.

• Capacity: 20L
• Material: 210d coated nylon (bag), 420d double-sided 0.6mm TPU nylon (harness)
• Weight: 311 grams (bag), 651 grams (harness)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $109 USD
• Manufacturer’s Details: Kokopelli.com

Kokopelli Durango Seat Post Bag

The Durango Seat Post Bag is 100% waterproof and uses a unique magnetic FidLock quick-connect base for easy removal. There are removable PE stiffeners in the base of the bag, upper and lower compression straps, a Hypalon grab handle, reflective detailing, and bungees on top for strapping gear onto. The saddle rail straps velcro into place and then clip onto the sides of the bag, allowing the saddle strap portion to stay on the bike when removing the saddle bag. This has proven to be quite useful when stashing gear inside the pontoons of the raft, and it makes removing and installing the seat post bag a cinch.

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The Durango Seat Post Bag is by far the heaviest seat bag I’ve used. It’s a beast of a bag made from a durable 420-denier double-sided TPU fabric, weighing in at a pound and a half with the optional stiffener installed. The magnetic FidLock quick connect attachment is nifty and quick to use, but the entire bag has a tendency to sway back and fourth due to the rigidity of the Fidlock mechanism against the bag. It also requires around five inches of exposed seat post and a touch more to clear the rear tire, making it rather chunky.

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That said, the Durango Seat Post Bag feels very durable. With a few rolls of the main closure, I’d trust the contents to stay dry even after a tumble down a river or complete submersion in a lake. I’m not totally sold on the Fidlock integration, and I wish there was a proper saddle rail stabilizer—similar to what we’ve seen from WOHO, Bedrock Bags, and Ortlieb—but it’s massive, quick to install/remove between pedaling and paddling, and costs $99, which is pretty good.

• Capacity: 10L
• Material: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
• Weight: 680 grams
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $99 USD
• Manufacturer’s Details: Kokopelli.com

Kokopelli Durango Frame Bag

The Durango Frame Bag is 100% waterproof thanks to its fully welded seams, airtight construction, and waterproof TruZip zipper on the main compartment. It’s made from a 420-denier double-sided TPU fabric, and the zipper uses a toothless, self-healing design that will hold up to years of use with dirt and grime, according to Kokopelli. It features exterior Hypalon daisy chains and removable straps, a non-drive-side map pocket with a YKK urethane coated zipper, and interior velcro baffles to keep things from bulging out while riding.

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I appreciate Kokpelli getting the shape right for a universal-fit frame bag, and the fact that it comes in three sizes and has adjustable straps is also promising. It seems to fit bikes with slightly sloping top tube the best. The TruZip zipper is harder to operate than a traditional zipper, but it’s waterproof, made in the USA, and easily maintained by cleaning and lubricating regularly. My only complaint would be that it feels a little narrow at 2.5″ wide and the fabric/zipper combination doesn’t provide much stretch when trying to stuff extra gear in. But, with a detachable interior divider, it can be expanded slightly when needed. I also like how their velcro straps also stick to the frame bag itself, so while they are removable, they won’t get lost when removing the bag from the bike if doing so is required for paddling.

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• Capacity: 3L (SM), 4.5L (M), 6L (LG)
• Material: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
• Weight: 283 grams (SM), 340 grams (MD), 396 grams (LG)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $89 USD
• Manufacturer’s Details: Kokopelli.com

Kokopelli Durango Top Tube Bag

The Durango Top Tube Bag uses the same magnetic quick-connect FidLock attachment as the saddle bag. The base straps onto your top tube and the main bag clicks firmly into place thanks to a strong mechanical/magnet attachment. There is an additional steerer tube strap for extra stability, and the entire bag can be removed from the base with a quick twist. The bag uses a waterproof TruZip zipper and has fully welded seams, making it 100% waterproof and airtight. There’s also a clear waterproof phone pocket on the top of the bag with a touchscreen-friendly window that allows you to use your phone without removing it from the bag.

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Like the rest of the lineup, the Durango Top Tube Bag is well-built and solid feeling. While I don’t normally ride with my phone on display, I could see this being really handy for anyone who navigates with their phone. My iPhone 13 with a case installed easily slipped into the phone pocket and was easy to use through the clear screen. The TruZip zipper requires more force than traditional zippers but it runs smooth, and there are a few points on the bag to grab while opening and closing. Having the magnetic quick-release base might seem slightly gimmicky, but I see this feature being really useful while packrafting as a way to keep your bag close by or stashed away inside the boat. It’s a big bag, which is nice, but it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t taper toward the end, as I found it was often rubbing my knees while riding. Similar to the saddle bag, the combination of the rigid Fidlock base and fabric construction makes for a somewhat floppy setup.

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• Capacity: 1.5L
• Material: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
• Weight: 170 grams (6 oz)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $89 USD
• Manufacturer’s Details: Kokopelli.com

Kokopelli Durango Feed Bag

The Durango Feed Bag is the simplest bag of the bunch but shares the same robust construction as the entire lineup. It’s made from a 420-denier TPU fabric, has two stretchy external mesh pockets, a stashable lower strap, and removable/adjustable handlebar and stem straps. There are a few different Hypalon attachment points for additional straps, a one-handed drawstring closure, and reflective detailing on two of the four sides. It’s not the biggest feed bag I’ve used, but it has just enough room for a big 64-ounce Klean Kanteen or wide-mouth Nalgene, and it has a slightly tapered profile that should leave more room for your knees while riding.

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• Capacity: 2L
• Material: 420d double-sided TPU (0.6mm) nylon
• Weight: 113 grams (4 oz)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $29 USD
• Manufacturer’s Details: Kokopelli.com

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