It’s funny how important a small bag can be to not only bikepacking trips but day rides. I have found this to be the case with the Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag. Revelate products have been a part of bikepacking kits for years, and here is a new updated product to add to your list.

Revelate’s re-designed Mountain Feedbag is highlighted with it’s one-handed open and closure system. If you never have used a bag of its kind, the convenience factor is pretty incredible. Stem bags make use of the handlebar and stem junction and can store anything from food and water, to a mirrorless camera or Dynamo accessories. Including rugged bone-shaking singletrack to dirt roads, this bag has endured the full gamut of conditions and has held up like a bikepacking bag should. 
The bag fits nicely on the bike, not too bulky, but certainly not small. It fits plenty, including a Nalgene bottle. The bag comes with three connection points to create a secure, and rather balanced fit. I often use this bag on day rides, and I never really found weight distribution to be a big issue. It might take a ride or two to get used to the weight being on one side, but once you ride with it every day, it won’t cross your mind after a week. 

The bag comes with one attached velcro strap that connects to your bar, and a detachable one wrap strap that connects two sets of daisy chains, each side comes with 3 loops to create a perfect fit on either the left or right side of the stem. I typically use the middle loop on the daisy chain with my 60mm stem, but the customization was available when we used it on other bikes, and you could even place the one wrap strap on the handlebar if you don’t have a suitable stem. The third connection point comes at the bottom of the bag to strap around the fork crown. You will find this on most stem bags and this prevents the bag from forward or backward movement. This particular connection point has an adjustable webbing strap and buckle. It’s important that this strap is tightened down enough, but not too much to inhibit the steering of the bike. This is something you will need to fine tune as you ride.

Speaking of fit and compatibility, the bag is shaped properly to fit with many handlebar bags as it comes with a rather flat back with a rounded front end. The body of the bag we tested is your notorious Revelate color scheme, black and red, with X-pac and a bright yellow interior for contrast. The outside of the bag comes with three different pouches, two side mesh pouches and one front nylon pouch. The three pouches have an elastic top to ensure the contents stay put. I find myself throwing trash or chain lube, a multi-tool or water purification tabs in this space for easy access. Inside the bag is a nice insulated layer to pad or keep contents warm or cold. 

The open and closure system seems simple enough, but after using the drawcord and grab loop thousands of times, I think it’s genius. I was a bit hesitant on the durability of the draw cord at first, but have been pleasantly surprised after tugging on it repeatedly. The unique system closes nearly all the way with a little opening on the top, so be careful using this with electronics in wet climates.  The best part is indeed the one handed open and closure. It allows you to stay in the saddle, keeping one hand on the bars while the other effortlessly opens and closes the bag. I found myself using it a lot for my Sony a6000 camera and it was especially helpful when I was looking to quickly grab my camera for a photo.

Overall, the Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag is a winner. It fit a multitude of bikes we used it on, it’s stable so long as you install it properly, comes with large and small compartments for any day or bikepacking ride, compatible with your Sweetroll or Revelate Harness, and to complete it all, it’s usability is second to none with its one handed open and closure system.

Head over to RevelateDesigns.com for more information. The bag comes in at 101 grams and comes in 5 different colors at $49.00.


Want to meet the man behind Revelate Designs?  Come hear him talk about his revolutionary concepts and designs at the Bikepacking Summit this September in Golden, Colorado. 

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