Apidura Backcountry Handlebar Pack vs Restrap Bar Bag Holster + Dry Bag
Two handlebar bags, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The Backcountry Handlebar Pack takes capacity; the Bar Bag Holster + Dry Bag takes bar width, weight and price. Which of those you care about depends on the frame you are fitting it to.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.
Where they differ
4 of the 5 things we can measure come out differently.
Capacity
6L more in the Backcountry Handlebar PackThe maker's own figure. Worth reading alongside the dimensions below rather than on its own — two bags of the same litreage can want very different frames.
Width across the ends
2cm narrower on the Bar Bag Holster + Dry BagBar bags are sold on litres and fitted on width. The figure beside each is the narrowest bar it clears with usable room either side for cables and levers — on drop bars that is what rules a bag in or out.
Weight
25g lighter on the Bar Bag Holster + Dry BagEmpty weight as published. Worth holding against capacity rather than alone — the lighter bag is not the better one if it carries a third less.
Price
$55 between themManufacturer's price as we hold it.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| Apidura Backcountry Handlebar Pack | Restrap Bar Bag Holster + Dry Bag | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 20L | 14L |
| Width across the ends | 50cm — needs a 56cm bar | 48cm — needs a 54cm bar |
| Weight | 320g | 295g |
| Price | $165 | $110 |
| Per litre | $8.25 | $7.86 |