Product Reviews - Wilderness Equipment Panniers 1994

WE Panniers

The age of these panniers really tells you how good they are. I have had them for 4 years now, and they still look great. Admittadly, they havent seen that much use.

The panniers I purchased where of the Cordura fabric, but you can also get goretex waterproof ones as well, for a little extra money. Actually, speaking of money (and we are now), these are on the expensive side of pannier prices. Up around the $350aus mark from memory. I think you do get value for money though, they are very well made, tough (as a number of crashes have proven) and they have a large capacity. All the stitching is double or triple stitching and there is a piece of plywood for the base and support.

As explained earlier, the Cordura fabric is really tough and the red colour helps you to stand out. There is also a reflective strip on the back pocket for added safety. The back pocket is large enought to fit a small rainjacket, medi-kit or whatever. The straps and clips allow for a large variation in content. The straps on the top of the panniers also expand to allow more stuff to be squeezed under the straps.

The locking system is very secure, plastic clips and the old ockey strap dooda. There are straps to hld the panniers together over the rack as well. On any trip over a couple of days, take a spare clip or two, as they have a tendancy to break every now and then.

The only other downside to these panniers (other than price and those clips), is the weight. The plywood backing makes these panniers sturdy and strong, but heavy. Then again, weight isnt all that much of an issue with touring.