North St. Bags Roll-Top Micro Panniers: First Look and More

North St. Bags, a small company based in Portland, Oregon, is probably best known for their lifestyle backpacks, duffel bags, and panniers. Anyone who has travelled around Washington or Oregon has likely seen their products in a bike shop before. For that matter, they have dealers all across the United States, and offer international shipping through their website. North St. Bags just announced a few new products, and updated several others, the most interesting of which is the new roll-top Micro Pannier. We got our hands on the new panniers, the Fuel Pouch top tube bag, as well as the updated Tool Roll and Pioneer Hip Pack. Here’s a first look after a ride through some local trails and a stop at a new bakery.

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North St. Micro Pannier

The North St. Bags Micro Pannier is a completely new offering for the company, and shows up fashionably late to our recent list of mini panniers and small panniers, which you can check out here. Just like their other products, the Micro Pannier is made in Portland, using as many US-sourced components as possible. The new panniers fit in perfectly with the type of panniers we like to use for bikepacking, designed around a waterproof VX21 X-Pac body and simple roll-top closure. They are available in slate, black, and orange.

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With a capacity of 12L per pannier, they aren’t huge, which is great. They’re slender, lightweight, and the simple hook and elastic attachment system will fit on most racks out there. A single interior plastic panel provides some rigidity against the back of the pannier, and an exterior waterproof pocket offers a home for quick access items like maps, phones, or snacks. That’s really all that’s going on, and I think that’s why the Micro Panniers will be attractive for bikepacking. No need to complicate things. On a quick ride with Emily, the panniers stayed put both when empty and when loaded up with some bakery finds and fresh produce. I look forward to some more in depth testing, and these panniers look like they might just provide the extra space I need for some warmer layers at night.

• Model Tested North St. Micro Panniers (set)
• Capacity 12L / pannier
• Weight 396 grams (14 oz) / pannier
• Price $84.99 / pannier
• Manufacturer’s Details NorthStBags.com

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North St. Fuel Pouch

The Fuel Pouch is a simple top tube bag, new for North St. Bags, and is perhaps one of the smallest we’ve seen. The 1000-denier Cordura construction should provide good durability, yet without any kind of internal stabilization, this pint sized bag definitely lacks the structure we’ve grown to appreciate from other top tube bags. The bag ships with four velcro straps that can be rigged up in several different ways to accommodate different frames and other bags. The Fuel Pouch has a capacity of 0.7L, weighs just 2oz (for the Cordura model), and is also offered in an X-Pac version. The Fuel Pouch is available in black, orange, and grey, and can be ordered in custom colours for about $10 more.

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• Model Tested North St. Fuel Pouch
• Capacity 0.7L
• Weight 56 grams (2 oz)
• Price $39.99
• Manufacturer’s Details NorthStBags.com

North St. Pioneer Hip Pack

Although it’s not a new product for North St. Bags, the Pioneer Hip Pack has been updated to match the new fabrics available across their lineup. It’s a solid and durable feeling hip pack that can also be used as a handlebar bag by purchasing an add-on for $12.99. The waterproof zippers and oversized zipper pulls make opening and closing the bag a breeze, and a simple zippered interior pocket provides some organization. Although the removable hip strap isn’t padded, it has been updated to be more secure when riding rough terrain, and so far appears to suit light loads like small cameras, cell phones, or extra snacks.

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As of now, I’d be inclined to reserve the Pioneer Hip Pack for long day rides and all-weather commuting. I’ve pretty much entirely converted over to carrying my camera in a hip pack, but that requires a little extra padding to remain comfortable. The Pioneer Hip Pack is offered in three different sizes, and several add-ons are available, including a shoulder strap and velcro-in interior pockets. Stay tuned for a complete list of American-made hip packs, because there are quite a number of them available!

• Model Tested North St. Pioneer 9
• Capacity 2.65L
• Weight 177 grams (6.25 oz)
• Price $79.98
• Manufacturer’s Details NorthStBags.com

North St. Tool Roll

The Tool Roll hasn’t seen any big changes this year, but it was tweaked slightly to accommodate different types of saddles. The model we saw is made from VX-21 X-Pac, measures 10.5″ x 11″ open and 5″ x 3″ when closed. Pack it full of tools, your flat repair kit, and some extra change for a cold pop, then simply use the velcro strap to secure it snugly under your saddle. The standard colour options include VX21 X-Pac in Slate, Black, and orange, as well as X33 Multicam and Cordura.

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• Model Tested North St. Tool Roll
• Weight 56 grams (2 oz)
• Price $29.99
• Manufacturer’s Details NorthStBags.com