Swift Industries Pelican Porteur
Rear racks and panniers are the first choosing of most if for nothing other than availability and general ease of installation, but over the years I’ve learned to love front racks and baskets for most of my cargo hauling. Full touring brings out the traditional side mount panniers, but day to day it’s a backpack for the essentials and a front rack for everything else.
The Swift Industries Pelican Porteur bag is an 11” square bag made specifically to fit the CETMA 5-rail cargo rack. The 3 lb 14 oz bag has a Cordura outer and vinyl tarp interior combo to keep the elements on the outside, with a set of four clips and straps to attach to the rack. The rolltop design stands tall for overloading, with a large flap and long straps keeping everything secure. There are a few pockets for organizing pens and small items on the inside, with a single zippered outside pocket on the front. Corrugated plastic inserts in the sides to give the bag shape—while the rolltop is pliable, the body of the bag is rigid. Reflective strips, a light loop and a top-mounted clear map pocket round out the features.
Over the course of the summer months I used this bag for daily errands and an overnight camping trip, maxing out the capacity and giving it a run at how most people are using it. The capacity is more than enough for most anything I’d imagine wanting to commute with on a daily basis; my camera, laptop, lunch, and a change of clothes all fit. The weatherproofing keeps cargo dry in a downpour, enough that I wouldn’t worry about electronics in anything but a deluge you shouldn’t be riding in anyway. You can haul a fair amount of groceries home in Pelican Porteur, and the rigid sides help to protect delicate fresh cargo. The bag swallowed up my weekly CSA half-share without a problem.
While the bag is easily removed from the rack, I found myself leaving it at home for some in-town trips as I didn’t want to fuss with it at every lockup. Not an issue with longer commutes, but for running into a few different places in short order I found removing and reattaching it a burden.
Riding with a loaded front rack takes some getting used to, and is perhaps the main criticism of the Pelican Porteur bag. With such capacity it’s easy to overload the front end which can lead to unstable handing, especially to those not used to riding with weight over the front wheel.
The Swift Industries Pelican Porteur bag is a lifestyle item, as at home on the commute or the overnight tour. Everything you need for the day fits and stays dry, and the construction is up for daily abuse. The $200 asking price is on par with high-quality backpacks and other bags, especially given the Seattle construction out of a small shop of dedicated makers. www.builtbyswift.com