Just the other day the Dirt Rag staff was sitting around the kitchen table, talking about how we need to write more about personal stuff that we like. Bike stuff, music, books, whatever.

Which got me thinking about the Jandd Mountain Wedge II seat pack that I’ve been using for the last two years. Despite the fact that hydration packs have morphed into kitchen sink haulers, I prefer having a small pack of essentials strapped to my bike at all times. For one thing, it makes it impossible to forget my repair kit. And most days my “quick burn” involves dropping a water bottle in the cage, throwing a leg over the saddle, and hitting the trails for an hour and a half—without a monkey on my back. That’s liberating. And on longer, more remote rides where I run a hydration pack, having some of my kit on the bike lightens the load on my back.

Unfortunately, concurrent with the ascent of the hydration pack came the seeming decline of the seat pack. I blew through numerous flimsy seat packs that blew out zippers, sprouted holes or came apart at the seams, before I found a winner—the Jandd Mountain Wedge II. At $28.95 msrp the Mountain Wedge II may seem pricey, but it would be hard to find a cheaper pack that matches its features and quality of construction.

jandd mountain wedge ii

Too many seat packs have cheezy attachment systems that allows the pack to flop around. The Mountain Wedge II attaches securely via a 1″ wide hook-and-loop strap wraps around  the seat post, and a fat 1″ wide piece of webbing (strap) runs through the two seat rails and around the pack. A burly 1″ side-squeeze buckle on the strap holds the pack securely. And the really cool bonus: a hook-and-loop “stopper” at the bottom of the pack that secures the strap to the bottom of the pack—keeping the strap from shifting around and making the total package extra tight (see photo below).

jandd mountain wedge ii bottom

The Mountain Wedge II’s 3.5″ x 7″ x 4″ size provides plenty of room to carry all of my essentials, with a bit of extra room for “last minute” additions like keys, or a gel pack. Shown in the photo below: spare tube, three tire levers, length of spare chain, two replacement derailleur hangers for Pivot Mach 5 test bike, one universal derailleur hanger (in white plastic bag), standard patch kit (in orange plastic box), box of Park self-adhesive patches, two heavy-duty adhesive plastic patches for booting torn tire, Shimano chain pin, Crank Brothers. multi-tool with chain breaker, assorted zip ties (one wrapped with duct tape), and small adjustable wrench with handle wrapped with duct tape.

jandd mountain wedge ii

The cavernous main compartment is lined with a U-shaped HDPE stiffener that supports the pack and give it some “shape” (runs from the top, around the front where the pack attaches to the seat post, and to the bottom of the pack). A rugged, double-head zipper circles the end of the pack, allowing the entry door to hinge open, and revealing a small, flat zippered pocket in the door (pocket visible photo below). There is also a zippered exterior side pocket that is useful for isolating sharp/pointy things from the tube in the main compartment (see photo at top of page).

jandd mountain wedge ii

The Dupont Cordura material used in the pack looks and feels rugged, and so far has shown virtually no sign of wear. The zippers used in the Mountain Wedge II are burly and they’re still functioning (more than I can say about some packs that I’ve used). All of the stitching is holding tight and not unraveling. The reflective strip across the rear panel is a nice safety touch, and it can be used to clip on a blinky light.

Sure, sure, it’s only a seat pack, but kudos to Jandd for paying attention to details and getting it right. For more information on the Mountain Wedge II click on over to the Jandd website.