I have talked ad nauseum about my Carradice Barley bag, and so I thought it was time to review my other bag, the Sackville Trunksack. As far as I know, it is available exclusively from Rivendell, and you can read their product description here.
The Sackville Trunksack is a handsome box-shaped bag, in a dark-olive waterproof canvas with golden-brown leather trim and brass hardware. The large size is designed for the rear rack. It fits Pletscher-style racks perfectly, neither leaving portions of the rack uncovered, nor overhanging from any part of the rack. It looks great on many different types of bicycles, including the Motobecane mixte above and the Raleigh Lady's Sport on the first photo.
Here are some views of the bag. The zipper closure with two separate zippers is very convenient, as it allows you to open and close the bag from any side while remaining seated on the bicycle.
The leather flaps hide the zippers from view and prevent rain from entering.
3/4 view. The colour of the leather flap is an exact match for Brooks "honey" (pictured ont he 1st photo of the Raleigh here) and a shade lighter than the Brooks "brown" (above). The reflective strip is an extra benefit.
Rear view. The leather strap in the back is positioned perfectly for mounting a light, providing a great solution for rear lighting (if you recall, this was my only criticism of the Carradice Barley).
Close-up of the light attachment. Very secure; no wobbling or slanting even during very bumpy rides.
The complete lack of wobble is one of the biggest benefits of the Sackville Trunksack. This is achieved by the tight and precise attachment system: leather straps with snap closure.
The brass hardware is rather attractive.
Inside, the Trunksack is like a large box or chest: There are no compartments. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in the sense that you need only to open it once, and all of your stuff is immediately accessible. And it is bad in the sense that, especially if you are messy, your things will soon become jumbled due to the lack of compartments. For me, the benefits of the ease of access outweigh the drawbacks of the lack of compartments - but this is a personal preference.
My one complaint about the Sackville Trunksack, is that it has no structural support and therefore does not retain its form unless it is full. You can see that almost all the photos show various degrees of sagging. We are trying to make a support for it either out of wire or plexiglass, but it is not yet complete. In the meantime, I try to keep it maximally filled.
To sum up what I love about the Sackville Trunksack:
. It fits my rear rack perfectly, securely and free of wobble
. The box shape and the colour scheme are aesthetically appealing
. It is very roomy
. The single zip closure provides easy access
. It is waterproof
. The rear light attachment is excellently designed
And what could use improvement, is the sagging issue.
Edited to add: As of April , I no longer own this bag - having traded it to a fellow collector for another bicycle-related item. I liked the bag, but ultimately prefer
Carradice-style saddlebags.
Campsite at Gulf State Park
View of Beach Pavillion from Campground
My Office
Oprey Nest across the Street
Lake Shelby Picnic area
Owl Nest
Golf Course
View of Gulf Shores from Beach
Fishing Pier
Osprey Nest
I didn't plant any daffodils last fall but did have this one come up from some I had planted before. It was the only one. Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers but they don't like to do well here in the desert where the wind has a habit of burying them to deep with sand for them do to well after the first year.
Did you notice the homemade buckets made from Bluebell ice cream containers? My grandpa also made his own buckets, only his were from old milk jugs. I still make them today.
Here's what you get. It's simple and it works. And the position of the handle makes it comfy (some people call that "ergonomically correct" I believe).
What's more, like the re-purposed Blue Bell containers, it fulfills the "reuse" part of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" mantra we all claim to follow. Fill them with berries, okra, figs, shells, pecans or anything else you like to pick up off the ground or off a plant.
This cow skull was my moms and now hangs on my back porch. The Ojo de Dios, or Eye of God, was my grandmothers, and my parents got it when she was gone. The Ojo de Dios are wonderful craft projects made out of 4 sticks or dowl rods with yarn wrapped around the sticks to make designs. This is one of the best I have ever seen and was made by a man grandma knew in Arizona, I think. But the colors were never what I liked. I am not a fan of the color orange. So it, too, hangs on the porch where it looks nice.
Spanky is Julie's dog. He and Tuffee are friends and like to run up and down along the wire fence between our places.
On the road, we see for the first time the exquisite countryside views of Andalusia. It reminds me of Crete, Greece for its rolling valleys of olive tree plantations and white-washed villages and Nevada, USA as well for the dessert-like expanse and the rock mountains.
Now, to help us get to our destination (Granada) in time we have my trusted ‘Free’ OVI Maps on my Nokia Mini N97 mobile phone. No need to buy or rent a GPS with the car when traveling, it’s on my Nokia phone! I can drive or walk to my set destination, there is a canned version of Lonely Planet and Michelin, as well as handy apps like weather and events. I am not a gadget geek so I have yet to really tinker around on these functionalities; so far I mainly use the ‘drive to destination’ thing.
So my OVI review: 
OK, we’ve just arrived in Granada, the city known for its hip nightlife and the infamous Alhambra, and now looking for parking. See you on next entry.
