Meanwhile Basket Bag
Price range: $98.00 through $105.00
Meanwhile is a fitted waterproof dry bag/tote, intended for popular baskets baskets including Old Man Mountain basket, Wald 137 or 139 basket, milk crates, or custom sizes on request.
With convenient carry handles, Meanwhile is well-suited for grocery shopping and basket touring alike. A simple, waterproof roll-top closure allows Meanwhile to expand as needed. Packed and rolled tight, with the lower buckles looped under the basket's rails, Meanwhile sits securely over rough terrain and can be removed in seconds.
For custom sized bags up charges may occur for sizes larger then 16"x11".
Standard features include :
- Welded, 100% waterproof seams
- Roll-top closure with hook and loop velcro mating at top of bag
- Colored carry handles for use as a shopping tote
- Bartacked in critical stress points
- Duraflex™ acetyl buckles
- Double-coated 420D fabric
- Handmade in Asheville, North Carolina
Specs
Weight: 137 size 11.4oz (323g), 139 size 14.5oz (411g)
Volume: Size 137 – about 15 liters max, Size 139 – about 25 liters max
11 reviews for Meanwhile Basket Bag
What Packs Best in Meanwhile?
Meanwhile can swallow up camping gear or use it to run to the grocery store. Expeditions or commuting, Meanwhile will make sure you leave nothing behind while keeping everything dry.
On a recent trip the first day we rode through 3-5” of continuous soaking rain, Meanwhile everything was dry inside. With minimal provisions it rolled down tight and was tucked away. Shopping? Take it in a fill it up. It gets daily duty now carrying my lunch and scrubs on my bike commute.
– John M.
Meanwhile is handmade in Asheville, North Carolina
An Innovative History
This product was developed by Porcelain Rocket; a Canadian company widely credited as being pioneers in the modern era of bikepacking bags. Today, Rockgeist continues the legacy of Porcelain Rocket by partnering with them to manufacturer their welded, waterproof designs.
Shawn Moore (verified owner) –
Received my bag yesterday along with the Tanaka 137 style basket and mounted everything to my Sklar PBJ. Rode to work today with all my stuff in the bag and was so stoked to not have a backpack on! So well made and amazingly priced compared to other basket bags I’ve looked at. Saving up for more bag purchases from ya’ll!
Sparrow (verified owner) –
Out of all the bags I own this is likely the most used other than my stem bags. The bag is really well made. I have used it for a year now and it does duty as my commuter bag, my grocery bag and my adventure bag. The edges have started fraying a bit at the weld, so I am going to melt that down a tad. It’s very very waterproof, I have had rain, snow and unfortunately a full thermos of matcha spill inside, nothing comes get’s in … or out.
Notes: The velcro is a tad too intense imo so I lined the velcro with double sided velcro, so that I can actually open the bag. I really with there was an option to hold as a tote because the handles, plus straps dangle dragging across the road when I cross into the office. Also makes it harder to use for groceries. If the handle traps were about 2 inches longer you could get your arm in easily. Lastly I think the bottom straps should have sewn in loops. It’s often a pain to get the bottom straps under my 139. I think I will sew para loops or something because if you don’t adjust well the buckle can rub on wheel. Lastly, I know it’s almost impossible given how this is made, but would love to see in the future a pock system inside. Just the minimum would be great. All minor things.
Looking at other products since I am very impressed with this.
Nico Alfonso –
As a bike courier working in a country that rains half the time, this fully waterproof bag has been an invaluable addition to my setup on a wald basket on my bike rack. Do wish it came in full black!
Ryan (verified owner) –
I have the smaller size / 137 basket. The fit is absolutely perfect, and it’s kept my laptop & everything else bone dry for over 2 years in all sorts of PNW weather. The roll-top design also expands well to carry a taller load, in a pinch. Fantastic bag!
Chris (verified owner) –
I’ve got 137 in Coyote Sunrise. It’s a great improvement over strapping in a tote bag in the basket. The material is durable. The attaching/securing clips are just fine and the velcro is like super velcro, sticks wells. The size is great too. I’ve max’d it out a few times hauling crushed cans to the donation center. I don’t typically pull it off the bike to use as a shopping bag but I could. I just find using a standalone shopping bag more convenient. I plan on using it soon in “basketpacking” mode so I’ll see how that works. I’ve owned it since July 2021 and use it regularly.
john keller –
Been a great bag for the most part. Have run it for a little over a year commuting and bike fishing. Watertight in rain and when hydrants are flowing in Philly. Mine has the same twist in the buckle as Ghostship Matt, and it is an annoyance on an otherwise nice piece of kit. Would consider an upgrade to the 139 size, but this flaw has prevented me from going for it.
Gregory –
Hey John, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Can you share a photo of this buckle twist? I haven’t seen it in mine that I use daily and it might be an easy fix. If you shoot me a quick picture to greg@rockgeist.com I’d love to take a look. Thank you! – greg
John McBurney (verified owner) –
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the understated excellence of this versatile bag. On a recent Appalachian Gravel Growler ride the Meanwhile acted as kitchen on my basketpacker. The first day we rode through 3-5” of continuous soaking rain, Meanwhile everything was dry inside. With minimal provisions it rolled down tight and was tucked away and aero. Shopping? Take it in a fill it up. It gets daily duty now carrying my lunch and scrubs on my daily bike commute. It’s a brilliant piece of kit for sure.
Douglas Miner –
I have the 137 size and it works perfectly for carrying my lunch and quickly needed items. The velcro to seal up the bag around the campsite works well eliminating the need to keep rolling it down. A optional shoulder strap with quick release buckles would be handy for quick runs into the store.
Ghostship Matt –
I loved the idea of this bag when I saw it on the PR site, but never pulled the trigger. Received it as a birthday present and am mostly happy with it. Very light, waterproof, fits my 137 rack perfectly, and is not insanely overpriced (like every other basket bag on the market). The three gripes I have that would make this bag a slam-dunk-home-run-hat-trick-sports-analogy:
I had no idea that the opening of the bag is lined with velcro, as it’s not listed in the description. I have an intense distaste for this. It will wear out over time, grabs and creates snags on fabric gloves and clothing. It seems completely unnecessary being that this is a roll-top bag. I will likely add a strip of loop-tape to prevent it from snagging, but this is sort of annoying. Maybe other folks will like this feature, but it’s more of a frustration for me. Maybe add two or three tabs of the stuff vs the whole opening if you really feel like it’s necessary?
The female-buckle hardware has an odd opening, which has allowed the lower strap to twist, which prevents it from being able to be snugged down all the way. This is a giant PITA to straighten out, and led me to wondering why a heavier strapping, or a more closed buckle wasn’t used to reduce the likelihood of the strap twisting.
The straps holding the buckles at the top of the bag could be a bit longer. Sometimes I find I have to re-roll the bag to ensure that the buckles will be exposed enough to meet the lower ones when affixing the bag to my rack. Maybe my hands are just dumb, or I haven’t figured out the trick yet, but it’s annoying to have to open it and reroll if I did it wrong (which is often), especially while wearing the aforementioned snagged gloves.
I also just noticed that the carry handles are two different colors. Not certain if this intentional (help determine front from back?), or if it was a mistake during construction?
Overall, this bag works great, and the welded construction is really awesome; lots of value for the price. Once I get this strap untwisted, I’ll be stoked to use it again.
Gregory –
Hey Matt! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’ll add the velcro info to the description, thanks for catching that. For the female buckle on the 1″ web, not sure what you mean with this twist. If you shoot me a quick picture to greg@rockgeist.com I can take a look.
Colors of the carry handles are intentional. It helps with separating them quickly so you don’t try to pull them apart when they are looped through each other. Thanks again for your support and happy b day!
cheers,
greg
Collin –
This is a great little bag for running errands and living that basketpacking lifestyle. Totally waterproof, very durable, and quite light. However, the bag could be much more useful for the urban cyclist if the handle straps were long enough to run as a shoulder bag, especially when the bag is close to full. It works fine in a bike camping setting, just not 100% perfect for regular errands and using the bag for off-bike tasks (groceries, commuting to work when that was still a thing, etc.).
Gregory –
Hey Collin! Thanks for taking the time to drop a review. Shoulder straps for off the bike errands makes sense, especially for the larger 149 size as these bags can swallow a ton of groceries. We’ll give this some serious thought. And here’s to hoping bike commutes to work make a comeback this year… cheers! -greg
Austin Osborne –
I have the Porcelain Rocket Wald 139 bag with the basket mounted to a Crust Small Rack v2.
Overall fantastic. I used this to commute to work and class for a winter and worked for its exact purpose without fault.