Seems to me that pannier manufactures have become a victim of their own success and there is now some inverted snobbery directed at hard luggage – had a conversation this week with a guy who claimed it was dangerous and if I was rear ended at speed my top box would injure me… I assured him that if I rear ended at speed the top box was the last thing on my mind I would worry about… For me the choice is simple, hard luggage is secure, robust and if you buy wisely, safe. The biggest mistake I see is massive pannier sets on bikes that increase width and the temptation to overpack – you really do not need all that stuff and extra weight. I use two small and slim Metal Mule panniers and a small top box – my packing has been refined over years of solo trips and you can see my packing list on one of the main site pages. Metal Mule are different, handmade in the UK, 2mm thick, lapped, riveted, with reinforced seams and edges and bases and just to be clear I have been saved by my panniers on a number of occasions, once in Norway when I was knocked of the bike by a coach, once in Italy when I was side swiped by a mobile phone wielding twat, once in France when the bike was tipped over by a myopic French driver… all these times the bike went down hard but my legs were protected, so it’s an easy choice for me, hard every day.