So, I was riding some backroads in Utah and California, constantly breaking bolts on my rear rack and wondering if there was a better way to travel. What do you know, few months later I found out about bikepacking and have now switched over. Here are some observations while comparing the two modes of travel.

First, I refer to bicycle touring as having 4 panniers and bikepacking utilizing rack-less storage systems (along with a setup focused on being light).

Here are both setups:

Where you can go?

Lighter setup would allow you to do roads and trails which would otherwise be impossible. River crossings, slides, washouts (or stairs, haha!) would not require making few trips. Not saying you won't be pushing when things get gnarly but it would be easier!

With the full load I would have never in my wildest dreams thought of riding down curbs, but a light setup changes things.

How far you can go?

You can definitely pack a lot more food/water with panniers. Doing so with bikepacking setup will greatly increase the weight of your backpack, especially if there is no water on the way. (I've carried 10+ days of food with bikepacking setup, with panniers you can definitely carry a lot more.)

What can you carry?

With touring you can certainly go for a lot more lavish and luxurious lifestyle on the road. Bring that favorite sweater, pillow, mug, laptop, etc. With bikepacking you are reduced to essentials, which can be uncomfortable at first but it really depends on what you consider essential. You can also carry a bit more, especially if you are not racing with bikepacking.

Fruit is definitely harder to carry while bikepacking... but there are ways around that.

What about winter?

Pannier setup has the advantage here due to being able to carry the heavy/bulky sleeping bags/tent and more fuel/clothes.

Fun vs. Frustrating

I had the chance of riding parts of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route on both bikes. I recall come roads being frustrating with the touring setup, whereas with bikepacking I was zooming down with absolutely no issues.

Cost

Bikepacking bags would run you about 3-400$, a 4set of panniers would be about the same. However, bikepacking is better with lighter gear (tent, sleeping bag, pad) which will cost more.

How fast can you pack?

I personally didn't think about this until I met somebody on the GDMBR who said he'd be the last one out of his friends because of his setup and them being able to throw everything in the panniers. It just takes some time/practice to narrow things down, I recall the first week or so being very hectic until finding the best way to pack things. After few weeks camp setup/take down is significantly faster with bikepacking than touring.

Hiking while traveling

(cause you know, you can't take your bike everywhere)

Possible with both setups, bikepacking is easier (less stuff to pack, lighter too) with panniers I carried a 65L backpack which also made things easy. However, having to hike 1 mile off the Denali Park Road (Alaska) was a big problem and hassle to bring everything I need with me.

Having less stuff is definitely easier to lock up and do day hikes (valuables are easier to remove and you already have a backpack). On the down side, I never lock my bike while doing groceries in towns - having a full load and panniers means that its less likely somebody can ride away with it! and if they do, they will be slow...

Wear and Tear

Less weight is both easier on you and on the bike! I found I braked a lot less going downhill and pedaling up puts a lot less stress on the drivetrain. There is nothing more dramatic than breaking a rack bolt in the middle of nowhere, bikepacking avoids this but I have heard of saddle rails breaking... not sure about handlebars, I guess I'll find out.

One thing about bikepacking is that it would allow you to do rougher roads/trails, which means it will be harder on gear. (in photo above, a spoke was broken most likely from flying stones.)

Looks

Both touring setup and bikepacking look awesome! Although I have to say there is something about carrying that big load on a touring bike. It feels like you've been places.

NOISE!

Yup. Noise. If on rough road panniers flop and rattle a lot!

BACKPACK

One of the major drawbacks of bikepacking is that you may need to carry a backpack. Takes some getting used to, if it's raining and you are hill climbing it's much harder to stay dry. You can avoid needing one by packing much lighter or using cargo cages on fork mounts.

THE VERDICT:

I love bikepacking. Knowing how much lighter it is and not missing having all that extra stuff, I don't think I will ever go to a pannier setup. (aside from maybe a crazy winter expedition)

However, it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can go extra light with panniers or drag your living room with bikepacking and a heavy backpack!

it's definitely worth it to give bikepacking a shot!