The Ocelot from Wildcat Gear is a semi-universal, partial frame bag. I say ‘semi-universal’ because it’s available in 4 different sizes … simply pick the one who’s dimensions best match those of your frame. The one in the pictures is a medium and the bike is a 16″ On-One Inbred, the Ocelot’s a near perfect fit (which was good fortune rather than management on my behalf).
The Ocelot fastens to your frame by 4 Velcro straps … trust me, it’s not going anywhere, the Velcro Wildcat use must be some of the strongest made! The main compartment is on the drive side and is accessed by a number 8 ‘waterproof’ zip which is slightly larger than those commonly used but much stronger (and more expensive). At the front / top of the bag lives a very handy ‘port’ that allows you to run battery leads, bladder hoses, etc out from the main compartment. The non-drive side features a second, smaller pocket again accessed by a ‘waterproof’ number 8 zip … although smaller, it still runs the full length of the bag and is ideal for chocolate and flapjack holding duties!!!
 |
| Seemingly bigger on the inside than the outside. |
If you’ve more than one bike, a partial frame bag might make more sense than going down the custom ‘full’ frame bag route. As long as you don’t ride a collection of bikes from opposite ends of the size and shape scale, chances are your bag will fit all your bikes rather than just one. There’s a couple of other benefits to choosing a partial rather than full bag too. Firstly you can still use your water bottle mounts, depending on your frame / bag size you may need a new side entry cage but that’s a small price to pay in my opinion. The second ‘bonus’ benefit is the fact that a smaller bag equals less room, which in turn means you’ll take less unnecessary junk along with you … don’t underestimate the importance of that one.
 |
| Main compartment – yellow lining for ease of finding stuff. |
I could waffle on about the usual Wildcat quality of construction and attention to detail but let’s be honest … you’re much more interested in what you can fit in it, aren’t you? Well, below is a picture showing what I packed in the Ocelot for last weeks trip. It wasn’t bursting at the seams and I’m not the worlds most careful packer, so there was still the potential to add a few more of those unnecessary junk items we all love.
1/ Windshield
2/ Sea to Summit rucksack
3/ Sawyer mini filter and 0.5l bladder
4/ Pole-a bear pole
5/ Toilet roll + drugs
6/ 29″ tube
7/ Puncture stuff + links
8/ Pump
9/ Tyre lever
10/ Knife
11/ LED fairy lights
12/ Mini tool
13/ Teeth cleaning
14/ SnowPeak 450ml Ti mug
15/ Bear Bones stove
16/ 125ml fuel bottle
There was also a couple if choccy bars and some coffee sachets but I can’t show those as they didn’t make it back alive!
The Ocelot is available directly from WildCat Gear. Prices start £65
