Viaterra's waterproof POD expander. A bag to increase the carrying capacity on road trips. It's compatible with Viaterra's Leh (2017), Claw (2017) and Ladakh (2017) besides being adapt to be used independantly on just about any a motorcycle.
Viewing the POD Expander
A bag with one side opening and a roll top closure with fastening buckles on either sides. The bag has molle straps on top along (its length) to enable mounting onto a motorcycle. It's outer shell is made of 300D x 3000D outer ripstop fabric with PU coating while it's seam sealed inner liner made from 68D x 68D inner liner fabric rated for 5000mm pressure. The inner layer comes in grey color which makes it very easy to view/ get to the contents placed inside. The bottom has a removable mounting base (attaches to the main bag via 2 velcro strips going along the length of the bag) has 2 mounting straps and fastening buckles. Thin reflective strips at the bottom corners. One grab handle at the bottom.
Sizing the POD Expander
The POD comes in two sizes - 12 liters & 22 liters and they work well together in modular stacking. It weighs about 0.45 kg and sizes up to about 17" x 11" rolled up top. With the POD 22 fully packed with contents inside and rolled shut, it sizes to 51" around the length and 34" around the width. Weight of the POD when filled up would be about 4-5 kg, depending on what is packed within.
Packing the POD Expander
Buying a right bag is one thing, using it / packing efficiently is another.
To determine the extent to which the POD can be utilised at best or to be packed up full, have taken two scenarios for the POD (22 ltr) - one for official use (for work) and another for clothes (for a trip).
Scenario 1 : A 15" laptop backpack fits within the POD 22 perfectly. The backpack contains the following - A 14 inch padded sleeve with a 14" laptop, accessories organizer bag for electronic charging cables and other accessories, a 10 inch padded sleeve with an external disk drive, hard drive case for external USB 2.5 inch hard drive (HDD or SSD), bluetooth headphones, USB wired mouse with mouse pad, USB power bank, notepad and pen.
One can do without the laptop backpack entirely and use the space for clothes or anything else soft to act as a padding to the laptop and/or any other electronic gadgets there within.
Scenario 2 : Plastic zip lock bag with thermal inners of motorcycle riding gear, 4 ltr. light-weight dry sack containing 4 quick-dry inner-wear and one quick dry towel, 10 ltr. light-weight dry sack containing 2 quick-dry hiking pants, 4 t-shirts, 2 full-sleeve shirts, a pair of full length base layers, fleece pullover and a woolen beanie. There is still room for a zip-lock bag with 2-3 pairs of socks.
Mounting the POD Expander
Viaterra have posted a video on youtube on how to mount and unmount the POD Expander from a motorcycle. The removable base is placed under the pillion seat of the motorcycle while the POD itself is secured over the pillion seat with the provided straps with fastening buckles. This would be the way to go for most if not all motorcycles but if the motorcycle does have a trail trunk/top box base plate with/without an integrated pillion grab handle, then the removable base of the POD need NOT detached from the POD and can be with the straps running through the grab handles and top box base plate grooves. Note that the velcro strip provided below the bag is to secure the removable base leaving for no room to slippage.
Overview of the POD Expander
Waterproof : Viaterra claims the POD Expander to be 100% waterproof. The outer fabric is PU coated and the inner layer is seam sealed fabric for providing effective waterproofness. Still had doubts with the Viaterra POD when compared to a bag made of tarpaulin / vinyl coated fabric with heat welded seams (for eg. SW-Motech 18L Waterproof Drybag), which is fully waterproof.
To test the POD, had the bag filled partially with dry clothes and rolled shut. Attempt 1 : Sprayed water from a health faucet for few minutes. Checked inside and all dry. Attempt 2 : Dunked the bag partially into a bucket of water for a minute or so. Checked inside and all dry but for a bit of dampness at the bottom. Personally, would not recommend use the POD for electronics especially in heavy downpour rain that would last several hours.
Handy : The Viaterra POD comes with only one handle and it's located at the bottom of the bag, which could go overlooked. A provision for a shoulder strap for the POD would have been good, just so the hands are free for other tasks. Adding backpack type shoulder straps will obviously bump up its cost price. Also a strap with a fastening buckle going over the center of the roll top closure would have been good too. What the Viaterra POD Expander lacks is addressed by MAX 10 / MAX 20 / MAX 30 of Dirtsack's modular luggage system, however it comes at a price.
VFM : All said and done, the Viaterra POD Expander is definitely a Value For Money product, even more so for those who are budget conscious. POD 12 is priced at ₹ 1,399/- & POD 22 at ₹ 1,999/-. A highly water-repellant/resistant durable travel bag for the discerning rider on a motorcycle. At this price, it can't get any better a deal.
Purchase VIATERRA POD 22 from Amazon or from Viaterra's official website.
Update : After 2 motorcycle trips of about 850km each (two-way) so far. One trip in clear daylight and the other in heavy rains. Used a 20-35 litre backpack rain cover (purchased from Decathlon) over the Viaterra POD and for two reasons - (1) It comes in bright orange color and so provides good visibility to other vehicles coming up from behind. (2) Added protection from both rain and dirt/dust/muck (cleaning the rain cover is easier than the POD itself). Besides, I had my laptop & other electronics inside of it, hence didn't want to take any chances. It served it's intented purpose well. Rode under heavy rainfall for nearly 70km while the bag remained clean and dry at the end of the trip. Satisfied completely.
