Comparing Old Man Mountain’s New FLiP Cargo Cage + Hemlock Fork Bags to the Competition

Old Man Mountain, one of my favorite gear makers, just launched another innovative bikepacking gear solution: quick-release fork packs (Hemlock) that attach to FLiP Cage mounts which can also be used as regular cargo cages!

Confused? That’s probably because no one has done this before, but it’s actually a brilliant idea.

I’ve bikepacked with OMM’s racks extensively (as you can see in my reviews of the Elkhorn and Divide) and their gear has earned my trust. Lately they’ve been coming out with impressively innovative products that fill gaps in the current gear landscape (see the Axle Pack) and make me wonder “Why didn’t anyone come up with this sooner?”

I’ve spent the winter neck-deep in bikepacking gear specs while working on my other side project over at BikepackBaggregator.com. So I’m intimately, painstakingly familiar with the current lineup of fork bags and cargo cages, and I can say with confidence this new combo from OMM is worth a good look.

Read on for a peek at the new Hemlock and FLiP, plus my take on how they compare to their closest competitors.

Related: Pros and Cons of Quick Release Fork Bags

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Hemlock Fork Bags

The Hemlock is a large (7 liter) completely waterproof fork bag with quick-release mount and durable abrasion-resistant Hypalon on the bottom. It’s sold as a pair with two FLiP Cages for $175.

Quick-release fork bags like the Hemlock are a small but growing category with obvious appeal: getting into the bag doesn’t require futzing with any straps, and it’s fast and simple to remove and reattach at camp.

I’m usually a cargo cage + dry bag + Voile strap user myself, but I’m the first to admit it’s not ideal. Straps can be annoying and fiddly when you’re in and out of the bags frequently, and the ends get tangled in my wheels when moving my bike around at camp. Plus, a strong cinch puts crushables in peril (don’t store avocados or potato chips in fork bags with straps!).

The Hemlock attaches without straps directly to a base (the FLiP) which is bolted to 3-pack eyelets on your fork or any rack with cargo cage mounts. The attachment uses a hook at the base and a pivoting handle up top, and is said to be rattle-free on any terrain.

FLIP Mount + Cargo Cage

The Hemlock mounts to OMM’s FLiP (Fast Lock in Place) Cage, which attaches to 3-pack eyelets on a fork or rack. It’s sold as a pair for $80, or together with two Hemlock bags for $175 total.

Here’s where OMM’s offering is different from other quick-release fork bags: the FLiP mount can also be used as a regular cargo cage for other bags and bottles!

To accomplish this versatility, the FLiP has a detachable support foot and slots for straps. Take the foot off when using the quick-release Hemlock bag, or add it back to use as a regular cargo cage with a bottle or dry bag.

Let me emphasize how cool this is! If you bikepack a lot, you end up fine-tuning each setup for different trips and terrain. The 7L Hemlock is pretty big, so you may want to sub in a smaller dry bag or a bottle for certain trips. The FLiP cage lets you do this without buying a separate set of cargo cages.

Comparing to the Competition

This all sounds neat, but could this be a case of trying to get fancy and do too many things at once? Is the Hemlock a good fork bag, and is the FLiP a good cargo cage, irrespective of their uniquely versatile combination?

It just so happens I’ve been busy comparing fork bags and cargo cages over at Bikepack Baggregator, so I can answer this precisely. Here’s how the Hemlock and FLiP stack up against their respective competition.

Hemlock + FLiP vs. Other Quick-Release Fork Bag Systems

I know of four other quick-release fork bags. In order from priciest to most affordable they are made by Tailfin, Ortlieb, Topeak, and Rhinowalk. Here they are as shown on Baggregator:

Price: At $175 per pair the Hemlock + FLiP is priced between the Ortlieb and Tailfin, though I would argue the versatility of its FLiP mounts (basically you’re getting cargo cages plus a quick-release system) adds value that none of the other systems provide, making the overall price pretty reasonable.

Size: The 7L Hemlock is on the large side even for a quick-release fork bag system. It sits roughly between Tailfin’s two offerings (5 and 10L, if you can even call 10L a fork bag) and is larger than both of Ortlieb’s, as well as the Rhinowalk and the Topeak. I think it makes sense for OMM to have aimed large with the Hemlock since you always have the option of pairing the FLiP Cage with a smaller dry bag.

Weight: At 15oz per side (including both the bag and FLiP mount) the Hemlock is on the heavier side for a fork bag, but this is in line with its larger size and quick-release mount. It’s closer in weight to the slightly lighter high-end Tailfin fork pack system than the heavier budget Rhinowalk version.

How about compared to a non-quick-release fork bag? For example, a 4oz cage plus two 1oz straps plus a 7oz large dry bag adds up to 13oz, just a 2oz savings over the Hemlock+FLiP but without the quick release functionality.

FLiP Cage vs. Other Cargo Cages

The FLiP is designed to work as a system with the Hemlock bags, but a big selling point is that it also works as a standalone cargo cage. So how does it compare to other cargo cages?

Size: The FLiP is on the tall skinny side compared to most cargo cages (here’s the full list at Baggregator) at 9.4″ tall and only 2.4″ wide with a small foot. This low profile makes it most comparable to cages like the Tailfin Large, MKS Sylvan, Wolf Tooth Morse Cargo, or Widefoot CargoMount. This style of cage stays out of the way when unloaded and is perfect for rigid bottles and smaller dry bags.

Compared to big bulky cages like the Blackburn Outpost and Salsa EXP, I wouldn’t expect the FLiP to be as supportive of large (say 5+ liter) strapped-in dry bags. If you want to use it with a large bag, probably best to pair it with the 7L Hemlock as intended.

Weight: The FLIP (with foot) weighs 5oz. This is heavier than the average of 3.4oz for a cargo cage (you can see them sorted by weight here) but the difference is small. Other cages that are close in size (Tailfin, Widefoot) weigh around 1.5oz less, so that’s a grand total of 3oz difference for a pair – not a big deal in the grand scheme of most bikepacking setups.

Price: If you buy a pair of FLiP cages alone for $80, the per-cage cost of $40 is less than average for a cargo cage. It’s closer to budget-friendly offerings like the Blackburn Outpost than to pricey splurges like Tailfin or King Cage, so I’d say it’s a good value!

Removable foot: It’s worth noting that a couple other cargo cages (WideFoot CargoMount, Apidura) also have a removable foot. This can be a plus, even in non-quick-release systems, because it allows for more flexible positioning of cargo. But neither of these other cages double as a quick-release mount, so the comparison stops there.

Versatility As a Value

Something I really respect about Old Man Mountain’s product lineup: they make innovative solutions without roping buyers into a proprietary ecosystem. Their stuff is all intentionally easy to mix and match with other standard bikepacking gear. They are good team players in the bikepacking gear world.

In my opinion this is one of OMM’s biggest advantages over other universal-fit rack makers, namely Tailfin (on the ultralight expensive side) and Aeroe (on the heavy affordable side). Both make good products but funnel you toward their proprietary bag systems.

OMM’s racks on the other hand are designed to be compatible with regular panniers (Divide) and cargo cages (Elkhorn, Axle Pack) so you can use them with whatever bags you already have or might buy in the future.

The FLiP Cage follow this pattern as quick-release mounts that can also be used as regular cargo cages. Use them with the Hemlock fork bags for a fast-release system, or use them with your own dry bags and straps like you would a normal cargo cage. At the moment they are the only quick-release system on the market with this feature.

Old Man Mountain also says they’ll be making the FLiP Cage and hardware available as OEM products to other bag makers. This means we might end up with additional options for compatible quick-release bags, along with the option to just run the FLiP as a regular cargo cage. When it comes to bikepacking gear, more options = better!

Atlas Deck Bag

Old Man Mountain also just launched the Atlas Rack Pack, a fancy version of the old “strap a dry bag to the top of the rack” setup. Like the Hemlock, it elevates a fiddly strap-based system to a more stable and integrated solution.

With 9 liters of capacity and handy shock cord on the top, the Atlas functions as a rack-based seat bag alternative especially for those of us who ride small bikes or bikepack with a dropper post. I think it looks appealing atop the minimalist Elkhorn rack with its cargo cage side mounts, perhaps with Hemlock + FLiP bags on the sides.

Certainly it’s more expensive at $95 than a standard dry bag, but what you’re paying for is optimized functionality and fiddle-free usage. Like the quick-release fork bag concept, these seemingly small details make a surprisingly big difference in “quality of life” when you’re on the road or trail for a long time.

In Conclusion

This looks like a great system for folks wanting a bit more space than traditional fork bags while keeping everything tight and stable for off-pavement bikepacking. That’s really OMM’s niche and they do a great job with it. If you’re intrigued by the Hemlock and don’t already have a full set of cargo cages in your gear collection, I think the $175 set is a good buy.

As a standalone cargo cage the FLiP looks pretty good based on specs alone. I haven’t tested it personally, but I have to think the design constraints that go into making it double as a quick-release mount come at the expense of perfectly optimizing it as a standalone cage. For example, it’s not as adjustable in its mounting position as a number of other cargo cages, and its strap routing options look limited.

If you’re not interested in the Hemlock fork bags, I would recommend you go with a more typical cargo cage for now. But if you are interested in the Hemlock and its quick-release convenience, the FLiP absolutely adds extra value and versatility to your gear collection and makes the $175 price tag go a lot farther.

Bikepacking gear launches can often be just more of the same, so overall I’m happy to see this innovative new entry. It’s cool to see OMM come up with creative new ways to make our days and nights on the trail a little smoother.