>>2047046
What annoyed me the most was that with panniers or such you have to be mindful when outting particularly sharp things inside and also, even with leaving the bike only ever under shelter, daily riding in rain might well mean you're developing a new kind of ecosystem in there during the wet season.
I also found the baskets so far provide the best support for oversized loads on the rack.
If I out something on the rack like the 65L bag in picrel I find myself using the baskets, even when empty, to have more of a platform.