Bikepacking Mega-Thread

[rkoswald]

Looking to create a mega-thread for all things bikepacking.

I’m “bikepacking curious” and have some equipment, but haven’t yet gone on a bikepacking trip. I have done plenty of camping, though. So far I have:

• Orr Cycling Exploration Bundle
• Apidura Expedition Saddle Pack, 14L
• MSR Pocket Rocket 2
• MSR Mini Stove Kit

Some of my sons participate in a youth development organization that tries to camp one weekend every month, so I have ample opportunities to try out equipment, including packing it in my bags.

Sleep System
What are you using for your sleep system? I’m curious about hammocks. They seem like they should take up less space and weight than a tent, but have read several articles that, if done incorrectly, could be the opposite.

A hammock with spreader bars seems appealing so that you don’t have to sleep at an angle. No need for a sleeping pad (I sleep horribly on the ground, even with a good pad.) I’d also probably get one with an integrated mosquito net. And a tarp. A quilt / under quilt should be about the same space and weight as a sleeping bag. With no (or far fewer poles), seems like a hammock and tarp setup should be significantly smaller and lighter.

For those using hammocks, what is your setup? For tent lovers, what do you use?

Cycling Kit
In reviewing several articles and packing lists, I rarely see extra bibs, jerseys, etc. Do you “wash” and re-use your kit? What about saddle sores?

Equipment Lists and Packing Locations
What equipment do you bring and how / where do you pack it?

Thanks in advance! Hoping this kicks off a vibrant discussion about bikepacking. I’m sure I’ll have training questions later, but my first bikepacking will almost certainly be on the C&O Canal with my 13yo son, so not physically taxing at all.

[rkoswald]

Fueling
How do you fuel your rides? Do you still use high carb sources (eg mix, gel, etc), or do you opt for more solid foods? If so, what are your “go to” choices?

[jn92]

BIKEPACKING.com - Bikepacking Routes, Gear, Inspiration

Really nice Idea… Was wondering when bikepacking com would open their own forum. So far… nothing. I use a a Therm-A-Rest Neoair X-Lite pad and a sleeping bag. I sleep in a tarptent double rainbow. I cook my own food. I’m not worried about the extra weight - I’m not racing. I don’t have a dyno hub and bring a powerbank but will consider a solar charging pad in the future.

With two little kids bikepacking is a far away memory. But I’m looking forward to bringing them along once their a bit bigger.

[spinnnout]

@rkoswald

Fueling
How do you fuel your rides? Do you still use high carb sources (eg mix, gel, etc), or do you opt for more solid foods? If so, what are your “go to” choices?

Bikepacking can be lots of things to different people but comparable with touring I’d go with ditch the sports fuels and enjoy the food you find or make your own proper meals to cook. Here in the UK the goto is the pub but it’s rarely that remote here.

When more remote, I make my own ‘just add hot water’ meals.

[Back2Basics]

on the sleeping, I have been taking a bivvy bag, 3/4 sim, sleeping bag and liner. You say you aren’t good on the floor, so maybe this isn’t for you - but this is a pretty lightweight setup. I’ve not had cause for using a tarp yet, but we have taken it on occasion - however, last time we went it was so went we ended up finding a bunkhouse instead of trying to setup camp after 6 hours of being rained on. It was a sensible decision and has turned it into a memory rather than a nightmare.

I would always take spare kit for the following day. Only done single nights so far, but would expect I would take more kit or things to wash kit with it I had multiple days planned.

Kit list - I generally take the following, remember only done single nights:

Sleeping kit - as detailed above
spare kit for following day
full length base layers for sleeping in
thin jacket
thin walking trousers
toiletries - toothbrush and toothpaste really, that’s about it, oh and some contact lenses
battery pack and cables
small stove and gas
small pot for boiling water
aeropress, coffee, mug
food for breakfast - we tend to buy an evening meal as part of the trip, easier than taking lots of food.
I carry two large water bottles on the bike, top them up close to where we are expecting to camp. I usually ride with hydration powder in but tend to avoid when bikepacking so I can use the water for other things.

I doubt this is an extensive list for me. Just the things that come to mind. Oh, a buff. I always take one of those bikepacking/camping. Very useful.

[spinnnout]

My biggest bikepacking tip is… don’t be afraid of panniers .
There are now many great options for mini panniers. Mini Panniers for Bikepacking - BIKEPACKING.com

[splash]

Which rack are you using?

I’ve only done a short trip this summer, but I found it quite hard to get a balance between comfort and low volume/weight. Lots of bikepacking setups seem more suited to low-comfort ultra racing. If you want to have an actual holiday and nice trip, you’re quickly back to a touring setup with lots of bags or panniers.

[rkoswald]

It’s great to see so many replies first thing Monday morning!

@jn92

Was wondering when bikepacking com would open their own forum.

I think bikepacking.com does have a forum but it is behind a pay wall as part of their Bikepacking Collective.

@spinnnout

When more remote, I make my own ‘just add hot water’ meals.

Any recipes you don’t mind sharing would be great!

@Back2Basics

Kit list - I generally take the following, remember only done single nights:

Sleeping kit - as detailed above
spare kit for following day
full length base layers for sleeping in
thin jacket
thin walking trousers
toiletries - toothbrush and toothpaste really, that’s about it, oh and some contact lenses
battery pack and cables
small stove and gas
small pot for boiling water
aeropress, coffee, mug
food for breakfast - we tend to buy an evening meal as part of the trip, easier than taking lots of food.
I carry two large water bottles on the bike, top them up close to where we are expecting to camp. I usually ride with hydration powder in but tend to avoid when bikepacking so I can use the water for other things.

I doubt this is an extensive list for me. Just the things that come to mind. Oh, a buff. I always take one of those bikepacking/camping. Very useful.

Awesome, very useful, thanks!

@spinnnout

My biggest bikepacking tip is… don’t be afraid of panniers

[DaveWh]

Great thread. Very timely. I’m planning for a 4 day trip in October.

I’ll reply with more detail on my gear list later when I have more time.

One recommendation from the outset - same as @spinnnout - don’t be afraid of panniers. They can carry more weight, more securely, than Seatpost bags.

[Northshorerider]

I’ve done a few trips here in BC, all on full suspension and on single track. I’ve refined my setup to strike a balance of reasonable comfort and weight. The biggest factors are food and sleep systems.

For sleep systems: a bivy, pad, and down bag is the lightest. But I truly hate sleeping in a Bivy. I have a lightweight tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) that works great with two people to split the load. I use a winter sleeping pad (X therm), which is crazy warm, so I can then use a really light down bag (western mountaineering +2C). I also have a pyramid tarp which is great if there are no bugs.

Food: if I am backcountry, I use boil in a bag meals for dinner. I find the Alpine Aire dinners quite tasty! I have yet to find a boil in bag breakfast that isn’t vile, so I do oatmeal with warmed up milk powder. I really have a tough time with lunches that are satisfying, filling, packable, and non perishable. If anyone has suggestions please share! On trips that hit towns, its great to grab a real meal whenever possible.

Carrying systems: handlebar harness is a must. I can fit my entire sleeping system on the revelate designs harness, its super well designed and really solid. Frame bags are really handy, especially if you have a hardtail or gravel bike with lots of space. I usually carry a 25-30L backpack with as much lightweight stuff as I can. Very interested in panniers now that there are some really good looking and solid rack options for full suspension bikes.

Stove: I use a super simple jet boil. Small, light, self contained, and perfect for the food I bring. All I need is the jetboil, a spork, and some cleaning stuff. I eat the food right out of the bag.

My big pro tips:

1. Bring a complete set of clothes for sleeping and camp, and don’t use them for anything else. Clean clothes are amazing to get into from gross bike kit.
2. Hike a bike is a huge part of bikepacking. Accept it.
3. Bring a comfort item that you can look forward to. I like to bring flask of nice whiskey for camp.
4. Dry kit >>>> clean kit. I usually bring one set of riding clothes, but if its warm and sunny I will do quick washes in creeks or streams. But I will not do that if I don’t think I can get it dry in time. I’d rather put on a dry, sweaty, stinky kit, than a cold and clean kit.

Hoping some other people have some tips to share!

[Andrewbn42]

Hammock with quilt and underquilt is not the same as sleeping bag and pad. Hammock is bigger, and if it will get cold, the extra volume for that insulation grows much faster.
That being said, I love sleeping in a hammock, but I just wanted to let you know that it will take a bit of volume to carry it

[spinnnout]

@rkoswald

Any recipes you don’t mind sharing would be great!

I tend to break it down into 4 components to come up with recipes. I’ve not written down many but here goes…

1. A carb
   Something that will cook easily, ideally just adding boiled water but to be honest, most of the good stuff needs a little boil time.
   e.g. couscous small or large, pasta, rice noodles or blended Oats

2. A ‘sauce’
   A variety of things, often in powder form made at home or something as simple as some olive oil.
   e.g yeast flakes are great for cheesy dishes or powdered coconut or milk for breakfasts. Peanut butter, another good one for dinner or breakfasts.

3. Textures
   Small high density items that add flavour/calories/nutrients.
   e.g. dried chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, fuit, nuts, a small tin of tuna.

4. Something fresh
   Added at the end to lift a dish.
   e.g. lemon to squeeze or a banana (OK they don’t travel so good but they are getting mushed into oats anyway )

Kit
I won’t touch on the heating part but last time I was in the US, we picked up some 2-cup stashers, mostly for oats but they work with dehydrated meals, as they’re safe for pouring boiling water into.

2-Cup Bowl

Some ideas…

Cheezy pasta or couscous
1: In a blender: (grams per portion)
Shelled Hemp Seeds - 25g
Nutritional yeast flakes - 5g
Notorious Nooch Smoky Bacon yeast flakes 1-3g (optional)

2: Finely chop:
Sundried Tomatos

3: Store together in a container.

On the trip
4: Cook giant couscous or pasta of choice. Drain but leave a little wet.
5: Add dry mix.

6: Optional, add:
Fresh basel or pesto
Olive oil
Chili flakes

Peanut sauce rice noodles

Premade peanut butter sauce with some added ingredients like whole nuts, chilis (my partner did the prep for this and I forget the list but you get the idea).

Just add hot water to the rice noodles, drain but add some water to the peanut butter mix to loosen up and then mix all together. Squeeze over a fresh lime. Done!

Oats
The easist but takes a little experimentation. Blend down whole oats then add combinations of nuts, dried fruits, chocolate nibs, cacao, coconut or milk powder. Dried sour morello cherries, coconut nectar sugar and pecan nuts are favourites to use.

These all taste infinitly better than any pre-made meals I’ve purchased from the likes of Fire Pot.

[spinnnout]

@splash

Which rack are you using?

I’ve only done a short trip this summer, but I found it quite hard to get a balance between comfort and low volume/weight. Lots of bikepacking setups seem more suited to low-comfort ultra racing. If you want to have an actual holiday and nice trip, you’re quickly back to a touring setup with lots of bags or panniers.

Since that picture I’ve changed to a tumbleweed mini, fits better over the 29er wheels.

Tumbleweed Racks Review: T Rack and Mini Pannier Rack

It’s true! Some of my trip configurations are more off road touring but what’s in a name! Thanks to TrainerRoad (plug ), I’m often fittest in the group and spare carrying capacity is really useful when things get tricky.

My packing issue is often shoes but dry shoes for off the bike are a huge comfort item for enjoying these sorts of trips. I need to move to where ever the people at bikepacking and radavist live!

[kevshoes]

Sleep system, I use the OR Helium bivvy, light weight pad, and bag to sleep. There are multi-person tents designed for bikepacking from places like Big Agnes or Nemo which are also well reviewed.
I would strongly recommend against a hammock. Everyone I have spoken with who has bikepacked or spent the night in a hammock has mentioned how cold they get at night since you are essentially exposed on all 4 sides even with a good sleeping bag.

Kit, is baggies for me. I like the patagonia mtb shorts with the liner and I’ll pack a spare chamois liner for the second day (really only enjoy overnight trips anyways). Gloves, shoes, helmets are all the same I’d wear on any other ride. My sense is for people doing multi-day stuff, they usually go chamois-less.

Equipment, really depends on what you’re looking to do. For the casual over nighters I do, basically the shelter, food, and clothing I need for the trip. All packed in Revelate Designs bags. Stuff I’ll need on the bike I try to keep accessible, and the heavier stuff I try to keep low on the bike. Also, highly recommend a Katadyn water filter.

The cool thing though about bikepacking is you can make it more or less what you want as far as creature comforts. Looking to cover long distances and want to ride deep in the night, you can do that. But you can also take it chill, and maybe bring a bit more to keep you comfy. I would definitely recommend checking out bikepacking.com as others said and don’t stress too much about having everything to start. First few times out, experiment a bit and borrow what you can. There’s really no right or wrong.

[DaveWh]

@rkoswald

Sleep System

I use an inflatable Big Agnes 4” pad, REI down sleeping bag, and 2 person Big Agnes Copper Spur tent. This isn’t the lightest setup, but I wanted a tent in preference to a bivvy sack, and got a 2 person tent to also use backpacking (we now have two 2-person tents for our family of four).

@rkoswald

Cycling Kit

Last year, I went 4 days with the same kit. At the end of each day, I’d leave my chamois in the sun to allow for some UV sterilization. I didn’t get saddle sores, but did get chafing from 4 days in a row of 6-7 hours per day in the saddle. This year, I’ll bring another pair of bibs, plus chamois cream.

@rkoswald

Equipment Lists and Packing Locations

I ride my full suspension MTB, as my bikepacking has, and likely will continue to be, on rougher terrain. Mix of gravel, Jeep track, and single track.

Sleeping bag and pad go in a Revelate Designs Sweet Roll, mounted on a Revelate harness. Tent strapped to the top of that.

Top tube bag for food during the day. Gas tank bag with sun screen, lip balm, other bits and pieces.

Old Man Mountain bike rack mounted to a through axle. This rack is great, as most of the weight goes through the thru axle, and it’s is very solid. With Arkel panniers mounted to both sides. That’s where most of my food, water, cooking gear, etc., go. Stuff sack mounted to the top of the rack for clothes (full change for camp, plus rain jacket, warm clothes). Flip Flops for camp also. The stuff sack also doubles as the inflation bag for the Big Agnes pad.

I also bring a Helinox camp chair that I strap to a fork mount. So nice to have a proper chair to sit in when at camp. Plus a 1.5L bottle on the other fork mount for more water.

Note: I used this setup for a desert bikepacking trip where I had to be able to carry 8L of water on the bike. 3L in each pannier. 1.5L on the fork. Plus water bottle.

@rkoswald

Fueling

Breakfast: Oatmeal and raisins. Plus powdered milk. Coffee.
Lunch: Tortillas and packet tuna; trail mix; jerky. A lot of salty stuff.
Dinner: dehydrated food - although this year I think I’m going to switch to rice and packet (liquid) sauce. Tasty Bite Madras Lentils. Heavier, but one way or another I’ll be carrying the water - whether in a water bottle, or food packet.
Trail snacks: Clif bars; Belvita crackers

Cooking equipment = Jetboil.

Plus flask of whiskey. And a few beers :). I’m not too concerned about traveling light

[Andrewbn42]

The hammock works with an underquilt and top quilt or sleeping bag. I’ve been comfortable down into the high thirties with this setup, but the volume is substantial. Weight works out similar to an ultralight tent, maybe a bit more, and to get the weight that low on the hammock and both quilts it may cost more. If you have a less volume-limited setup, this may be a very good option, but with my dropper compatible tail bag and generally lower capacity bike setup, it was a limiter

[The_Conductor]

Never been bikepacking, but I’ve spent a ton of time in the backcountry. I highly recommend the NOLS Cookery for learning about/planning/recipes for eating in the backcountry.

[boarder2020]

There’s a lot of individual preferences and a lot depends on where you will be riding and the kind of trip. I’d also say theres probably more in common with road touring (assuming fast and light) and bike packing than differences so can definitely take some inspiration from there.

Here’s some thoughts as someone that’s toured across Europe, bikepacked in some pretty remote places including silk road mountain race, and spent a lot of time hiking and camping. Also I’m probably more budget conscious than most, so tend to go for best value over paying a small fortune extra for something only marginally better. Not a weight weenie and value durability.

Sleep System

Never used a hammock. Definitely some benefits, but you are reliant on something to tie it to. Fine for some routes, but no so easy in others (in the mountains above tree line being the obvious).

Bivvy is great if you know weather is going to be good. So short trips where you can check the forecast before packing or longer trips in locations where rain is uncommon. Of course you can take a tarp, but then it starts to become not that much lighter or space efficient than a tent. For bivvy i use alpkit hunka.

For tent I use alpkit soloist, which i think is a great value option. For longer trips I do enjoy having the “private space” offered by the tent. Also security of knowing I’m protected and going to sleep well in any weather.

For mattress I wouldn’t consider anything other than inflatable. I have a decathlon one which has been fantastic - have really used it in places it probably shouldn’t (rocky camps at 5000m!), but if you have the budget there are better options.

Cycling kit

2 of everything (bibs, socks, jersey). If I can I’ll just wear one set, drying it overnight and “save” the fresh set as long as possible. Will only wash clothes if absolutely necessary, but I’m ok with being kind of gross lol

Packing list

It varies so much depending on many factors (location, weather, length of trip, how fast I want to go, access to resupply etc.).

A few things though:

I never take a stove, gas and cooking stuff. Just takes up too much space for my setups. (Do take it on hiking trips where I have more packing space, so familiar with both options). Am personally happy enough with cold food especially if there’s the option to buy a few hot meals along the way. Also there are some logistical issues with gas i.e. can’t fly with it, cannisters not easily available everywhere.

Water treatment tablets. Lightest and most space conscious way to treat water if you don’t mind the taste and waiting 30mins.

I’ve actually done a couple of trips in trail running shoes and flat pedals. Imo a pretty good option for routes with lots of hike a bike and saves carrying a second pair of shoes to change into.

Fueling

Depends a lot on length of trip and remoteness. Overnight trip you could consider preparing and carrying everything. For longer trips that’s obviously not a sensible option. If there’s lots of resupply options (let’s be honest 99% of our bikepacking trips are not that remote) it makes sense to carry less and buy as you go. I think for longer trips you have to accept the reality is fueling is not going to be some exact Xg per hour of sports nutrition. Probably more guzzling coca cola at a gas station, and whatever candy you can find. I’d be more focused on total kcal per day and just trying to do the best you can while on the bike, for most of us a bikepacking trip is less about performance and intensities are quite low so maybe the mindset is a little different.

As said above I don’t take a stove for bikepacking. But if you have one then the freeze dried meals are a great option but pricey - I’ve found expedition foods and summit to eat pretty tasty and they do 1000kcal servings.

Cold food - cheese, bread, sausage, chocolate, coca cola, candy, packaged cakes, pastries. Basically a lot of high kcal “junk food” to get in the carbs.

For longer trips I like to have some backup gels just in case.

Good thread, I’m sure there is lots to discuss. Always good hearing other opinions and ideas, as I think it’s probably not such a black and white topic - as said above even the idea of “bikepacking” means different things to different people.

[angusr]

Apparently I am even happier being gross than you… I just take a single pair of Assos liner shorts (not bibs because I don’t want to fully undress again once dressed on a cold morning), baggies and a merino jersey. I wash them every 2 or 3 days either on a sunny evening, or before a long climb and then slimply wear them until they are dry.

[Neuromancer]

Thoughts on Rear Top Tube Bags

vs just using a front top tube bag at the rear?

The issue I find is front top tube bags always seem to get in the way of my elbows when in the aero bars and then they also are either low enough that they align with the stem height (but now you can’t fit anything e.g. a power bank or phone) in them, or they are too high and sit above the stem and cost you aero drag.