Bikepacking experts: I need your advice

Triathlon Forum
1

here is my latest bikepacker installment (on the front page). i think i’ve mostly sorted the means of conveyance, that is, the bike and the carrying capacity. i now have to figure out what to put in all these packs and bags. in general, i can break this down into these categories:

shelter: tent, sleeping bag.
kitchen: stove, utensils.
food: food.
first aid for my bike and i: first aid kit and bike tools and flat repair or whatever.
water: and purification.
electronics: front light, and any kind of solar or other recharging?

2

I am by no means an expert but started off in the same adventure you are getting into about 2 years ago. The longest trip I have done so far is 3 days 2 nights and about 350 miles but hoping for some longer stuff next year which will bring on the necessity for some additional items to carry. I am not sure if this is what you are looking for but some items that I took with me for more of the comfort side are listed below. The bags I have are a seat bag, handlebar bag, and frame bag. I have thought about getting some small bags for the front fork like you show in the pictures to be able to ditch the handlebar bag but have not pulled the trigger on that.

Camp shoes- I use a pair of Sanuks. They weight next to nothing and collapse down very small. I have elastic straps on my seat bag and just hook them into that.
Running shorts and t-shirt- these are nice to be able to change into after riding for the day and to sleep in.
Battery bank- the one I use is made by Goal Zero. It is small but will recharge my phone and bike computer several times. I have thought about getting a small solar panel for longer trips but haven’t had the need yet and seems excessive for shorter trips to me.
Inflatable sleeping pad- definitely not a necessity but makes sleeping much more comfortable for me.

These are the main items I can think of at the moment that are additional. Do you know what front light you plan to use? I have been back and forth on what to get and at the moment use a Petzl Reactik headlamp. The reactive lighting is a feature that I really like for both biking and just general use.

3

I’m curious why you chose an Aeroe vs a Tailfin rack?

4

I thought you carry nothing and just fedex your daily change of clothes to the hotel where you will stay. Can you link to that 2003 article on the credit card tour?

5

I’m curious why you chose an Aeroe vs a Tailfin rack?

as i explained in the article, aeroe was a sea otter, and i saw the rack and bag system there. simply that. i have no experience with tailfin. it looks like a great set of products.

6

That looks like a lot of luggage to me. Where is your trip, how many days and expected weather?

Weather, location, water sources, and distance between food resupply points dictate my kit. Size and weight of each was also considered.

I generally do a large saddle bag, medium frame bag that allows two bottles in the frame, a large top tube bag, and maybe a handlebar bag (no aero bars, though). A mix a Revelate and Apidura bags is what I have. I either carry more water or more clothes on the fork depending upon weather/location.

I can fit my bivy, sleeping bag/pad, kitchen stuff/some of my dinners, and a jacket/extra clothes in the rear bag. I only get into the bag when I stop to the day. For sleeping I use a down Mountain Hardwear bag, a thermarest neo pad, and a Nemo Gogo bivy/tent at the most, but that depends on weather. Sometimes it is much less. Many folks like quilts, but I had the sleeping bag and I like it, so I haven’t tried a quilt. Puffy jacket and warm/spare clothes in the winter. My kitchen is pretty minimal titanium pot/mug and depending upon the weather (and location) and is just a gas stove or tab stove.

It does wag a bit, and I was looking at the tailfin. But I’ve got what I’ve got and it isn’t a pressing issue.

Frame bag is food and things like arm/leg warmers, cycling vest, first aid, hygiene and bike maintenance. I carry my water purification stuff here. I use the Sawyer mini., it has worked for me. Sometimes I carry the bike maintenance in a Revelate Jerry Can in front of the seatpost, if I need more space. Bike maintenance kit is sealant, chain links and a quick connector, cables (my bike is mechanical shifting and braking), spare spd cleat, misc bolts (bottle cage, chainring, etc), multi tool, tire boots, needle/ heavy thread, tube, hand pump. I will also carry a cache battery in the frame bag for the GPS head unit/phone. (I run a dynamo front hub for lights and power, but it is nice to have a back up.) If water is scarce, I will carry a MSR bladder in this bag and then the cycling clothes and the food goes into a handlebar bag.

Top tube bag is on the bike food, id/credit card, phone/gps cables, lip balm, sun screen, a buff, and stuff I need on the bike.

Front bag (I have several from a Burrito size one to a larger Revelate) I generally don’t get into that much or carry it all all, depends on length of trip, weather, but when I can I bladder in the frame bag this has cycling clothes and food.

This is my overnight to multiday kit. My limitations are food and water resupply.

Lots of better info on the bikepacking specific sites.

7

I thought you carry nothing and just fedex your daily change of clothes to the hotel where you will stay. Can you link to that 2003 article on the credit card tour?

you’re dead wrong! it was UPS :wink:

yes, that’s the way i used to do it. i guess the difference is the bike technology. i find that the tools are there now to go places i couldn’t go before, and i guess i want to see it while i’m still here and it’s still there.

8

Just got through a pretty scary ordeal when my buddy went down hard (collapsed lung, concussion, several bones) in a very remote place. No cell service on my phone, and took the benevolence of some OHV Jeep enthusiasts, and still took 3+ hours to get him to where EMTs could take over, I consider something like Garmin InReach a good thing to have for the electronics package. Unless you’re pretty sure you have continuous cell coverage wherever you’re going.

9

Been a few years but the same advice still stands. Pack the bare minimum you thin you need. Then take it all out and halve it. Was the advice I heard (and ignored) when I started and the advice that still comes from anyone that has done some decent bikepacking. Honestly, I’ll admit my first trip was using a yakbob trailer and I honestly took a track pump with me…

Water storage for me is the absolute critical issue. Of course it does depend on location/route. Last trip I did was 700km in 6 days around a very sparsely populated route, with a lot of steep climbing in 28-35degree heat. Distances went 180km (mostly flat), 80, 75, 80, 100, 180km (massive climbing day). One day I had to do a 20km (10km each way) detour to get water. I ran 2x750ml bottles in the frame and 2x bottles on the outside of the front panier. And I had one ‘emergency’ 1L bottle in the panier. I never had to resort to that emergency, but it meant I never needed to worry about running out of water either. Also took powdered energy drink, got gatorade equivalent where I could, and had some gels for use on steep hills late in the day. Nuun tablets where key to my survival.

Food - pasta/pesto, full sugar coke, OneSquareMeal ‘bars’ and topped off with whatever I cycled past at drive end veg boxes - avos, apples, grapes, oranges, etc. Also pies from the occasional dairies (you’d call them local store/newsagents). I’d generally aim to have 2 days of food on me ‘just in case’. As it was over (summer here) xmas then my Xmas day meal was a rehydrated roast chicken and mash pack followed by a 2inch cube xmas cake.

I didn’t have any electrics back then other than a mobile phone and charger that I topped up at a campsite. But as no mobile reception and this being pre smart phone it just stayed turned off. I really really regret not having a kindle back then. Honestly, a kindle would be a non negotiable for me next time as my ‘luxury’ item.

Tent - I had a 1/2 man Marmot Zonda - I’m 6’4" so this was always ‘tight’ to share, but I like for bikepacking as there is a good size shelter so that I could put the 4x paniers in there on a night - just made me sleep more soundly. Inflatable half length mat. Nothing special std sleeping bag.

Stove was a normal gas powered trangia clone. Nothing special. Just works. Big fail was a titanium mug. Amazingly light, but the handle conducted the heat really well meaning you couldn’t pick it up until the drink was cold, or if you tried slurping you’d scorch your lip on the the metal. Like a race, never use new kit on a 5 day tour…

First aid for me- sun block, plasters, bandage, safety pins. Then in the combined, needle and tread, roll of electrical/insulation tape for me and bike. CO2 and tubes, one of the tubes in a box so that I could make a tyre boot (did manage to wear through a tyre so needed to do this to get me to a bike shop). I took my slightly larger MTB multitool set, quicklink, and a lezyne mini track pump with inline pressure indicator.

Clothes for riding - 2xbike bibs (different brands so different seem locations) and 2x shirts. Neck buff to block the sun. MTB shorts that I could put over the bibs or over normal underwear on a night, t-shirt and some salomon deck shoes that are lightweight, waterproof and grippy for walking down to the beach, uphills to lookouts (eg Salomon Techamphibian 3 Water Shoes - Men’s | REI Co-op). I’ve got version 1 and still going strong after 15 years, was wearing them this weekend as it happens.

Note that for navigation I had 2 x copies of my route on A4 photocopy of maps, one in a bar bag and binned the sheets as I finished, the other set separate in a panier.

10

very comprehensive. let me ask you this. just for:

sleeping
tenting

do you have recommendations? i get cold. my feet get cold. i don’t like to be cold. so, i want a bag that packs small, but is warm. bag + bivy sack is fine, but mostly i’d like the bag to do the work.

tent, i had this great 1-man moss tent that lasted a long time, got a lot of use, but it eventually wore out and i don’t think i have it anymore. i want something that good. that moss tent was great.

if you think there’s a pad that packs small, and that you would use, i’d like to know about that.

11

This year I did a mtb hut to hut trip from Telluride to Moab, then I did trip from Lucca Italy to London.

In my experience, the daily packing and unpacking can really become a chore.

So, if you can divide your gear in the bags in groups of similar items.

One bag holds everything for sleeping. One bag is just for emergencies and will never be opened unless you have a mechanical or need first aid.

I also tried to have my rain gear in an easy to reach spot. I never wanted to dig to the bottom of a bag or unroll something just to get a rain jacket or warmer clothes.

Crocs are great for after the ride or walking in streams. They never have to dry out but protect your toes, unlike flip flops.

After the ride, before I took a shower, I’d get in a nice pair of running shorts with built in underwear. It was great to let my body air out and they were also good to sleep in.

12

Is it heavy in back? I have been running a traditional 4 panier setup and like it but am going to try the lightweight setup this spring

13

as for sleeping the 3 most important things
are the sleeping pad , if you are a side sleeper than comes the cushion and the sleeping bag.
sleeping pad comfort is key and while the therma rest pads are unrivalled in weight in terms of comfort the 3 top one would usually be the sea to summit ehterlite which is 4 inches thick and about 500 grams light and very comfortable, if there is a drawback it can be a bit unstable ad the edges if you move a lot
than there is the sea to summit comfort plus which is made a a lower and a upper chamber its its roughly about 3 inches thick and about 700 grams but is great that you can adjust the pressure of the 2 chambers as you wish
the third one that is said to be really good is a memo matrace i have never tried it but friends tell me its also good .
i guess whats important is the temp you want it for in the summer non insulated or little insulation is best as cooler
while for colder temps especially bellow 20 Fahrenheit and r value above 4 is what you want . at least the 2 sea to summit have an insulated and a non insulated version
than of course you need to consider how much you move when you sleep narrower is lighter and smaller space but at the end of the day you spend usually 10 hours on it so not a good idea to save 100 grams for less sleep quality. if you are a side sleeper like myself the above 3 are usually unrivalled in comfort and i would say pretty much the gold standart. while if you sleep mainly on the back the thicker versions of thermarest are pretty good and there warranty service is 2nd to none.
at the end of the day the sleeping pad is the saddle of the tri bike the hardest to get right as well as being the most crucial contact point.
while the pillow is a bit like the shoe it needs to give the right support and needs to be adjustable.
with the cushion apart from ergonomic the key is that it should not move away. some people put it into the sleeping bag but it that does not worl you want one that has a strap around
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj4iGddyCcM
thats a good video . unlike with sleeping pads where i think it pays to pay more and buy an name product.
with cushions the price is less relevant and the cheaper ones are fine and the right hight is much more important to give the right support .

sleeping bags where to start i would never get anything than down, and looking at your space on the bike you have no space for a synthetic bag in the first place . at the end of the day the most important thing is fit to wide and its hard to heat up to tight and you cant move around . the more versatile the longer the zipp should be . in my mind ideally you want a bag that you can also use as a blanket when its gets warm.
again if you want to save the last ounce have a look at quilts. their drawback is when temps get lower you get a few more drafts.
western mountaineering is expensive but like with feathered friends you are bound to find one bag that suits you. marmot or enlightened equipment are also brands to look at. since you are a de soto guy you should like the two first companies. you pay a bit more for them but they stand over their products. and at the end of the day the money you save not going to hotels you have that money back quickly , and both brands hold their value extremly well if you decide camping it not for you.
there is many school of thoughts i prefer a bit of a wider bag and stay a bit on the ligher side and then when it gets colder i wear a down jacket to fill the space. my reasoning is i want the most versatile bag with the most space. when warm and when its goes bellow freezing you want to have a good down jacket anyway with you on the trip .

i dont like tents and mostly sleep without tents or tarp. if you want a tent for life you buy a hilleberg but its crazy money. taprtents are a prety good brand and the owner is a tinkerer. the scarp and the double rainbow are pretty good tents. and the msr hubba hubba is also worth a look.

14

I thought you carry nothing and just fedex your daily change of clothes to the hotel where you will stay. Can you link to that 2003 article on the credit card tour?

you’re dead wrong! it was UPS :wink:

yes, that’s the way i used to do it. i guess the difference is the bike technology. i find that the tools are there now to go places i couldn’t go before, and i guess i want to see it while i’m still here and it’s still there.

Well UPS market cap has gone up by $100B since you got everyone to do credit card tours with that process, so maybe they need to send you a tidy commission check for that endorsement. There may have been a pandemic in the middle that got many of us to use UPS for things unrelated to bike credit card tours though!!!

You should repost that article on the front page for posterity purposes.

15

my feet get cold

I have this problem too and I nearly gave up on bike packing because of it. I would always had a nice pair of merino wool socks and it never helped. Then someone suggested using waterproof socks to sleep in. They have been a game changer and are now nearly the first thing I pack for a bike packing trip. I only sleep in them and do not use them any other time.

I’ve got a pair from Showers Pass but there are other brands as well.

16

Cool.

Oh, Outdoor Research Stargazer Bivy is my tent.
Not much room to bring your gear in with you but it’s super light and breathable. I hate tents that get humid.

Sleeping bag is a Wexgear.

17

East Cape Cycle Tour | Flickr - some pictures from a tour a few years back shows the tent setup and a few other things.

Note this was 2010 and I was on a road bike with disc brakes… #trendsetter. Skinny tyres at 110psi on really rough chipseal show a slightly different approach to today.

Also note the front panniers. I managed to have one of those fall off as I was cycling in a town and dropped off a footpath kerb, unbelievably didn’t notice and rode off. When I noticed and was back tracking my route I had a police car pull up and ask if I’d lost something… So make sure that everything is very well fixed, even the front ones…

18

This was me last year on my 3,200k ride from home to Cairns and back to watch Ironman.That is my old CAAD8 with all kinds of crap attached including my BOB which I got in Anchorage 10 years ago.Like most cycling niches,bikepacking has become a gear-geeks heaven and just like my triathlon life I stopped spending money on gear a very long time ago and have become something of an expert on the “Poor mans bikepacking” way of doing things.That means WalMart/K-Mart/Canadian Tire/BigW tent,tarp.clothes and gear,etc,etc for me.I have been known to fly in to a city,go to one of those stores and about $200 later roll out fully kitted up for a multi week tour.I am not into pretending that I am in the SAS so the minimalist thing is lost on me.I did have to break down and spend money on Garmin’s,Spot Tracker and decent lights though.
Off for a 2,400k’ish ride around central Queensland here in Oz from the 13th to the 22nd Dec which should be toasty warm this time of year. All part of IndiPac 2022 training.

IMG_0369 (2).JPG

19

Full disclosure, I have yet to bikepack. However, I’ve done some fairly serious backpacking and think some of the gear I’ve used for that would be worth considering:

Hennessee Hammock with Super Shelter insulation system-takes the place of a tent and pad. It weighs about 3 pounds total and packs into a very small stuff sack. It’s much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.

Steripen- takes the place of a filter. It’s smaller, lighter, and easy to use.

Jetboil- if you are ok with dehydrated meals, like Mountainhouse, all you need is a way to boil water. The Jetboil is compact and very efficient with fuel. It boils water very quickly.

20

very comprehensive. let me ask you this. just for:

sleeping
tenting

do you have recommendations? i get cold. my feet get cold. i don’t like to be cold. so, i want a bag that packs small, but is warm. bag + bivy sack is fine, but mostly i’d like the bag to do the work.

tent, i had this great 1-man moss tent that lasted a long time, got a lot of use, but it eventually wore out and i don’t think i have it anymore. i want something that good. that moss tent was great.

if you think there’s a pad that packs small, and that you would use, i’d like to know about that.

I use:

Down mountain hardwear sleeping bag
Nemo gogo bivy/tent
Therm-a-rest Neo pad

The bivy is to keep me dry, but it does add a level of warmth too. The bag is a 25 degree bag and that is enough for me- colder than that and do not go. (I used up all my time practicing being cold and miserable in my prior life.) A down bag packs smaller than a poly one.

The pad is inflatable packs super small. Getting off the ground keeps you warmer.

Cold feet- wear wool socks. I like the Pearl Izumi wool cycling socks. But, I use mostly wool base layers in the fall and winter. If I get cold, a hat on the head and the puffy coat might go on too.

I’ve also used the Outdoor Research Helium bivy and that is still available. The Nemo is a bit more spacious (well just a little- it is still a bivy). A tarp or cowboy camping would work too depending on weather.