The best bike for bikepacking...

The best bike for bikepacking is the one you already own.

This is a phrase you will come across in your early considerations about bikepacking. It should be a phrase that piques your interest and enable you to go to the next step of planning your own trip. It is a true phrase.

I started bikepacking on a full-suspension mountain bike. I’d been doing some half-hearted mountain biking in the winters. Mostly I rode just to get outdoors when I couldn’t go rock climbing (my former first love). I’d meet up with friends and we’d do a mix of trail centres and natural trails. I found that whilst I really enjoyed a flowing, well-built, trail centre circuit, I actually preferred the exploratory feeling I got when on natural trails. To be a bikepacker you’ll need to love natural trials. I should add that I’m not a very good bike rider: I worry on the fast downhills and struggle with the long up hills. I lack the skill to ride rock gardens and an inch of air feels like I’m flying. For me, the ride was about getting out on horrible days, meeting friends and getting some exercise. The fun was never in the actual bike riding. I’m fortunate to live near the Gwydyr Forest Trails here in north Wales and whilst I can’t remember the last time I rode the trails in one, I do enjoy a home run down the fast, finishing sections of these trails; Pen y Parc, Reid ar Ras and Reid Rydd. It’s like a seductive reward that I’ve earned by working hard on a journey. In fact, learning that you can use bits of trails and link them to forest tracks and bridleways to go where you want is a step towards a true freedom of the ‘road’. Bikepacking is journeying. Travelling through the land, across horizons, vales and passes. A bike will take you far, quietly and efficiently.

So, if you have a bike, even if it’s a full suspension mountain bike, get yourself a saddle pack and away you go. The saddle pack has become synonymous with bikepacking. Graham reckons a small one is fine, but my experience was one of an unpleasantly swaying pack. I really didn’t like it. To be fair, whatever you do, however you pack, there always seems to be a rattling coming from somewhere in your luggage. But adding in the sway of a saddle pack is not my preferred option. I soon switched to a hardtail mountain bike. If you aren’t too bothered about the rough stuff and you want to travel longer distances and quickly over gravel tracks and small lanes, then a gravel bike will be worth considering. Myself? I reserve the right to drop on to any available single track and to seek out smile inducing descents.

The advantage of switching to a hardtail meant that I could use a rack on the rear of my bike and still keep full dropper post functionality, making the riding of single tracks and stoney downhills all the more pleasant. You can ride these trails on a drop-handled barred gravel bike, but it’s so much nicer with some front suspension and wider grip handlebars.

My first hardtail had 650B wheels and tyres, that is 27.5” x 3.00”. Quite why 27.5” is referred to as the metric 650B and the 29” wheels retain their imperial measurement I have no idea! Welcome to a world of secret codes and hidden meanings. Don’t let them put you off! I love that bike, and I still have it; I call it my fun bike: it rides well, and cost less than £1000. If I were a bit better on the maintenance and mechanics side, I probably would have stuck with it. But I’m not. I am utterly useless at mechanics, maintenance and even cleaning the bike. I’ve gone for a Sonder Broken Road. It has a titanium frame, 29” wheels and a pinion gear box.

The Pinion gear box is heavy, but the weight is low down on the lightweight titanium frame so, as a combo, it works. Remember any bike with a load on will be heavy to lift regardless of whether or not it started out as a lightweight option. It’s something to think about as you surely will have to lift your bike over some sort of obstacle at some point on your bikepacking journeys. The gear box is internal which removes the need for those hangy down bits at the back (a ‘rear mech derailleur hanger’ in biking code!) It removes the need for a chain and loads of finger shredding cogs (the code word is ‘cassette’). I have a carbon fibre drive belt linking the pedal action (crack arms and bottom brackets) with the rear wheel. No gears to adjust, no chain to break or go rusty and there is less tweaking required of the gear cables. The gearbox has an oil change once a year (I take it to the shop obviously). The cables will need changing too and mine actually work so much better after being changed than they did when they were new. The gear change is by rotating the handlebar grip and is so light hat it’s really easy to do.

I have 29” x 2.4” Maxxis Recon Tubeless tyres. The last pair wore out without me ever getting a puncture. In fact, there were 12 punctures that I knew nothing about, so good is the tubeless system. That bit is a no brainer.

I have front suspension, a dropper post and hydraulic brakes. I’ve changed the handlebars for On-one Geoff handlebars. These are more swept back than flat bars, but give more control on descents than drop handlebars. I find them a good compromise, plus you’ve got more mounting options. I use a leather Brooks saddle, which I’ve loved from the first moment I sat on it. The smooth leather just feels right to me, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

My rear rack is from Tailfin. This is not a cheap option but it’s worth it. When coupled with their own AeroPack it’s about as perfect a system as you can get. There is no sway, the bag is easy to put on and take off, you have mounts on the uprights for extra water bottles, mini panniers, or your pump. It’s light, it works, and you can still use your dropper post.

I have two water bottle holders in the frame, again trying to keep the centre of gravity low. I use a less-than-half frame bag under the crossbar and a small top tube bag on top of it. On longer journeys I add an extra top tube bag just in front of the seat post. I take two stem bags, and I strap a dry bag on the handlebars. I keep looking for a better front-end system, but the simple strapping on of a dry bag works. Do make sure your cables are loose and won’t be compromised though. The one I use is an elongated one from Ortleib which is 13 litres (though it takes as much kit as my 20l AeroPack pack!). I strap this on to the handlebar with Voile straps.

That gives me plenty of baggage. The bag on my handlebars takes the tent, blow up sleeping mat, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner and stove and pan. One stem bag is used for a water bottle and the other for snacks (fortunately the bags are Eccles cake shape). The top tube bag takes my glasses collection. The rear top tube bag harbours a bike lock, multi tool, spare brake pads (only on long journeys), my head torch, some cable ties and a few first aid bits. These items will fit in the frame bag on most journeys. The extra top tube bag is only needed when I’m out for a least a couple of weeks.

Tent: I use a Terra Nova Laser Competition tent. It packs down small, weighs less than 1 kg and works all year round in the UK. I do on some occasions have to pitch my tent when it's raining. This is so much easier if I can erect it outer first, or at least inner and outer together. I then need to be able to get in the tent and keep the inside of it dry. For this I like a big porch. I can ditch the wet gear in the porch as I crawl into the tent. I have gear in waterproof bags so that they can stay in the porch once I’m in the tent and dry. I then remove from the waterproof bags the stuff I need inside the tent, like my sleeping bag and sleeping mat. I’ve learnt that in the tent everything has its place. It's not necessarily about being tidy but it’s a matter of knowing where everything is and where everything goes. There can be days when I need to pitch my tent in the rain, strike it in the rain, ride all day, pitch in the rain again, strike in the rain again and repeat. This is one of the specialities of bikepacking in the UK; you have been warned! To be fair it's rarely that bad and you can often find some shelter and most bikepackers (me included), will not be averse to using a bothy, a barn, hostel or even a B&B. In fact, carrying the internet on your handlebars in the form of a mobile phone means some sort of accommodation can usually be found even if it's off route a bit.

Sleeping bag: I use a Montane two-season down sleeping bag that I bought in the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease lockdown, making it over twenty years old. I really like it. It works for me for all of the spring and autumn. In the deep winter, I might take a three-season bag and in the height of summer I might take a lightweight quilt instead. I always take a silk sleeping bag liner which is easier to wash than a down sleeping bag. It weighs next to nothing and packs small, but it can give me an extra layer when it’s cold or a sheet to hide in if I want to use my bag like a quilt. Flexibility is nice to have.

Sleeping mat: I’m currently using the Cloudbase blow up mat from Alpkit. I’ve used it lots, fixed one puncture, and been very pleased with it. Some of these mats are too narrow and some have tubes that seem to repel your body. The air ‘lumps’ in this one help me to stay on it. I do have further insulation underneath my tent. I use 4mm closed cell foam padding underneath the ground sheet. This is like an insulating tent footprint. It’s dead light and easy to carry in my rucksack. I can also pull it out to lay down on at lunch time. I’ve cut into two pieces, each one nearly a metre square, folded and kept folded by a Velcro strap. It’s not something you see in the shops, and I had to purchase it online.

Pillow: I simply use a dry bag. I always have one as I keep most things in them. My sleeping bag especially, but also spare clothes. I just stuff whatever clothes I’m not wearing into the bag then wrap it in a T shirt.

Stove: I use a tiny gas stove. Mine is the Kraku from Alpkit. This is coupled with a titanium pan and is only used for boiling water which I add to homemade couscous or freeze-dried rice meals. I make these up myself as it’s cheaper than buying them. I put together an Italian mix, an Indian mix and a Moroccan mix. Several meals are carried in small freezer bags so that I can eat whenever and wherever I need to. I actually prefer real food though and if I can pick up some rolls, an onion, one or two butcher’s burgers or some halloumi, I choose that. I carry chilli sauce too. I’ve started carrying a small titanium frying pan (an Alpkit Mytipan) in which I can doing the frying, make an omelette or even just heat up a tinned meal. Eggs are easy enough to carry in an egg box (I put them in my rucksack so they don’t get squashed).

I do enjoy my camp breakfast. I take porridge. I buy the cheaper oats and then rehydrate with boiling water in a bowl with a screw top lid. There’s no need to cook these oats, they are lovely after only about five minutes. I add dried fruit, freeze dried raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and lovely brown sugar. My biggish bag of porridge goes in the AeroPack bag on the rear rack, whilst the smaller bags of savoury food, along with my butter box and plastic jar of jam, go in the under-bar frame bag.

Also, in the AeroPack bag on the rear rack is a change of clothes for evenings in pubs and hostels, a change of biking under-clothes, towel, soap, toothbrush and paste, mug, power pack and charging leads, breakfast bowl and dinner bowl.

Rucksack –In my rucksack I carry a pair of Croc flip flops. These are really handy for evenings indoors, nipping out of my tent to go to the loo and for wearing whilst wading through rivers. They are tough, I can walk or cycle in them and they dry instantly. Also in the rucksack are my closed cell foam pads (the ones that go under my groundsheet), a warm coat for stops and my Personal Locator Beacon should I need to call for help in an emergency and I’m out of phone signal. I also tend to chuck a roll of duct tape in here too.

Dry bags – Most waterproof bags will let you down at some point. It might even be your own fault for letting water in when you opened the bag, it might be that you didn’t close the zip fully or that some stitching is leaking. If a bag is waterproof, it means it keeps the water in and anything in the bag will be sat in a puddle. Managing your kit in constant rain is a pain. I like to pop important things into their own waterproof bag. This can make things a bit bulky sometimes, but keeping the sleeping bag and electronics dry is really important. I take an extra one for slipping over my saddle too.

What to wear?

I come from a climbing and mountaineering background. So, if I'm in the hills I tend to walk or climb, in climbing and mountaineering gear. I already own such gear. This is gear that has been designed over many years to make spending time in the hills more comfortable. Much mountain biking gear copies mountaineering gear, certainly in the use of high-quality modern fabrics.

Others come from a cycling background and are comfortable wearing lycra. There probably aren't many bikepackers who choose to wear (like I do) walking trousers, walking boots or shoes, base layer and a fleece with a soft-shell jacket. To be fair, the fleece doesn't stay on long as it's usually too warm, but the base layer and the soft-shell work very well. The soft shell doesn't really need to be bike specific. I roll up and tuck in the hood of my soft shell to prevent it acting as windsock.

It’s important that clothing is as breathable as possible, as most of us tend to work up some heat on ascent. It does, however, need to be windproof too as on descent the wind can pierce your layers in chilling fashion. None of this clothing needs to be bike specific and in the same vein that the bike you've already got is the best bike for bikepacking then the outdoor clothes you've already got are also the best clothes for bikepacking too. In fact, I like to use kit across disciplines as it’s an easy way to lower your environmental and carbon footprint. Sustainability starts by using less kit for longer. I was slightly aghast to notice recently that I had different water bottles for sea kayaking, walking and biking. Use fewer, use it for longer and use it for more things. All that said, there is of course, some excellent gear purposely made for cycling as well.

I do wear cycling undies. The padding is welcome even when using an expensive leather saddle. Quick drying shorts will suffice in the summer but in the winter, I wear lightweight soft-shell trousers that I inherited from working at a large outdoor centre. A wicking base layer is requisite for all outdoor activities in my opinion. If I’m out for more than three days I’ll take spare socks, spare cycling undies, and spare base layer.

Hands

I always wear gloves and it’s as much about gripping the handlebars with sweaty hands as it is for keeping my hands warm. My preferred gloves are fingerless, leather and non-padded. I just find that with reasonable handlebar grips I don’t need the padding. Padding seems to come as standard though and I find it hard to find gloves that don’t have it. I wonder if this is because a lot of cycling design comes from road cycling where you’re in a similar position for longer periods of time. When mountain biking, I’m rarely in the same fixed position for any great length of time, besides, I quite like to sit up and look around me!

The fingerless gloves I use do keep my hands warm enough on descents and being thin, they dry quickly if it rains. Sadly, because they are thin, they do wear out rather more quickly that I would like. If it’s cold, a cheap pair of ski gloves are hard to beat for bikepacking. The drawback comes when it’s raining, and they end up saturated. I use waterproof work gloves when rain comes down, particularly in the colder months, but these are hard to dry out when on longer expeditions so ordinary cycling gloves, maybe with smart screen fingers, are as good as anything.

Footwear.

I don’t like to be clipped into my pedals. I’m not looking for the extra pull that SPDs might give me. Cycling shoes are not the best choice for me. There are specialist cycling shoes that aren’t clip in and with over-shoes these are very good. Over-shoes, however, will soon wear out if you spend much time walking up hills (and you probably will!) Walking boots or walking shoes, which for me are multi-purpose, do the job perfectly well and I already own them. When bikepacking I do spend quite a bit of time walking alongside my bike so footwear that I can walk in is very important. I actually like a bit of space in my shoes too. The ability to wiggle my toes is essential for keeping feet warm. Most of the time I use walking shoes they do get wet, but they dry relatively quickly too. In the winter months, I’ll switch to walking boots, the drawback being they take longer to dry, but they keep your feet drier for longer as well as keeping them warm. I do make sure I’m wearing good socks or even waterproof socks such as those from Sealskin. I did see someone doing the Highland 550 race in sandals and I don’t think this is a bad idea at all. The battle between keeping feet warm and dry and having to dry out your shoes and socks is one of the biggest challenges on long British bikepacking trips. I might even try wellies next!

Headwear

I wear three hats. A helmet, for the road bits and the down hills. It’s hard to imagine not wearing a helmet, it just seems such a sensible thing to do and given they are so light there really is no excuse for not wearing one. I think it’s normal to wear a helmet when cycling now. That said, I also always have a woolly hat with me. My head sweats in a helmet so when stopping it’s good to have a different hat to put on. I cool down quickly if stopping for lunch or adjustments so having a warm hat to hand makes a lot of sense. Well, most of the time it does, but I have also started carrying a sun hat. On those long uphill bits on sunny days, I can burn and suffer in the heat. A lightweight sun hat which covers my neck and ears and fits neatly into my crossbar bag has been a godsend. I hang my helmet on my phone mount and switch to the sun hat when I’m going uphill or bumbling along slowly.

The woolly hat is also useful in camp in the evening, or in the mornings. Sometimes I set off still wearing it under my helmet, so one with a pom-pom is not ideal.

Eye protection

I carry four pairs of glasses. One pair are my plain safety glasses, which I wear most of the time. They are quite special though as they have reading inserts in the bottom corners of the lenses. This means that they can act as spare reading glasses too. I also carry poor visibility glasses and sunglasses with reading inserts. But I also like to have proper reading glasses as well! I like reading.

Waterproofs

Many cyclists don’t like carrying waterproofs, but the harsh reality of bikepacking in the UK means that I’m rarely without one. Through the summer months, I always take a waterproof jacket to put on when it rains. In the winter months, I’ll add waterproof overtrousers, but in the summer if my legs get wet, then they’ll dry out soon enough. In the winter it can be cold and covering up the legs is, for me, a sound plan. Whilst I doubt anyone chooses to cycle in the rain there is a strange satisfaction to making progress as the precipitation chases you along. I don’t mind a bit of rain, but I do need a plan for drying out. Three days and two nights of rain will usually send me looking for a B&B or a hostel to dry out and take stock.

The ’big’ jacket

I always have a big jacket. Some sort of synthetic down jacket. If it’s synthetic it doesn’t matter if it gets wet, it still works when wet and you can throw it in the washing machine if necessary. Down doesn’t work for UK bikepacking. The size of my jacket will vary with the season, but I always have it handy when I stop. My rucksack is the best place for this, not hidden away in tightly packed bags. Slipping off some outer layers and slipping on a warm jacket feels great.

Dressing for dinner

I take a change of clothes for the evening. We’re not talking black tie here, but something that makes me mildly more presentable in public. I carry some lightweight trousers that roll up small, a T shirt and some cotton undies. I might put these on in the tent (just to get out of sweaty cycling gear, particularly if it’s cold) or I might just get in my sleeping bag. But if you decide to hostel/hotel/ B&B or just stay in a bothy having a change of clothes makes life a little more comfortable.

What else do I carry? - bits and bobs

Of course, you need a few ‘bits and bobs’ otherwise packing would be so boring! Bits and bobs are crucial to the whole faff process of getting ready for departure. In the bits and bobs category are ear plugs. So many times ear plugs have saved me, be it heavy rain on the tent, flapping bits of the tent or a snoring companion in a bothy. I keep them in my power pack and recharging bag as I tend to need them at similar times. My neck gaiter usually starts off in this bag, its main use being as a blindfold on light evenings and as a barrier to early morning sun. It can stray though. In hot weather it becomes very useful as a piece of cloth that can be dunked in passing streams and puddles then used to cool down my neck. On short trips I might take a hip flask, filled with one of my favourite tipples. Unfortunately, on longer trips refilling a hip flask is tricky, so if I took it, I’d end up carrying an empty hip flask after the first night or two.

I take a towel. A lightweight pack towel. You can get quite big ones nowadays and they are great after a swim or wash. Soft items like this and spare clothing, are great for anti-rattle when packing harder items in the bags that you strap onto your bike.

I have a head torch and bike lights. I always take a powerpack or two and charging cables. I carry a couple of plasters, a wound dressing, some aspirin and some pain killers. (It’s worth doing an Outdoor First Aid course rather than your normal workplace one.) I don’t really carry any bike spares: I’ve worked hard (and spent a fortune) to eliminate the need for them. Maybe some brake pads would be advisable for longer trips but topping up and checking tyre sealant beforehand is important. If anything does go wrong, I don’t have the skill to fix it anyway! (I have tried learning, but I lack any sort of mechanical aptitude whatsoever.) Other people might tailor these to their bike and their mechanical abilities. However, I do have bicycle breakdown recovery just like you might with a car (from ETA Services). In the summer it’s important to take some sun cream and insect repellent. If I’m cycling in Scotland between the end of May and the end of September, I always take a midge net as well. These days you can do all your shopping and payment on your phone, but it’s worth secreting a bit of cash and a cash card somewhere in one of your bags. I have my wife’s phone number written down too, just in case I were to lose my phone.

Most people will be using a GPS device on the handlebars to navigate. I use a Wahoo and it’s pretty easy to get along with. I also have the relevant Ordnance Survey maps on my phone to check frequently and get the overview of where I am, where I’m going and what there is to see.

Snacks and water

Instead of energy bars I might carry hot cross buns, butter and jam; much nicer. Of course, one of the ‘golden’ rules of bikepacking is never to cycle past a bakery, café or pub! Finally, you’ll need water. I carry a couple of one litre bottles and a half litre bottle and fill them as I go either from mountain streams, cafes, public taps or by just asking people in their gardens. I like to fill up before going into camp so that I have enough water for dinner and breakfast. I’ve never felt the need for a water filter using this system.

My Bikepacking Kit list

No list is cast in stone. I’m constantly changing both my mind and my kit. The speedy might forgo many of my luxury items, there are others who’ll carry more. I’m journeying, not racing.

Wearing

Soft shell walking trousers or quick drying shorts in the summer
Socks, cycling undies and base layer
Thin fleece
Waterproof/s
Soft shell jacket
Gloves
Warm jackets
Cycling shoes/ boots
Helmet

Handlebar bag

Tent
Sleeping bag
Sleeping bag inner
Sleeping mat
Stove, pan, fuel, spoon, lighter, tea
Bendy plastic chopping board

Rear rack bag

Spare fuel
Mug
Spare socks, undies and base layer
Lightweight evening trousers, cotton undies and T shirt
Thin fleece if not being worn
Phone and power pack, ear plugs and neck gaiter
Pack towel
Wash kit, and sponge
Bag of porridge
Dishes
Wooden spoon and eating spoon

Below bar bag frame bag (and sometimes in an extra rear top tube bag)

Snacks
Camp meals
Head torch
Cash, card, bus pass and written important phone numbers
Plasters, wound dressing, aspirin and painkillers
Bike lock
Food prep knife
Butter and jam
Spare gloves and woolly hat
Sunscreen, insect repellent, midge net
Camera phone tripod

Little top tube bag

Glasses collection
Sun hat

Rucksack

4mm closed cell foam pads
Flip flops
Warm jacket
PLB
Duct tape
Waterproof(s) if not being worn

Handlebars

Phone
GPS
Bike light

Stem bags

0.5 l Water battle
Snack

2 more water bottles