What clothes do I pack? How do I cook my food? To bivvy or not to bivvy? These are all common questions when heading out on your first bikepacking adventure. Luckily Conor is a bikepacking master, he’s done the hard miles, he’s made the silly mistakes and now he’s here to share his knowledge. Listen in, grab a pen and start taking notes. It’s time for an adventure!
00:00 Intro
00:26 Bags
04:17 Shelter
05:74 Sleeping Kit
07:59 Clothing
09:54 Cooking
12:24 Electronics
14:48 Safety
15:43 Tools
16:35 Conor’s Top Tips
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38 Comments
Did we miss anything? Let us know your bikepacking essentials! 👇
Nice video! The topic I really like. Now then, that we know what to take with us, maybe in the next video Connor will show us how to pack all this in a reasonable manner? Sound funny perhaps, but this can be a real issue actually.
A 1 man bivi tent is the way to go….
Awesome vid! Do you have a list of the gear used?
Any suggestion for packable off the bike shoes?
Spare rear derailleur hanger. That's a common point of failure.
PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACON & BEAR SPRAY.
All that stuff, might as well just pull a trailer!!!
American BEERS are actually the least harmful, when camping.
I think you got everything, but it would have been nice to see all the kit packed in the bags and on the bike, just so we know it is possible!
More bike packing content, please – need some inspiration to get through the Welsh/UK winters ready for the summer adventures!
How do you secure your bike and gear overnight if traveling solo?
But you didn't actually put all the kit you showed onto a bike.
Show us how you load the bike for a 2 week trip.
Disappointed with this video, plenty of chat, no substance.
I want to see you pack all this stuff! How’s it all going to fit into those bags
If your bike frame isn't Conor-sized and you carry bottles, make sure a frame bag will fit before purchase.
It's 2023 – camping quilt, not bag – preferrably down in any case. IMHE down is a LOT less fuss than suggested. (I've had several quilts for years and still no smell – never washed any of them – and normally they have a DWR coating so not hard to keep dry normal rain conditions.
Either way – camping 101 – Unless really hot out you'll absolutely need a sleeping pad to insulate your body from the ground. Even with a bag the bottom insulation useless since it is compressed. (Air is what insulates. This why a quilt is superior choice.)
There are no "4 season" bags (or quilts – or pads.) Setup for expected temps.
Tried the bikepacking bags but after several journeys in torrential rain I went back to a simple pannier n bar bag set up. Being able to access your kit without playing Tetris in the rain is much easier. Whatever you use tho, just enjoy it
Amazing! Bikepacking for me is the best cycling experience you could get.
Few tips from me:
-Spend time choosing your sleeping bag. Being too hot isn't as bad as being too cold, but you won’t get a good night’s sleep. If you're a side sleeper, consider NOT going ultralight mummy bag, but having a large footbox. I suggest Nemo "spoon" bags or Sierra Designs zipperless bags
-A good inflatable pillow is essential for me. Sleeping and recuperation is critical! Rolled clothing doesn’t cut it. I use a Decathlon ”Helium pillow”.
-Nice to have: an electric inflator. When setting up camp every day, you don’t want to spend time blowing into your mat, or fiddling with a pump sack. Mine doubles up as a camp light and emergency powerbank so 8t doesn’t feel like unnecessary weight.
-Bring a friend! Chat along the way, share experiences, but also share carry weight.
For riders of small bike, like me size 50cm, i recommend a hipbag for items like powerbank, spare parts, wallet etc.
Chamois cream!
The secret to tubeless and tubed is doing it yourself.
This is my first year riding tubeless and the bike shop did the original install. I wish I did it myself just to get familiar right away.
After this year for my use (road) it is really great.
I go super light, but I do not camp, I credit card it. WalMart has super light camp shoes that are invaluable to me. Hard to find the super light ones, but they are around! Also his rain jacket was not for deluges, just for intermittent showers or light drizzle (I know, because I have one). For that, I have a Decathlon cheapie, with a a hood, which you can also wear over your poofy jacket if necessary.
A small sit pad is nice to have. Something like the thermalite zseat.
Very good list! Especially the tip to bring lights even in the summer is very usefully. On my last big trip a day, that should just be 8 of hours in the saddle, turned out to last until midnight. The only light, I had with me, was a torch zip tied to my handlebars. Not what I've planned.
Woho saddle bag stabilizer, you can thank me later
There used to be bike touring with proper panniers that fit on racks. Front and rear racks. None of this floppy, wibbly-wobbly 'packs' that is tied onto the saddle. Do it right.
There is no chance all of your kit goes onto your bike. This video is a good overview of everything you could take. But each trip requires you to select the kit accordingly. You'll learn from experience.
Next video showing how to get that lot on a bike please!!!
Details for that light mount pls.
I use a camping hammock, mosquitoe net, and tarp..super light and easy to set up out of the rain and wind.
Don't visit me after a few days on the road if you're taking nothing to wash with! 😂
1:57 Why is it nowadays, for a product that has some sort of issue, another product is released? In this case by the same company. As a pallet cleanser, try flicking through the Rough Stuff Fellowship's archive to see how our ancestors managed… 🙄
Take bears into consideration. What about Si's beloved cows?
Those Silca gear wipes are great
I’d like to see Conor pack all that stuff onto a bike the size of mine! I’d love to have the option of using bikepacking bags but any that would fit my bike wouldn’t hold much of anything.
One thing to consider is that if you're a short person your bike will have a lot less space for bags. For example, there might not be space for a frame bag, handlebar bags touch the front wheel, etc.
Problem for me is that I’m short, so I can’t fit some bags on my frame
ref mobile phones ,I use a Doogee ,they are heavier but bullet proof & mine has a 8000mh battery ,You can actually use it to power other items .
Hey Conor – couple of suggestions to add in addition to the toilet kit/trowel mentioned in the comments I always carry some parachute cord (20 ft) super light and always using it for something and also some individual hydration drink mix packs (a couple per day) along with a few gels and bars. If its going to be buggy a midge head net is also a good call.
What's your experience with these strapping cages on carbon forks?
Afaik it's not being recommended to strap them on carbon forks. I'd love to have this extra option on my road bike but I don't want my fork to break.