6 Bikepacking Essentials You DON’T Want To Forget!

The wind in your hair, the open road ahead & the constant thrill of the unknown… bikepacking sounds pretty great right? With this guide, you’ll be ready for your next bike tour. Conor takes us through his must-have items for every bikepacking trip. From clothing to sleeping, Conor dives deep in his recipe for adventure.

00:00 Adventure starts now
00:23 Why I love bikepacking
01:10 How to pack your bike
06:02 What bike should I take?
07:58 How to navigate when bikepacking
09:56 What Food to eat when bikepacking
10:53 What to wear when bikepacking
12:22 Sleeping when bikepacking

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Adventure is out there whether it’s the other side of the world or just outside your front door and Adventure by bike is perhaps one of the purest ways to see the world and travel I’m talking bike packing and I love it and if you’re thinking of giving it a go yourself and here are a few tips and some advice on basic careit you’ll need to get yourself started for those that don’t know me I’m Conor dun and I present videos here on gcn and if you want to keep up to date with all the videos we put out on the channel then please do hit that subscribe button it mean a lot to us now I’ve spent most of my life riding bikes but mostly racing them at races such as the jured Italia and the VTA espania I wasn’t particularly fast but I did have my odd moment of Triumph in amongst all the suffering I think my main passion though has always been seeking out Adventure by bike the road is your oyster and bike packing is a perfect example of this you choose your speed your itinerary where you stop what you see what you eat I absolutely love it and if you’re even thinking about trying bike packing touring traveling by bike whatever you want to call it give it a go you won’t be disappointed how you actually carry all your stuff for your trip is probably going to be the first thing you need to figure out no no not that not that not that remember the more bags you have the more places you can store stuff the more you can bring but at the same time the heavier you’re going to be so if you can get away with carrying less the riding is going to be easier of course if you want want to get cracking straight away you could just find any old rock sack that you’ve got whack all your stuff in and hit the road although I must say this isn’t the most comfortable option because it’s quite heavy on your back and for longer trips can be a little unwieldy so give it a go but there are other options bike packing bags such as this one is probably the next logical step if you want to upgrade your setup these work brilliantly because they can pretty much fit to any bike that you can think of they can also carry a whole heap of stuff so this one here it’s 15 L capacity it’s also really waterproof you be rest assured the stuff inside here is going to be perfectly safe now if you’re thinking of upgrading to a bike packing bag such as this one few things to bear in mind various price points but each has their different amount of sway so it can affect your ride you actually get an accessory called a wishbone um which attached onto the saddle and stops that sway if it does bother you also you want to think about accessibility so how easy is it to get the bag on and off your bike which believe me when you’re tired at the end of a Long Day’s ride it’s actually something that’s quite valuable you can take your stuff with you to wherever you’re sleeping um without having to faf around trying to always get it on and off now it’s not just a rear saddle bag you can get as a bike packing bag you can spread these around your bike and your your triangle area on your handlebars and this really distributes your weight really well over the whole bike making for what I believe is quite a natural feel to your riding and compared to a rock sack it takes the weight off your back makes life easier for yourself cuz your bike’s taking it stay your poor body and this is my sort of preferred setup with all the bike packing bags attached to my bike front bag middle back loader back bag saddle bag whatever you’d like to call it I tend to go for the heavier items in the middle try and keep that center of gravity just right and then go for those kind of bulkier but lighter items like maybe a sleeping bag spare jackets on the back or the front if I am looking for extra carry capacity I normally use something like this so this is top PE Versa cage really useful bit of Kit because this kind of if you do have mounting points can be mounted straight there to the fork or you can get some straps which will strap it to a fork it doesn’t have mounting points this really allows you to get a really bulky item that you struggle to fit into these bags onto your forks say I’m talking like a bulky sleeping bag sleeping mat such like another advantage to bike packing bags they’re quite aerodynamic and I know that doesn’t really matter as much when you’re bike packing but I tell you the end of a long day when you’re tired you want to find your camper your place to sleep and get some food in you and kind of tick along trust me you’ll appreciate it tucks itself out of the wind here away for the wind doesn’t really impact the profile of the bike too much aside from that handle bar bag aside from bike packing bags packs a really good option to consider especially if you’re going on longer trips or you’re perhaps needing to carry more items or bulkier stuff on your bike now these are easier to fit if you do have mounting points on your bike for them but if you don’t you can still find pandax for your bike with with mounting capabilities through the through axle or the quick release and actually that can take more weight on the rack as well I really like these you can get quite a lot of stuff on they also I find them a bit easier to access once you got your bags attached to them and they give you kind of plenty of options of where you can put stuff as well personally I prefer the handling of a bike with bike packing bars on but that’s totally personal preference and everyone will have a different opinion on that one I do have the tendency to pack more stuff though and I’ve got racks on and if I’m going Offroad I tend to prefer the bike packing bags too they’re also a bit fider to installs if you’re going kind of between trips and you wanted a quick option to whack on I prefer the bike backing bags but yeah as I said for longer trips we committing to the road P your bags pan your racks definitely worth considering of course you can also think about a bike trailer there’s plenty out there that are purpose made for carrying stuff for bike packing or you could just look online or in secondhand pages to find an old Charles trailer plenty going cheap especially seeing as if it’s not in the best condition still works perfectly for bike packing rather than putting live children into the advantage to a trailer is you can carry heaps of stuff really easily accessible downsides your bike is less maneuverable particularly if you’re going a bit Offroad put your bike over fences and the like it can also puncture I’ve been there before rear punctures double on a trailer not the best look it can be a great option especially if you’re on a budget bikewise then what bike should you take on your bike packing trip well to be honest literally any bike will work if you want to head out and get yourself started any of those carry options will work on any sort of bike you can pretty much think of any scenario and you’ll figure it out but if you are buying a bike in the process of buying one with bike packing trips in mind this is what I’d advise to make your life that bit easier disc brakes extra stopping power which is definitely important when you have all that added weight in bike nice easy gears because with all that added weight the climbs are a lot harder plenty of mounting points either on the forks on the frame on the down tube there for attaching additional bottle cages or extra cages which you can strap all your stuff to your bike with nice and security as chunky tires as possible I’d go down the wider Tire Route because even with bestle plans if you plan to go on the road you always do end up taking a bit of off-road stuff and it is nice to have that extra grip that extra volume in your tire which makes the riding that bit much more comfortable a pretty traditional setup with parts that are easy to Source when you’re out on the road and also perhaps a more relaxed geometry made for long days in the saddle the rest can be debated until your heart’s content but those Basics will give you a pretty solid bike packing specific rig that could take on pretty much any trip don’t forget your tools and Spares too though this one get a little bit tricky because obviously tools quite heavy so you want to be careful about what you’re bringing if there’s not that that many resupply points you’re probably going to have to bring a bit more as backup but if you are frequently passing through places what you can get a bit of help then you can afford to go on the lighter front but i’ say to remember to bring things like Tire boots so you can fix some big slits in your tires spare hangers for your bike or anything really specific to the bike you’re riding so there’s all the usual puncture repair tools basic Allen key sets you normally take on any ride navigation is something that you’re going to need to sort before your trip so get planning and get looking at Roots because you’re going to be on unfamiliar roads and you’re going to want to know where you want to head in advance so you have the best time out on your bike paper maps they’re a great starting point can be a little tricky to read do take up a bit of extra space but they’re there they’ll have those roots on them they’re ready to go you can whack it in your pocket there’s something romantic I think about reading a paper map good old technology though has made this easier for us with many of us using smartphones these days we have mapping already right in the palm of our hand and there’s plenty of platforms that you can choose from if you want to use your navigation options right there on your phone design your rout and then use it almost as a head unit to navigate from further a field than you ever thought imaginable we use straa here at GCM so you can choose your route draw it up make it your own save it offline so that when you’re riding into places with no signal you know it’s there one thing I would say about using your phone as a navigational device is going to cost you battery life so that is definitely something to bear in mind remember take a power pack as backup in there with all your stuff a dedicated head unit like this one is probably your best upgrade in terms of navigation it’s a bit easier to read with a purpose built display for for bright weather you can get all your Maps downloaded here ready to view have them on there in advance then you can ride away to your heart’s content of course you could just wing it without navigation at all but I say if this is your first time it’s definitely worth prepping in advance cuz you can plan your route around resupply points accommodation and the best riding and I do genuinely believe your trip will be better and more enjoyable as a result but there is nothing like a bit of an adventure and just jumping on your bike and heading out the door see what happens food for me when I’m bike packing is pretty similar to normal rides but you’re want to remember the energy levels are going to need to be restocked pretty continuously you’re going to be burning through quite a lot of energy so stock up on those carbs and I always try and keep some ride food on board with me for those moments when the energy levels do begin to topple these are really easy to digest easily packable really compact so great to have that onboard energy ready to rumble but at the same time bike packing as an excuse to have some culinary Delights to explore your taste buds in a way you’ve never achieved before and I like to do just that and eat quite a lot of food but remember normal Rules of Engagement apply and if you don’t eat enough even if you are just taking it nice and easy and enjoying yourself you’ll Bonk and you’ll find it pretty tough going keep on top of those food levels folks and always have emergency rations clothing wise I think the answer is basically whatever works for you whatever you’re used to go for it and wear what you feel comfortable with but at the end of the day you want to wear something which keeps you warm you want to make that the priority long days in the saddle when your bike packing you get in situations that aren’t really planned and you don’t want to end up cold and shivering on the side of the road in the rain believe me it is quite a big dampener on any B packing trip ex use a pun I think one item of clothing which I’d really recommend always put it in your bag no matter the trip no matter the location is a stuffable jacket like this one preferably one which is waterproof as well the advantage of these is that you can wear them whilst you’re riding but also off the bike when you get to accommodation when you get to Camp can whack it on really easily you can also use the hood under your helmet to keep your head head warm they are just so versatile and I often find myself taking one on literally every trip I go on so that would be my one tip to consider and there’s plenty of options out there to suit any budget as well from staying in sheltered accommodation I often try and go as light as possible when it comes to to spare clothing maybe bring bringing a spare bib shorts spare layer that sits on my skin the rest I try and make do with the entirety of the trip and I wash it as I go bit of a soap and scrub when needed and hang to dry but experiment yourself with what you’re able to get away with packing what feels right for you and also what’s going to be comfortable for using for the whole of your ride if this is your first bike packing trip then I maybe recommend staying in sheltered accommodation just to get something under your belt for a smaller trip and make life a little bit easier for yourself look for hosts places on the route which pretty cool to stay in but at the same time if you’re thinking about camping it is so accessible and you need and think you need to have a super amount of skill to be able to camp on the stars and get those Wild Nights in trust me you’re going to love it and there is a pretty basic setup that you can get to get started of course there is probably a whole another video or two on what are the best Camp options for different scenarios but if you’re going out in the middle of summer all you really need sleeping bag mat a bivy bag so this is a waterproof bag which goes around your sleeping bag making that waterproof outer layer and I like to inflate my sleeping mat put that in the bivy bag and then put the sleeping bag into that so you’re kind of like a little burrito under the stars and that is pretty much it if you think it’s going to be dry even a bit of showers is fine but if it is potentially going to be wet then I would say get a top this is kind of just a waterproof sheets which you can tie above your setup keep yourself nice and dry during the night from there you can potentially upgrade to a one or two man bike packing specific tent which is quite light to carry you can easily fit it in your your bike packing setup a bit of extra Comfort especially if you’re riding areas lots of midies and insects you can keep those out and also give yourself a bit of privacy too which is always nice to have you can sort your kit out in your tent but just getting started that’s what i’ go for there you go then a few tips to get you started and hopefully out the door bike packing on your first trip potentially I hope you found this video useful if you did please give it a big thumbs up and let us know in the comments you like any more advice or if we maybe missed anything remember it is a bit daunting before you head out the door don’t fret it get cracking get started you definitely won’t regret it have a good one folks enjoy