I have to say that after spending 30yrs enjoying the outdoors walking camping and cycling I have never combined used the bike for anything other than day trips, or rarely a stop at a B n B overnight.

This shameful state of affairs needs to be remedied asap. I have a burning desire to use my bikes for adventure, and overnight or longer trips.

I have historically done plenty of backpacking and adventuring some time ago. However I know very little about going lightweight with modern kit and nothing about how to carry kit efficiently on a bicycle trip.

I have some kit that I think will be useful from previous solo and group trips…..
i) various Alpkit and Lomo drybags
ii) an Easton Kilo 2 person tent, (3S, but best when its still)
iii) a ME lightline down sleeping bag
iv) a Rab 800g down bag
v) various down jackets and gilets.
vi) a vicious MSR high altitude petrol stove….ace for boiling water and melting snow, too unregulated to cook with really
vii) i have a cumbersome gas Coleman stove that I use in my sea kayak for making a brew on a day trip, some old stainless steel and Ali pan sets
viii) a Karrimat (retro!)

I really need to know what I need to buy/swapout of this kit list. Im happy for Santa (me!) to bring me a recommended bivi or better tent etc. I have been thinking Thermarest neoair xlite for a mat, and im not sure about cooking and pan sets. Id love an idiots guide to start me off. I’m comfortable with buying kit that will last rather than me buying stuff and having to replace it quickly.

Oh, and an idea of routes and trips for a fit late 40’s novice would be amazing too.

thanks

Ian

Plenty of answers here

and some more here

The usual advice would be, don’t worry about kit yet, just get out with what you’ve got, see what works, see what doesn’t, then make some kit choices … tends to work out much cheaper that way 😉

I’ve just started building my bike packing kit up, so far got:
Rab neutrino 400 down bag ~850g for XL size. £159 in the sales.
thermarest prolite plus ~650g, from previous camping trips may upgrade??
Force ten helium 100 ~1200g, used once off ebay £90, not sure I fancy bivi bag and tarp but will see in the future.

Karrimor ti gas stove £15 48g seemed to get good reviews online and cheaper than the alpkit one with a slightly bigger burner. Use with 100g gas canister.
Alpkit 950 mytimug
Alpkit spork

And a £24.99 down jacket from decathlon that weighs ~255g will try using nikwax down proof on it to see if it makes it a bit more shower proof.

Hoping to get bike bags etc for Xmas from alpkit.
Interested to hear what others have bought/used.

And I have joined bear bones too 😉

Hi, thanks for the heads-up. Bear Bones seems like a fab resource. Im currently unfeasibly excited for a middle aged bloke…. 😕

I’ve got a mixture of bits (bivvy bags, tarp etc) but prefer using a tarp tent for extended trips.

I’ve got a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo tent.
Enlightened Equipment Quilt
Neoair X lite mat
bear Bones 8g stove with Ti mug for overnights or a Mytimug (Alpkit) with MSR Pocket Rocket.

Bike luggage – Wildcat Mountain Lion harness and a Tiger seat harness. Having had a frame bag and since bought a new bike, i’d opt for a partial framebag (Wildcat Ocelot etc) to future proof as much as possible.

Im currently unfeasibly excited for a middle aged bloke.

You’re not alone, it does seem the attract the slightly older members of the cycling community and many of us can get quite excited over seemingly dull stuff 😉

I’m nearly 21 and I’m a little too over excited for a alpine bikepacking/mtb touring trip I’m planning next summer, so can’t just be old(er) people! 😉

For bike seat pack i’ve got two options:
1. Alpkit Koala with dry bag
2. Wildcat Tiger with alpkit tapered drybag

Any one running this and have any recommendations?
Its for a road bike and the TCR, so will be carrying jacket and stuff while training and sleeping stuff an clothes on the actual ride…
Leaning towards the Wildcat, as you can leave it on the bike and just take off the dry bag, so is it easier than the full seat bag?
Will also be lighter I’m guessing.
But will the dry bag get damaged as it has no protection??

Would rather leave the choice until nearer the time, but it is christmas!
Thanks

I’m nearly 21 and I’m a little too over excited for a alpine bikepacking/mtb touring trip I’m planning next summer, so can’t just be old(er) people!

Alpine bikepacking is officially the greatest thing you can do on a bike (by my list anyway..) Be excited.

don’t worry about kit yet, just get out with what you’ve got, see what works, see what doesn’t, then make some kit choices

No better advice than that. The beauty of bikepacking is it’s just not about the gear (some may disagree!), aside from realising after a couple of over-loaded rides that less gear is good..

Wildcat Tiger

There is no better seatpack out there imo, the strapping system is genius. I just use a std alpkit drybag in mine.

will the dry bag get damaged as it has no protection??

Not during one trip ime, but eventually yes. Easy to patch up and cheap to replace though.

Funny you should say this, was out last night and ended up dreaming about long rides in the wilds with some overnighters. Might flash up some of my well worn AR gear – new mini stove, new myTi seeing as mine is mangled. Very much can’t wait for better weather.

Alpkit ar prototyping (or maybe selling now) a fitted drybag that goes into the koala. I’m currently in the latter stages of faffing and accumulating gear, a bar harness and a new sleeping mat and I’m good to go. Aiming to keep things in sorted bags so the tent lives in the frame bag, sleeing mat/bag on the bars, cooking stuff in the seatpack and clothes in a camelback. That way issues like needing removable bags are minimised.

jameso – Member

Wildcat Tiger
There is no better seatpack out there imo, the strapping system is genius. I just use a std alpkit drybag in mine.

will the dry bag get damaged as it has no protection??
Not during one trip ime, but eventually yes. Easy to patch up and cheap to replace though.

+1, but….

if you are planning to use it on a new fangled ‘adventure bike’ 🙂 have a wee look at seatpost stick up. I didnt and had to return it as not enough space for it on my Croix de Fer. I replaced it with a Revelate Pika, which is specifically designed for setups with less visible post

^ good point – works on my Arkose with about 180mm of post showing (clamp to rails) but 20mm less could be pushing it.