[Closed] Bikepacking set up

Bikepacking.com

All the info you need is there.

bearbones

I started off with a two man karrinore tent for a week long tour. 2kg

Then tried a alpkit hunks bivi bag as it is 500g. Camping in a valley the midges made life intolerable.

I tried a hooped bivi bag this year. No bugs, quite claustrophobic.

I tried akpkits light weight one man tent. This was much better. It was a much nicer place to be when it was drizzling. 1.3kg and much smaller than my initial tent.

Easiest way is traditional rack and panniers. Tent on the rack and whatever else you want to take in the panniers.

Bikepacking bags can be awkward to get right until you find a setup that suits you, but they work well once you get to that point.

Tent is probably the most difficult thing to pack without a rack unless you have some super lightweight option, and doing your first trip without one is a bit of a baptism of fire. It's very much a personal thing and comes down to how many comforts you're happy to forego. I'm quite happy with a bivvy but I'd suggest a tent for a first experience. Of course it all depends what equipment you have access to. It can be quite expensive getting to a setup that suits you, especially with lightweight bikepacking gear, which is one reason it can be good to start with panniers, which will swallow up pretty much everything you need. But then if you don't have any of that stuff already its all things you need to buy and you may progress to a lighter setup later on.

I second the suggestion of getting over to Bearbones forum and asking there. Its a proper wealth of information.

Ian

For quick overnighters up in the local hills, I just tend to take what I need in a rucksack. I’ve got bike packing bags but for short trips they are a faff. In fact, on more recent trips, I’ve left the bike at home too and just hiked….

For the occasional once or twice a year or so I have found the planet X pod sacs bags more than solid enough. Bit heavy if anything.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

May feed back later in the year if I make it out!

I started out with what I had. Which at the time was a bivvy bag (weight 1kg!), a synthetic sleeping bag (massive), a pish thermarest foam/self inflating sleep mat and a rucksack. It was only a 1.5-2 hour cycle up to loch einach but it told me a) I wanted to do it again (and properly) and b) I wanted the weight off my back.

The big problem is that if you epare going to do this frequently/a lot then you will want decent kit that is a) lightweight b) low volume and as a consequence c) nae cheap!

I have bought stuff and then re-bought it better (or better suited to my requirements I should say).

The absolute minimum is a decent sleep system and decent luggage.

For me it’s a down sleeping bag (this is probably the biggest single item you will have so don’t skimp on this as you’ll end up buying a decent one later on...), an air mattress (Exped for me, benefit is that a good mat = decent nights sleep, which the old thermarest didn’t give me) and either a tent of bivvy bag. A bag is cheapest, lightest and probably the most versatile. Frequently twinned with a tarp you can rig this up pretty much anywhere and in winter to small volume can end up warmer than a tent. It’s pretty limiting, getting in and out, in and out of clothes, etc., and where do you stash your stuff... I’d start with this though as you can get an Alpkit Hunka XL relatively cheap and it will do the job. For a tent a lot will swear by the SMD Lunar Solo which is a single skin with sewn in bathtub. I have one and it’s my preferred option as with the opening flaps rolled back you can still experience the stars and there’s room for gear and to get changed. Can be a bit dodgy when the wind gets up though. Small tent more stable but less view out.

Luggage: I started off with the Ortlieb ‘fixed’ stuff which is fine but a bugger to pack up as it’s fixed to the bike. I’ve replaced it with (Revelate) harness type which means you can detach the carry part only and take into your bag/tent and it’s easier to pack better.

A decent down bag (in a sale) starts about £150+ but likely £200 min.

My last Exped mat was about £130 (complete with the inflation bag that lets you get the right internal pressure; which is a lot less than you would first imagine).

Bivvy bag (again in a sale) probably starts around £65.

Luggage I really can’t remember but probably circa £400 for seat pack, bar pack and frame bag. More if you want top tube bag and additional front pouch, and them bar pouch things (but these are not necessities).

I can't seem to paste the link but check out the current winter camping offers at Alpkit, assuming you haven't already. Soloist tent for £95 free delivery. 1.2 kg and enough space to get changed in. Decent value IMHO. Plenty of other stuff at ok prices too.

Oh, and I've been pretty impressed with the fork bags and cages from PX (got mine silly cheap), and still use a PodSacs handlebar bottle bag from them.

Similar to you, I only really get out for overnighters now and I'm a bit of a fairweather bikepacker, so I'm only out if the forecast is favourable. Also I'd rather sacrifice weight for a wee bit of comfort.

Everyone has their preferred set-up and it's a wee bit of trial and error to see what works for you. From all the posts/forums etc make a list of what strikes a chord with you, what equipment do you have, how to get it on your bike and then give it a go. Think about access and packing things in order of need. Eg. Tools, midge hoods, toilet paper should be easily accessible. Pack your tent , cook and sleep systems in order of how you're going to set up at camp.

Another factor is whether I'm taking a gravel bike or mountain bike- for the mountain bike, I have limited frame space with weight distribution and stability more important than on the gravel.

Below is my preffered set up after a few long trips and deciding what works for me. (I might have missed somethings, but again it's about trial and error for you) I made a few mistakes initially by going down the weight route rather than what works for me. I tend to overpack 'just in case' but I'm never struggling for space or concerned about weight.

* 2 man tent. I have a choice between a decathlon forclaz and an Alpkit Ordos. Not much a difference in terms of weight. The decathlon is all in one and fast to put up- good when the midges are feasting on you. The ordos is a wee bit of a faff to put up as it has seperate outer and inner, but tent parts can be stuffed in different parts of the bike.
* Sleeping system- Moved from a sea to summit to Trekology sleeping mat and pillow. Again a wee bit of sacrifice in weight, but more comfortable. I use an Alpkit cloud cover quilt as I prefer that to a sleeping bag. Never felt cold in it, but I only use from spring to early autumn.
* Cooking- I can make do with a Jetboil as I can manage for one night on freeze dried, just add water meals and coffee/flapjack/banana in the morning.
* Luggage- use a bar bag, seatpack and fork bags. Bought ortlieb bar bag, accessory bag and seatpack do do big trips a few years ago and although it's expensive it works really well and lasted well.

If I was buying again, I would probably look at a harness system for the bar bag and just use dry sacs/polly bags. For the fork bags i have the ortlieb bags for the mountain bike and On one podsacs blackburn cages for the gravel. I have a luomo frame bag for the mountain bike and ortlieb for the gravel.
* Electronics- decathlon tent light, head torch/bike light, garmin, kindle and phone. Sometimes pack battery charger.
* Accessories- cup, spork, trowel, lighter, banana holder, 2 x midge hoods, midge spray, plier/knife multi tool, toilet paper, hand sanitiser.
* Tools/spares- normal stuff I would take on a ride. I use a One-up pump/tool mounted on the water cage again for access.
* Clothing- normal stuff i would take on ride eg water proof, gloves, glasses etc plus additional socks, hat, light down jacket, long sleeve cotton t-shirt, cotton leggings/jammy bottoms and flip/flops light sandles.

I found this works for me and as I said I'm a bit of a fairweather/favourable forecast bikepacker and I'm not going too far into the wilderness.

Bearbones for all the advice.

I totally and utterly disagree with butcher for your first time or any time for that matter.

The traditional first trip is use what you have, so probably rucksack based and keep the riding short and easy . But rucksacks will be a right pain in the back if you go further.

First trip also depends on what you already have. So perhaps skip all cooking gear and rely on pubs and cafes.

After you get the bug then you will end up with a few options, different bags, a quilt, a light tent and a bivvy, perhaps a tarp. A lightweight mat,

For shopping alpkit and bikepackinglihght.co.uk

But don't go panniers and racks. Soft bags are easy, light and flexible.

Enjoy. It is fabulous.

Another thing I would recommend for you initial trips is knowing the area you're going to and scoping out where you're going to camp beforehand. Especially if you're planning on somewhere where you need to be discreet. Also think about contingency. Do you know an alternative spot if you're desired spot is already occupied? Or if you have a mechanical or misjudged your timing?

I also had a dummy run in my backgarden to ensure I knew how to pitch and pack tent and luggage.

Yeah definitely do a recon run to check your intended site, practice putting the tent etc up, practice your cooking setup.
Panniers are perfectly good if you’re using decent ones with a sturdy rack.
I use an alpkit framebag, 2x fork mounted water bottles, rear panniers.
I don’t carry anything on my back, but i did on early trips, it was ok for shorter rides.
A camelbak type thing would be ok i guess.
Trial and error innit.
Don’t forget a trowel and loo roll.

Yeah 3 bits of loo roll in a waterproof bag. One up, one down and one to polish 🙂

I know I’m in a minority but I find small panniers and a rack to work really well.

I don’t like big loads on my handlebars and many bikepackers end up with a mound of stuff up front and I don’t like swaying seat packs sticking out miles behind me. I do want to take a tent and several days food so to avoid the front load and bulbous seat pack I use panniers… plus a frame bag and some stem bags. For context, my rides are now mainly straightforward stuff like the routes the Trans Cambria uses, An Tura Mor, Pennine BE, Etc.

They sit high enough to not get stuck in ruts, they don’t rattle and they are fast to pack and fast to remove if you need to.

I am not saying I’m right here: but I think we all get used to what we use and are swayed by the current orthodoxy what ever that may be… but there is no absolute right or wrong way to do stuff like this.

If starting from scratch with plenty of cash I’d like to try the Tailfin bag stuff.

there is no absolute right or wrong way to do stuff like this.

This is the best advice so far ^^

GRASSUPTHEMIDDLE.COM "https://grassupthemiddle.com/2022/01/16/spring-forward-bivvy-weekend-26-27th-march-2022/"

grassupthemiddle.com -

some very basic advice here

You don't need to spend a fortune. I have a lightweight Vango 3 man tent, cost £80 and goes in a drybag strapped to the bars. Sleeping bag and mat in a Lomo saddle bag. I tend to not bother with cooking equipment - find a pub to eat in, and snacks for the morning before cycling somewhere for breakfast.

This is my basic kit for a weekend, fair weather bikepacking trip:

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Alpkit Soloist tent
Alpkit Cloud Base sleeping mat
Alpkit Cloud Cover quilt
Sea to Summit inflatable pillow
Fleece sleeping bag liner (if it's going to be cold overnight)
Wet wipes and a few poo bags.
Travel towel
Planet-X X2 cook system
Head torch and USB lantern
Thermal top & long johns
Undies & socks
T-shirt & trousers
Patagonia Nanopuff jacket
Warm hat
Buff
Waterproof jacket (depending on weather forecast)
USB charge bank and cables
Food

It all fits in a Pod Sac saddle pack, Blackburn Outpost bar bag/roll and a smallish frame bag or 2 x 12l panniers and a small bar bag.

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Small items such as snack bars, multitool, innertube, zip ties, etc go in a top tube bag and/or stem bag.

After a few trips you work out what is needed and what is isn't and the best way to pack everything.

Some very good advice on this thread, even if some of it is conflicting.

My first, very basic advice would be to concentrate on buying the lightest and most compact sleeping/shelter system you can afford. That pays dividends as you are then much less constrained regarding how you choose to carry it. Soft bags, panniers and rucksack are all valid approaches depending upon terrain, distance and duration. They each have their pros and cons. One of the very obvious disadvantages of panniers is that so few frames are now designed to have racks fitted. There are some work-arounds but they are often faffy and prone to failure just when you don't want them to. Without wanting to point any fingers ;-), it's obvious why some folk think that bags have to sway and be mounted in a place that affects handling. It doesn't have to be so.

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This is my bike loaded up for a winter trip - overnight temperatures a couple of degrees below freezing so warmer kit on board.

For an idea of a lighter weight setup, this is a blog of a "test" ride I did before using much the same setup for a 300km loop of the Cairngorms in under 40 hours.

BLOG.SCOTROUTES.COM "https://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2019/09/and-best-bike-for-bikepacking-is_23.html"

ScotRoutes: And the best bike for bikepacking is....

If you're not planning to spend a lot of time sitting around and kipping then keeping the load to a manageable minimum gives you a bike that will cover ground faster and easier.

You don’t need to spend a fortune.

You absolutely don’t. But if you get into you mind find that you do. I started off slow (with what I had) and quickly found that mat and sleeping bag were too big (and a bit lardy to boot). The Lunar Solo was seeing Scotroutes one and deciding that was what I wanted.

One of the central things that you’ll hear on Bearbones is TLS (take less shit). You will always take more than you use/need. How much more depends on your ‘comfort’ requirements and ‘risk’.

At the end of the day, it’s about enjoying time in the great outdoors, and whatever works for you works...

This tread is making me look forward to the good weather/long nights coming back in. Think I need to look out all my stuff and may have a clear out of the unused stuff.

These latest replies are really really helpful. Thank you everyone

I did my first bikepacking trip last year & hope to get a few ticked off this year.

I was given some bags, so hard to know really what's good and what's not.
Although, I got a Lomo frame bag for Christmas which is miles better than the one I was given and fits my small-ish frame much better, so I can fit more in it. A real bargain at £23 or so.

I've got a large Passport saddle pack which is quite hard to load up. It's narrow & doesn't seem to hold an awful lot, although it does seem well made & has some handy bungee points on the top for strapping a jacket etc. too. I wrapped a split open inner tube around my seat tube which helped it grip massively & stopped almost all of the sway - a 27.2 post means it was quite hard to cinch up the straps tight enough around it.
The handlebar bag was the trickiest thing to get secured (apidura something or other). It moved around a lot & even after putting pipe lagging under the straps there was still a bit of movement. I think that can be a problem with mtb bars as the cables get in the way of the bag.
I bought myself a Lifeline top tube bag from Wiggle - the larger version and it is amazing. Holds tons of stuff & doesn't wobble around too much.

I have since bought some PlanetX fork bags, but am yet to try them. They look like a good solution and seem to hold quite a lot of gear, although I'll be aiming to keep those for lightweight stuff. My fork doesn't have threaded mounts, so I don't want to overload them & have them slide downwards, or twist into the wheel.

Sleeping-wise I probably over-did the sleeping bag. It's a Snugpak something and a bit too bulky for the warmer months when I am likely to be out. I might replace it with something smaller. I used a Trekology mat which seemed to work really well; really comfy although I can't really comment on it's cold weather performance. Probably not great.
I didn't like the idea of a bivvy bag & tarp so bought a Blackthorn Highlander tent. It was £50 and weighs just under 1.5kg. It is really small & to be honest I am looking to replace it with something like the Naturehike Cloud-up 1 that has more headroom. It was like sleeping in a coffin & getting out of it in the morning without covering myself in condensation that had formed on the inside overnight was an impossible task.

Cooking/food-wise - we ate in a pub before heading to our camping spot & then rode to a cafe for breakfast so cooking wasn't really required. My mate took a jetboil for coffee, but then forgot the coffee - so don't do that! Especially after lugging a load of water to the camping spot for just that purpose.

I don't like traffic cone bags and have a big dropper post, so don't dismiss a rack and panniers!

After lots of trips have now settled on a Thule Pack n Go rack - which will work on any bike - with 2 small Ortlieb waterproof panniers.

Plus a 8l Airlok Duo drybag on the bars. Water bottles in the frame.

Plenty of room for all the kit. This year have added a Helinox Ground chair - just cos I can 🙂

For sleeping the best choice, in my opinion, is a good air mattress and a compact collapsible tent. Nothing else is needed, everything can be folded up compactly, does not take up space and is quite lightweight.

Worth remembering that as important and enjoyable as good kit is, just getting out and doing it is the absolute key. Make sure you can somehow be warm, dry and fed, then look at a map for somewhere you can get to in the time you have. I've definitely made some bad kit choices in my life but very rarely have they been so bad that themy made me regret getting out in the first place.