An Introduction to Bikepacking

Hammock and Tarp in hand, Sanny ditches the tent and dives head first into the world of minimalist bikepacking.

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By sanny

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An Introduction to Bikepacking

Great article will share amongst my bivi curious friends

Great article and fab pictures. Going on my first bike packing trip next weekend !

Nice article (but then I would say that….;-) )

I think it needs to be emphasised that short journeys make ideal first nights out. That way you don’t have to commit to anything major and you can always head for home if it’s a complete disaster. Same with kit – get out there with what you have rather than delay until you’ve researched it to the nth degree and before you reckon you need to spend thousands of pounds. That way you’ll learn what suits YOU best rather than just what suits someone else.

Excellent. Timely and shared, ta.

Enjoyed reading that, great advice in it without weighing it down.

‘Bikepacking’ – touring, but with more straps to lose? (Nice bit of writing, tho!)

OK, now I feel guilty. Need to get out more.

Great article Sanny. Truly inspirational stuff. Goin to get me some bikepackin kit!

Another good article Sanny- nice one

Thanks for the nice comments. It’s very much appreciated!

The hammock and tarp set up is something new to me but it is incredibly comfy and the gentle sway of the hammock is strangely comforting. It packs down ridiculously small and like I wrote in the piece, it is so light that it is worth taking for a mid ride day bivvy! It is always something that has intrigued me but one that I was never quite sure of……..until I tried it! I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it.

As Colin says, there is no need to pore over kit to the nth degree – just get out and try it for yourself. Heck, do a local ride loaded up and camp in your garden if you like.

For inspiration, have a look at Colin’s Scotroutes piece about Glen Affric. I REALLY want to ride there!

For info, the pics were taken above Pitlochry, in Rothiemurchus east of Aviemore and around Loch Ardinning just north of Glasgow.

Any questions. Just ask!

Cheers

Sanny

Great article – something I’ve been wanting to do for ages but didn’t know where to start – I no longer have that excuse!

Great read that.
All my bivvys to date have been hammocking. There’s just something appealing about being off the ground, sleeping supported, having a large tarp area to move around under and being able to look at your surroundings all night. Worth spending some time making sure that you can get a diagonal lay so that you are nice and flat.
I was meant to be out last night in my first bivvy bag experience but forecast put me off!

Wonderful read – thanks for sharing

Nice write up Sanni!

I’ve done a couple of Bike Packing trips, the last 1 in Italy, but didn’t end well. You can also use a tarp with a bivvi / sleeping bag combination. It has the added advantage of giving you a temparary shelter during the day should it rain more than you’re happy riding in.

Also the luxury item I always take is a pair of boxers! Nothing worse than sleeping in short liners, and having your nuts sent back up to where they came from!

Sleeping in your liners is maybe optional on a quick overnighter but is best avoided for reasons of cleanliness and comfort. Get those bits aired a little and try to let the liners dry off as much as possible overnight.