Is there anyone who doesn’t have a packing list for their holiday? And is there anyone who, despite that list, hasn’t, at some point, realized they didn’t pack an essential item, or come home to unpack clothes they never wore. But when you have to carry everything on your bike touring gear list, it’s important to make sure you get that list right.
Of course, these lists can be more of an art than a science. It’s impossible to know if that tool kit will prove essential when you are repairing your bike miles from civilization, or a deadweight that you felt with every painful turn of the smooth and reliable pedals. So, this is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list, but instead a guide to help you frame your packing list.
Taking a suitable, and well-maintained bike as an essential we don’t need to add to the list, the rest of your packing can be categorized (if only for the sake of alliteration!) into five Cs: Clothes, Cooking, Camping, Care, and Carrying.
While what you take in each category will vary, if you make sure each is covered you can, at least, be confident that your bike touring gear list will have the minimum needed for a successful trip.
It is, of course, impossible to plan for every eventuality. Freak weather happens. But be guided by the forecast and general conditions for where you are going.
If the prevalent weather is warm and dry, pack accordingly, there’s no point in taking wet weather gear. Also think about the slight variations. This isn’t the equivalent of taking that wooly pullover to a tropical island, but think about your tolerances if the weather is a bit different. Would you mind riding in a light rain shower, or do you need something if it’s a little chillier?
Generally, you will not have access to laundry, so make sure you have enough spare clothing for the whole trip. And choose materials that dry quickly, so you can at least rinse them and leave them to dry as you camp.
If you are not careful, your cooking equipment can quickly add weight, so choose wisely. Do you really need that portable espresso maker? (No criticism from us if the answer is yes!)
Think about what sort of diet you are happy with, although you might think that cold food is enough, most people find that including a portable stove on their bike touring gear list, so they can have a hot dinner or breakfast, is well worth it. But also think about how you can make your items multitask. You can eat anything out of a bowl, and a spork takes less space and weight than a cutlery set.
You will, of course, need somewhere to sleep. Modern tents are quick to put up and take down, and use lightweight materials, but you will also need to think about size. As anyone who has camped knows, realistically you can usually subtract at least one from the number of people the manufacturer claims the tent sleeps!
If you are choosing a tent, you should also think about what you want to keep in it. Will it just be you sleeping in there, or will you want to bring your kit in overnight too?
Most people will also consider a mattress of some type, either foam or inflatable, as essential. This will not just give you a more comfortable night’s sleep, they also help to insulate you from the ground, helping to keep you warmer as temperatures fall.
This was something of a cheat in that list of five Cs for your bike touring gear list. Use it to think additional comforts, as well caring for you and your gear.
The most obvious is a first aid kit. While the basic contents of this are predictable, things like plasters and bandages, you should also think if you need anything location specific, such as repellents, or any medications for any dangers you might face. The first aid kit won’t replace professional attention, but can make a big different in outcomes.
You should also think about the things you need to make sure you stay safe. A bike GPS, for example, might be essential if you are in an unfamiliar area. While a smartphone can serve many purposes, with perhaps the most important being to call for help in an emergency.
And think about the things you must have to look after everything else. You should have a basic toolkit or multitool in case your bike requires repair, as well as patches and a spare inner tube for your bike. And if your route takes you a long way from towns and habitation, you might want to think about upping the level of tools and spares you take.
You’re also likely to have to think about how you power your devices, since they might be the most important things in your kit. Investing in something like a PedalCell means that you can convert some of the energy from cycling into power. The device is highly efficient, generating enough power to deliver a steady supply through its capacitors to a USB hub charges several devices at once. As well as keeping all your batteries topped up, it provides peace of mind that everything will be charged when you need it.
Finally, you need to be able to carry everything on your bike touring gear list. Invest in high-quality panniers, for both front and back, if required. As well as ensuring you have enough space, make sure they are also waterproof; you don’t want anything thing to get wet, and you certainly don’t want to have to carry the weight of damp clothes around.
And, once you have everything, test it out. Load up your panniers to practice cycling fully loaded, as well as how easily you can find and access everything.
Preparation is not just about lists, but also thinking about the practicalities. So spending time thinking about the situations you will face, good and bad, will help you prepare and develop a list that makes sure you carry exactly what you need, and no more.
]]>There is a reason that people from brain surgeons to rocket scientists use checklists: it’s because they work! Whether you are planning your first bikepacking adventure or bikepacking is a way of life, a bike touring packing list is an essential component of a great trip.
However, there is no such thing as a single list. It simply isn’t possible to inlclude everything you could need, and if it were, you wouldn’t be able to carry it all! Instead, try to consider everything you could possibly need, and then eliminate items that aren’t needed for a specific trip.
And always prepare. Research your trip and route, so you know what conditions to expect, and the situations you might face. When you’ve refined your list for the trip, test packing it and taking it on a ride to make sure it’s balanced and not too heavy. And use your imagination, think about how you would manage some ‘what ifs’. To get you started, here are some of the things to think about.
It might seem obvious, but you will be relying on these every inch of the way, and they will carry everything on your bike touring packing list. Make sure that your bike is suitable, and in good enough condition, for the trip you are taking. You can get away with a lot more on a smooth, paved, road, than if you are going off-road, which will test your frame and panniers.
When it comes to panniers, Ortlieb are often mentioned for their high quality, although they come at a high price. It is possible to find cheaper brands, but always make sure you aren’t sacrificing quality. These will be carrying all your gear, and a failure mid-trip could be a disaster.
It’s also worth investing in some waterproof bags. These will keep important items doubly safe, but can also be used to keep any wet clothing you have to carry.
What clothes you take will be dependent on likely conditions and your preferences. Create a long list of everything, then remove items you are unlikely to need on a particular trip.
Your long list is likely to include, waterproofs, a cycling jersey, t-shirts, a fleece, padded shorts (you may be spending longer in a saddle than you have before, and will welcome these), casual shorts and trousers, and, of course, underwear. You may always want to include footwear on your bike touring packing list, especially if you use clip-in shoes when cycling.
Consider the type of trip you are planning. You might manage with barely anything if your itinerary includes stops where you can eat at local bars or restaurants. Or, if you are thinking about a more self-sufficient tour, you might need a careful meal plan.
Things you might need to include on your long-list will include a stove, fuel, and ingredients for your meals. You will also need to consider how you will carry or obtain water, and purify it if necessary. You should also have basic utensils for eating, but these can be kept to a minimum, there aren’t many meals you can’t eat using just a bowl and spoon (and, perhaps, a bit of effort)!
At a minimum, you should always have some emergency supplies. Whether these are to keep you going if you are flagging, or for a genuine emergency, make sure you have packed some calorie dense snacks that can fuel you when needed.
Cycling might be an analog pursuit, but there are plenty of digital devices that will feature on your bike touring packing list.
Your smartphone should always be included. As well as being a phone to keep in touch or gain assistance, it can be your GPS, camera, torch, guide, and entertainment. But you might always want to take some other items.
A GPS or bike computer may be better as a dedicated device designed for use on bikes. And if you are a keen photographer, you might prefer the results of a proper SLR camera (even with the added weight). Whatever you take, remember to prepare the items. A phone might be a great GPS in normal situations, but is useless if you haven’t got a signal and hadn’t already downloaded maps.
You’ll also need to consider your power needs. An easy way to handle this is using a PedalCell. This generates power from your wheel turns, it barely affects the cycling effort required, and can be disengaged when not in use, but the efficient dynamo will charge your devices as you ride, providing steady power through its USB hub so that, whatever you take, it will always be fully charged.
Camping gear often comes down to personal preference. Some like a tent, while others like sleeping under the stars. Things that you should consider on your long list will include a tent, making sure it’s big enough to contain you and your gear. Alternatively, you might want to consider a bivouac sack to protect you from the elements.
Make sure you have an appropriate sleeping bag, and if necessary, a liner, which can add warmth if your sleeping bag is not quite enough for the cooler night air. You should also consider some form of bedding, like a foam mattress, which is cheap and durable but large, or an inflatable mattress, which is expensive and less resilient, but will take less space.
Finally, your bike touring packing list should have all those things that you really should have with you, but hopefully will never use.
These will include a first aid kit, which you should adapt to make sure it’s appropriate for the trip, a tool kit, so you can undertake repairs on the road, and spares, like inner tubes and even spokes.
There are plenty of resources available on what you should take when bikepacking. But none will have been written for you, or your trip. No matter how comprehensive or exhaustive a list is, it will never compensate for a lack of preparation and appropriate customization. Whether it’s just an overnight trip, or two weeks in the wilderness, you will never regret the time you spend thinking, planning and preparing for your trip.
]]>The great thing about bikepacking is that you can do it with almost nothing. You can head off on a bike with a credit card and, assuming you are always near to civilization, that will be enough. But for most people, bikepacking isn’t about sleeping in hotels and eating in restaurants. So, what are the bike touring essentials that you have to pack?
Assuming you aren’t an ultra-minimalist, here are some things to think about to get you started. But remember, this is just a suggestion, think carefully about what you might need and even more carefully about what you can do without. As bad as it can be to realize that you’ve carried equipment you didn’t need for hundreds of miles, it’s even worse to get stuck in a situation where the one thing you do need is still at home.
Beginning with the bike touring essentials, you need a bike! While there are plenty of stories of people having adventures on old and beat up bikes, make sure your bike is suitable for the terrain, and that everything is in working order. One tip that many learn the hard way on their first trip is to have a good, comfortable, saddle. Leather is usually considered the best material, but it will need breaking in before you go.
Then, on the bike, you will need to ensure you have good panniers. These will be carrying everything you take, so make sure they are robust and waterproof. Prices can range enormously, but because you need them to keep your belongings safe, resist the temptation to skimp.
Finally, there’s a range of must-haves that you will hope you never actually use. Make sure you have a first aid kit, tools, and spares. Adapt these to your trip, bearing in mind how far you might be from help. You can probably do with a minimum if you are never far from urban areas and shops where you can get supplies. But if you are spending extended time in isolated areas, then you need to make sure you can fix your bike, or yourself, if you need to.
Although arguably a must-have, after all, you would rather not starve or die of thirst, these may be less essential. After all, you can cycle through pangs of hunger and thirst to the nearest town, but not if you have a broken chain or flat tire.
When working out what constitutes the bike touring essentials, think about where you will be. If you can buy food as you go, it not only means you have fresher supplies, but also have to carry less weight. Likewise, think about how you can top up on water, or whether you will need to have some form of storage or even the means to sterilize it.
However you source or carry your food, you will need to cook it. There are plenty of lightweight, portable stoves available, but you choose the right type. Canister stoves are reliable and good for cooking, but mean you need to carry the canisters. You might prefer the flexibility of multi-fuel stoves, then you can even use dry wood you find if you are in a pinch.
You will require some way of camping. Much might depend on how much comfort you want or need. Small tents are lightweight, but if you really want to get down to the bike touring essentials, you might want to just sleep under the stars. If this is the case, it’s worth using a bivouac bag, which will keep you dry if there’s overnight rain, or even protects you from any early morning dew.
You should also be careful about the sleeping bag you choose. There is no such thing as a year-round bag, so make sure you have one that is suitable for the season, and invest in some sort of mattress. Although foam mattresses are cheap and durable, it’s probably worth the investment for an inflatable mattress. These take less space in your gear and are more comfortable, both factors you will be grateful for when you’ve on the road the next day.
Again, if you are getting right down to essentials, then you might wonder if you even need a change at all. In practice, you’ll want at least one complete change of clothes, and likely more changes of socks and underwear; a sweaty day in the saddle is not conducive to a sweet aroma.
You should also consider clothing for a range of conditions. That doesn’t mean something for every eventuality, but for variations. Would you want different clothes if it was slightly cooler one day, or slightly warmer the next, or would you be happy just adapting your speed to maintain temperature?
Having minimized everything else, it’s time to think about the bike touring essentials for the modern age. It might seem strange to include gadgets when much of the attraction of bikepacking is about getting back to basics. But today many devices are essential. Why pack a map, compass, notebook, and guidebook when it’s all on your phone? Or, if you are keen on capturing and sharing your trip, you might want a dedicated camera and tablet to post your adventure online.
It’s hard to see a smartphone as anything but essential, but there might be other things that you simply have to have. Don’t forget that you will need to keep them charged too. Make sure you have a good power bank or, better yet, a method of charging like a PedalCell. A PedalCell will take some of the energy of cycling and convert it into a steady supply to its USB hub, meaning you’ll never need to worry about low batteries again.
The final thing, that you can’t pack, but is an absolute must, is preparation. Think about your trip, how it will work, and what you might need. You can’t prepare for every eventuality, but you can for most, and spending some time planning and preparing is the single best way to make sure that you have all your bike touring essentials and a great trip.
]]>All those USB-powered devices can be a blessing and a curse. While they are convenient and powerful — just think about everything the smartphone in your pocket does — you cannot escape the need to regularly plug them in somewhere to top up their batteries.
Usually, this isn’t the problem. For most people, charging devices becomes a routine. They plug their phone in overnight, or they re-charge a tablet when they aren’t using it. But on a bikepacking trip, those routines might not be available. Spending a day on the road and the night in a tent means a different form of power is needed. Essentially, the choice is between carrying extra power, or generating that extra power.
The most common solution is to carry extra power by using battery banks. These are easily available and a range of sizes, and perhaps the most logical solution, what better way to extend the life of a battery than with another battery.
They come with some drawbacks. Perhaps the biggest is size and weight. The more devices and the bigger their battery, the bigger the power pack that is needed. Of course, if it’s only to charge lights, which are energy efficient and may not be used much if most cycling is during the day, then a small pocket power pack might be enough.
However, most people will need more. If it’s to charge a bike GPS, phone and other lights, a large and heavy battery bank might be necessary. And, of course, it’s also possible the power bank will need charging itself, their efficiency doesn’t always match the manufacturers claims and can be affected by things like age and temperature.
While, perhaps, slightly more complex, generating power on the go is better aligned to the concept of bikepacking. What’s the point of the freedom of cycling and camping, if it’s restricted by the need to charge your phone? And ways to generate power for devices have been growing in response to the natural demand there is.
Many solar chargers are on the market. These offer the promise of free energy, with the sun charging devices while you ride. In practice, however, they may not be effective enough for most people.
Portable solar panels tend to be too small to generate significant amounts of power. Additionally, solar energy works best when the panels are in an optimal position, as soon as the angle changes, they start to become less effective at generating power. It is, obviously, difficult to maintain that optimal position while cycling.
And, of course, it’s no use at all if there is no sun! A cloudy day might mean no charging. And even on sunny days, routes that are shaded, whether by buildings or trees, will struggle to have an impact on the power bar. In some cases, it might mean that charging is limited to just a short period every day when the sun is directly overhead.
The result is that, at the moment, solar charging it perhaps more a novelty than a practical option. However, if it’s just to add a little extra power to batteries on low-energy devices, they might provide enough.
Designed to fit between the forks of the front wheel, hub dynamos will generate power whenever the bike is moving. The exact power generated will vary between models, meaning it’s possible to buy a dynamo that suits your style of cycling. And they have little drag, so will not impact on cycling performance too much.
The drawback they have is that they do not generate much power. The most powerful, like a SON28, will generate about 3W. And while power is power, it means that devices with a large battery will take a long time. Cycling all day may not fully charge a bike GPS or phone, for example.
Since they generate AC power, rather than DC, they will also need a convertor to charge devices. And they tend to be one of the most expensive options. Depending on the model chosen, you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for a hub dynamo.
PedalCell is another dynamo option. This, however, looks more like traditional dynamos, fitting to the frame to run a flywheel against the wheel. This has the advantage that it is easy to fit and even the minimal drag can be eliminated when charging is not needed.
PedalCell is also a more powerful option, while factors like speed will affect the power generated, a reasonable cyclist can expect a constant power delivery that is two or three times that of a dynamo hub. The power is delivered to capacitors, and discharged through its own USB hub, making it easy to charge multiple devices while on the move without having to buy additional units.
Ultimately, the best option will depend on things like the devices that need to be charged and the bikepacking itinerary.
For many, the power packs will be sufficient, but that decision will involve some calculation of battery sizes and an estimate of usage. And it is easy to get wrong, the amount of power that might be used while bikepacking will be very different to everyday life, even with the same device.
That is why many bikepackers look to some form of generation to charge their devices. It liberates them from the need to think about charging, having to sit in cafés watching the battery fill, or plan hotels on an itinerary that should be about camping. And it removes the anxiety of getting things wrong, there’s no danger of a miscalculation resulting in a dead GPS at a critical time.
The key decision is which is the best charging option, and that will depend on factors like the number and type of devices that need charging. And it’s always sensible to allow for a little extra, rather than the devices you have now.
But when you’ve found the option that’s right for you, you won’t look back and will be able to enjoy a bikepacking adventure without the fear of empty batteries.
]]>Most people consider their smartphone an essential. The devices offer so much functionality that, ironically, the phone element is often one of the least used of their features. But that functionality comes at a cost: they are power hungry.
While people might have been able to go days on a single charge of their old dumb phone, most people find they need to charge their smartphone every day. For some, it might almost seem like the battery is more of a temporary measure that provides power while they move between charging points!
The result is that many look for ways to charge their phone while they are out and cycling. Whether it’s to provide a top-up on the daily commute, or a necessity on a bikepacking trip, there are several solutions available to keep a phone battery topped up, whether it’s using batteries or portable generation methods.
The most common option, and perhaps the most logical solution: if your battery isn’t big enough, carry a bigger one. Battery banks are readily available and usually cheap. Indeed, they are often given away as corporate gifts, so many people might have a few lingering in a drawer somewhere.
Battery banks are an easy-to-understand and convenient way to charge a battery, for most it’s simply a case of connecting the phone and battery with a charging cable.
They do, however, have a few drawbacks. One is that they can be big and heavy. While those small batteries might be good for a top-up, phone batteries can be surprisingly large. Some Samsung models, for example, have 7,000mAh batteries. It’s likely you might, therefore, want a battery bank that can offer two, or even three, full charges, at which point it starts to become a hefty additional device to carry.
They can also be dependent on conditions. Things like the temperature will affect their efficiency, so even if a power bank boasts about being able to charge your phone multiple times, don’t rely on that actually happening.
And, of course, the power bank will need charging itself. Although it can extend the life you will get out of your phone without being near a power source, eventually, you will need power. This may not be a problem for topping up on the move near your home, but if you are on a longer trip, it might become an issue.
The concept of solar panels is quite enticing. Aside from the environmental benefits of solar power, it promises ‘free’ energy. It is far from an ideal solution, but can have some uses.
Solar panels, obviously, work best in bright sunny conditions. So, on a summer ride on an open road, they can provide a consistent supply of power. Depending on how you are using your phone, this might even be enough to charge it, but at the very least it will delay the inevitable draining of the phone battery.
Unfortunately, it is not really a use for which solar panels were designed. One difficulty is that solar panels need to be large to generate significant amounts of power. They also need to be angled directly toward the light source, because as soon as they are at an angle, their efficiency falls. Sadly, it’s simply not feasible to cycle with a large panel kept at the optimum position.
And they are reliant on the sunlight. Cycling in areas that are shaded by buildings, trees, or the landscape will vastly reduce the power generated. And if the day is cloudy, then the solar panel will just be deadweight.
Dynamo hubs fit into the front wheel and generate constant power when the bike is moving. While they have an effect on performance — some of the energy that would have been moving the bike forward is instead used by the dynamo — this effect is minimal.
However, dynamo hubs have a relatively low power output, the most powerful offer 3W at 6V. This means they are best suited for powering things like lights, which have relatively low power consumption. But when it comes to that big 7,000mAh phone battery, it would take around 14 hours of cycling to charge!
They also typically produce AC, rather than DC, power. Meaning an additional convertor will be required to charge devices. Collectively, it makes the dynamo hub an expensive and hard way to charge a phone.
The PedalCell is more like a traditional bike dynamo. Easy to fit to either the front or rear fork, the device runs along the wheel to generate power. It is, however, significantly more efficient than the old dynamos and generates a much higher output than hub dynamos, typically 2 to 3 times the power, meaning it becomes a viable option for device charging.
Like a dynamo hub, it will have some impact on the cycling performance, although for most people this would be as little as adding a few seconds to a 10km ride, and not enough to physically feel. Unlike dynamo hubs, however, it can be moved off the wheel when not in use, removing even that minimal friction.
Much will depend on the required use. Batteries are the most often used, partly because they are so easily available. And for many they might be the best solution, especially if their needs are only for an occasional top-up, and they aren’t regularly near a power point.
On-the-go charging, however, offers the most flexibility, since it allows the freedom that many seek from their cycling. Solar panels are, currently, perhaps the worst option unless all that’s needed is a trickle of energy for a rarely used device or to keep a device going a little longer.
Dynamo options are the best, since they can generate energy from cycling, with little impact on performance. The choice between dynamo hub and PedalCell may be down to what needs charging, but if it might ever include power hungry devices like phones, a PedalCell is probably the most adaptable and practical solution.
]]>