When it comes to bikepacking, if you are just getting started from touring or this is your first time adventuring by bike. Getting over the learning curve of what and how to pack can be a juggling act. In my opinion it is a lot easier then people make it out to be. As long as you keep things simple you should be fine.
But if you find yourself not knowing how to pack for bikepacking this article is dedicated to helping you fine tune your bikepacking setup. So you are able to pack just about, well hopefully everything that you need for a bike adventure.
I started cycle traveling first in the form of bicycle touring and used often a 2 pannier or four pannier setup. But as of latley I have been loving the idea of bikepacking with bikepacking bags strapped to the bike. Making it more streamlined and faster to ride. Easier to manoeuvre when ride off-road, as this is type of riding I love most! It just makes sense to adapt to a more bikepacking style of packing.
But when it comes to packing your bike for bikepacking you might run into some common problems that I did. At first it takes a long time to pack bikepakcing bags when you are new at it. I found myself needing to show some patience and make sure everything had its own place. So I knew where it was and after practise I could pack much quicker. In comparison I found that bike touring panniers are much easier and quicker to pack as you can just chuck gear in and be on your way. But it is always good to have a place for everything to save wasting time not knowing where the headlamp is.
Organisational hack #1 for bikepacking
Here is a quick hack you can try when packing to make things more organised. Use ziplock bags and roll your clothing, placing in bags then compress them down. Having different types of gear separated into bags can make them easier to find and also waterproof if your bike bags are not.
Also when packing people often have the problem of not having enough room for food or liquids for multiple days. When I first got interested in bikepacking. I always wondered this. Also how do people manage to fit all their camping gear and all other stuff in minimalistic bikepacking setup?
You could ditch the tent all together and get a bike tarp setup which can cut weight and overall space.
I discovered that one needs to be resourceful and creative with how they use the different types of bikepacking bags and mounting hardware to get the most out of their bikepacking setup.
Also in general cutting down on luxuries helps too. There is no need to pack a weeks worth of clothes to change into. Only having one set of clothes for on bike activities and one set for off bike or camp is the better solution. Also multiple pairs of shoes is not the best solution, when you want more space for the gear your really need. I think it is important to do a audit on all your gear and ask yourself. Do you really need this item? It is almost a extreme version of minimalism when you think about it. The gear you pack much serve a real purpose or what is the point for carting our with you? Having a pair of bikepacking shoes for riding and some lightweight sandals or flip flops (thongs), that can be attached to the outside of your bike bags will save some space. Tevas are great sandals for using at camp on a bikepacking trip.
You can still use panniers if you need
Some say it is not bikepacking if you use panniers. But yet bikepacking brands make ‘bikepacking panniers’ a lighter weight, smaller and less bulky storage solution compared to traditional panniers for touring. You can mount these on your bike at the rear or have a set at the front. If you bike has a shorter chainstay, that is not best for panniers. These mini panniers do not get in the way. And they provide some more storage if you are planning dome epic bikepacking adventure over many weeks or months or even years. I currently have a article in the works that is all about bikepacking panniers. But some great options are Porcelain Rocket Mini Panniers, Ortlieb Gravel-Pack Panniers or the Arkel Dry-Lite Panniers.
Get larger capacity bike bags
When looking for bike bags look around and get some that offer a larger capacity then other competitors. It just makes sense. If you think you will not have enough room you can not go wrong with some larger capacity bags. There are some great options out on the market that are large capacity. For a large saddle bag option, have a look at the Revelate Designs Terrapin System Seat Bag coming in at 14 litres.
Full Frame Bags
Talking about larger capacity full frame bags are a smart solution to not having enough space on your bikepacking rig. You can buy custom made to your frames specs or mass produced that are budget friendly, like the Moosetreks Frame Bag that fit rather snug. Not 100%, but pretty good for a bag that fits close to all bikes.
If you are wondering where you put your drink bottles as there is no space in the frames triangle with a full frame bag. There are many ways to mount and store water bottles on your bike. You can use water bottle bags that sit around your stem. If you want other ideas for storing water bottles this blog post will be super helpful. These alternatives solutions to mounting water bottles on your bike are great if you need to carry extra water for remote adventures, with no water sources.
Mounting cages and dry bags on the forks
Make the most of the forks and get some cages like the Salsa Anything Cage with dry bags that can be mounted for storing extra gear or food. You could even mount bottle cage mounts like mentioned in the linked article above to store your water bottles.
You could go out and spend big bucks on super lightweight gear and that would solve your storage problems. But lets face it, if you are on a budget and want to make use of what you have, making super that it is not too bulky of gear. These few tips and recommendations can reduce your bikepacking disorganisation and result in a much more streamlined and efficient bikepacking system that works.
As we finish up the last bit of advance I would give from my own experience, is to use up as much of the space you can on your bike for bike bags. Top Tube bags and other little bike bags are great for fitting that little extra gear or provide a bit more space for food. It takes time to figure it out, but once you do. You will be rolling in the remoteness with enough supplies to get you to the next re-fuel location.
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