With the release of the StayOutThere kit, it’s time to talk about bikepacking. I’m starting the “Introduction to Bikepacking” series that ranges from how to test out bikepacking for the first time to the details of your first full bikepacking adventure.
A minimalist bikepacking campsite
The series will consist of 4 posts:
#1 – What is bikepacking and how do you get started? Maybe you have heard about bikepacking or you followed the Tour Divide race, but think you don’t have the time or the gear. Wait, there is still a way and it’s called backyard bikepacking!! Now you’re thinking I’m nuts, and that is partly true, but backyard bikepacking is the simplest and cheapest way to see if you want to take bikepacking farther.
#2 – How to pack your gear on the bike and minimize your total kit. When you forgo racks and panniers, you have to be a bit more careful about what you include in your camping kit. There are some choices and cutbacks to be made, but there are also areas where you can easily reduce your total kit size. Your sleeping setup is the one area where you can make the biggest improvements in weight and bulk.
#3 – The first overnight trip. Go by yourself or recruit a friend to give bikepacking a try. You could even tow the kids in the trailer and camp at the closest State Park. The idea is to be close to home and test your setup. You don’t want to be 50 or more miles from home when you realize your ideas won’t work as well as you imagined.
#4 – The big adventure. Now it’s time to venture a bit further from home and have some fun with your new found bikepacking abilities.
Until the first post is published, here are some other resources for bikepacking information:
Kent Peterson’s Tour Divide setup
Rivendell’s one night bike camping kit
Jill Homer’s Tour Divide writeups – the ultimate bikepacking adventure
