Our Best Bikepacking Gear Selection – Your Journey Begins Now!

The term "bikepacking" is derived from "backpacking" – simply head out with what fits in a backpack, or in the case of bikepacking, with the bags attached to the bike. What Bikepacking actually is, what kind of bike you need, what kind of bikepacking gear and apparel you need, where and how to put up for the night, how to power your electronic devices and what else you should think of, we have collected the answers for you here. Fancy a small or a big adventure? Let's start with the following!

• Bikepacking – What It Is and What You Need?
• Road Bike, Gravel Bike, Mountain Bike – Which Bike Is Suitable for Bikepacking?
• Ultralight Bike Bag Solutions - Pack Efficiently, Ride Comfortably
• Jerseys, Shorts, Weatherproof Apparel – Clothing for Demanding Conditions
• Tents, Sleeping Bags, Sleeping Pads, Camping Equipment – Small Pack Size for Maximum Comfort
• Electronics and Power Supply – Life Energy for Smartphones, Navigation Devices
• Start Your Own Bikepacking Tour – What Should Not Be Missing?
  • Packing List for Your Bikepacking Adventure
• The Alternative – Trekking Bikes with Luggage Carriers

Minimalism & freedom – being one with bike and nature – that's what Bikepacking stands for. If the enthusiasm for the renewed all-inclusive holiday, in which you jet around the world, is limited this year and you are longing for deceleration, purism and adventure or you simply want to escape everyday life for a few days, you should perhaps give this topic a moment of your attention.

Bikepacking combines the fascination of bike travel with riding pleasure and a light, nimble bike. The difference between bikepacking and classic bike traveling becomes clear here: for bikepacking there is no need for carriers with panniers. These allow all kinds of luggage to be stowed, but the high overhang and extra weight make the bike more cumbersome and sluggish and drag increases enormously, too. On bad roads or even off-road, both material and rider, can quickly reach their limits. Bikepacking reduces luggage to a minimum and stows it in special bikepacking bags that are attached directly to the bike. The big advantage: the bike remains light, agile, all-terrain and therefore fast. The origin of Bikepacking lies in so-called "Self-supported Races". These long-distance races lead their riders through several daily stages on which the necessary luggage has to be transported without losing speed and off-road capability.

Your bike already has everything it needs to become a bikepacking rig: a frame, saddle, seat post, handlebar. So there's no need for carrier braze-ons or carriers.

Since sportiness and agility are at the focus, road bikes, allroad or gravel bikes, cyclocross bicycles, mountain bikes and fat bikes have become particularly the most important part of bikepacking equipment. Bikepacking bags can also be easily accommodated on highly efficient racing machines. But if you prefer not to be limited to asphalt tracks only, you can choose a more versatile Adventure Road Bike or Gravel Bike.

Wider and partly off-road tires are important components providing more comfort and riding fun even on gravel tracks and trails. These bikes are often equipped with additional braze-ons, e.g. on the fork, which allow additional mounting of luggage or bottle holders. You would rather get directly down to brass tacks and push forward into terrain that you could never reach with conventional luggage and you need a bike that does everything? Modern mountain bikes are perfect to build a great bikepacking rig – they're light, comfortable, sporty and suitable for off-road use – so you can get the most out of them. Only with dropper seatposts and full suspension bikes it should be noted that the bags should not impair the sliding parts or collide with the tires during height adjustment/suspension. If the adventurous spirit is particularly strong, a Fat Bike could also be the answer. The oversized tires open up new possibilities – limitless rides over gravel or sand passages on the coast, on the beach or river banks, or even snow – regions you couldn't discover with any other bike.

The right choice of bike bag is crucial to the performance of your bikepacking tour. Large saddle bags offer up to 20 liters of storage space and should be packed with light clothing and a sleeping bag to keep the centre of gravity low and the handling stable.

Frame bags are ideal for heavy equipment such as tools, water and food, as the low center of gravity improves stability. Handlebar bags should be lightly loaded so as not to negatively affect steering behavior.

Waterproof materials, robust fastening systems and clever compression solutions ensure that your equipment stays securely in place even on rough trails.

Our 5 tips for your bikepacking bags:

• Optimize weight distribution: Pack heavy items deep and centrally in the frame bag, light items in the saddle and handlebar bag.
• Maintain balance: Distribute the weight evenly between the front and rear wheels to maintain riding stability.
• Pack your saddlebag compactly: Stow heavy items at the bottom near the seatpost, light items on top and compress the contents tightly.
• Keep important items to hand: Stow your rain jacket, snacks and cell phone in quickly accessible accessory pockets (e.g. top tube pocket).

Pack your equipment weatherproof: Protect sensitive equipment in waterproof inner bags to ensure that everything stays dry.

No. For the perfect outdoor adventure on the bike in nature, all you need is your usual cycling clothing in which you feel comfortable.

Functional clothing offers you the advantage of optimal climate regulation, sweat absorption and breathability. It also dries extremely quickly. You will inevitably sweat on longer bike trips where you spend the whole day in the saddle. The possibilities for washing your cycling apparel are limited or non-existent, depending on the route and local circumstances. If you want to prevent your clothing from smelling unpleasantly, try underwear and jerseys made of merino wool. It offers excellent comfort and odor neutrality and therefore doesn't need to be washed as often.

Nature is unpredictable and we love it for that. Riding in the rain is simply part of a bike tour and makes it special. In the event of these unpleasant surprises from above, you should definitely bring weather protection clothing such as a stowable rain jacket with a small pack size and a long or short rain trousers that protect you from getting wet and cold.

For cold evenings, it is definitely worth wearing cozy, warm clothing such as a fleece or down jacket. The latter in particular provides cozy warmth and is still relatively compressible. On cooler nights in a sleeping bag, functional underwear provides comfort. These are also available in odor-resistant and soft merino wool.

A bikepacking Tent or an even lighter Tarp, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camping stove and Cookware take up space in your bags and, of course, increase the weight you have to move around. But it's worth it. So you can enjoy complete freedom  

Tents, sleeping bags and stoves are now available especially for bikepackers in ultra-light versions with an extremely small pack size. If you want to be even lighter and faster on the road and are prepared to forgo the comfort of a closed tent, then take a look at tarps or bivy bags.
When using a tarp, upside-down bikes can easily be converted into supports.

When it comes to camping stoves, multi-fuel stoves are ideal, as you are flexible in your choice of fuel if you prefer to buy more on the go instead of having to transport the necessary reserve for the entire trip.

Our tips for bikepacking tents, sleeping and cooking equipment:

• Choose a specific temperature range: Your sleeping bag should match the expected night-time temperature - it's better to plan in a little extra.
• Consider the insulation performance of the sleeping pad: Use a pad with a suitable R-value for sufficient ground insulation.
• Down or synthetic fiber: Down is lighter and warmer, synthetic fiber is robust and moisture-resistant.
• Choose the right cooking system: Match your stove to the fuel availability and duration of the tour.
• Reduce weight: Use a minimalist cooking set with ultra-light crockery and multifunctional cutlery.
• Pack your cooking set compactly: Stack cooking accessories (stove, cartridge, accessories) inside each other ("nesting principle").

In general, of course: Please respect nature, do not leave any waste behind at the campsite and find out about regional nature conservation regulations beforehand!

Of course, when using a bike computer or smartphone, you have to think about the power supply. At the latest, if you spend the night completely outdoors, without electrical outlets within reach, the question arises how to recharge the batteries of your electronic devices. Powerbanks have enough capacity to charge your smartphone and/or navigation device several times. If their energy stores are also exhausted, foldable solar modules can help. With the help of sun power you can breathe new life into your technical devices.

If you navigate with your smartphone, you won't get very far without an additional non-stop power supply, because even modern mobile phone batteries reach their low point very quickly when the GPS receiver is active for a long time. Special Powerbanks can be mounted on the handlebars and charge your smartphone while riding, so that you don't suddenly find yourself standing in the woods without a plan.

If you're planning longer trips or riding at times of year when there isn't enough sunlight for solar panels, a hub dynamo can turn night into day at any time and as long as necessary. Additionally in combination with a hub dynamo-powered USB charger you can also easily generate the power for your electronic devices yourself with every meter.

For a bikepacking adventure, cycling holidays or a self-supported race, it is strongly recommended being optimally prepared. There are a few items that can decide whether the tour continues despite a minor breakdown or mishap, or whether you have to take a break or even cancel it.

To make sure you have everything you need for your trip, here is our detailed bike packing list.

On Tour Basis Equipment

• Water Bottle/s
• Mug
• Multi-Tool
• Puncture or Tubeless Repair Kit/Replacement Inner Tube/Tire Levers
• Pocketknife
• Bike Lights
• Energy Gels or Bars
• Zip Ties or Pack Strap
• Map, GPS Navigation Device or Smartphone with Navigation App
• First Aid Kit
• Air Pump
• Lightweight Bicycle Look
• Sun Glasses

Apparel 

• Rain Jacket
• Rain ...
• ...

Download the complete bikepacking list!

Despite optimal planning and top equipment, bike packing setups sometimes reach their limits or are not very practical in everyday life and on multi-day bike routes. Compromises also have to be made when it comes to the amount of bikepacking gear you can carry, e. g. your changing clothes.
If sporty demands or off-road capability are not your main concerns, trekking bio-bikes and electric bikes with luggage carriers and corresponding panniers offer a pleasant alternative.