Bikepacking kit list

In Cycling, Equipment
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This is my maxed out three-season, multi-day, long distance bikepacking kit list, assuming mostly wild camping in Europe. It has been assembled over time in a process of trial and error (things have come a long way since I used a bin bag to waterproof my tent, strapped to the rack with an inner tube, in Greece) and is adaptable to the requirements of individual trips — for instance, the bivvy setup might be swapped for a tent, and camera equipment varies. The gear is carried in a variety of bikepacking luggage and dry bags (including the Scrubba wash bag) and I use a molle belt with harness to carry the camera, which lives in a waterproof Aquapac pouch when not in use.

Clothing and sleeping

  • US Army surplus Gore-Tex bivvy bag (sometimes swapped for MSR Hubba NX tent)
  • Rab 1-person siltarp with tent pegs and parachute cord
  • Groundsheet (the footprint for the MSR Hubba NX)
  • Three-season down sleeping bag
  • Closed-cell foam sleeping pad with Voile and webbing straps for attachment (not hugely comfortable but impossible to puncture)
  • Sleeping bag liner
  • Thermarest double-sided dry bag/fleece pillow (again, not as plush as inflatable model but can’t go wrong)
  • Travel towel
  • Off-bike clothing — down jacket, underwear, zip-off walking trousers, Crocs, T-shirt, Merino leggings, walking socks, balaclava (omitted or swapped for woollen hat depending on weather and sleeping arrangements)
  • On-bike clothing — bib shorts, running T-shirt, MTB socks (with spares), arm and leg warmers, long-sleeved base layer, cycling gloves, sunglasses, Gore-Tex rain jacket, gilet, Shimano SPD shoes, buff, helmet (not pictured)

Cooking

  • Trangia alcohol stove with support
  • Fuel bottle
  • Windshield
  • Titanium cookset — two pots and non-stick frying pan
  • Flint and steel (with back up matches, not pictured)
  • Titanium knife and spork
  • Pan scraper
  • Variety of foods, repacked into freezer bags as appropriate (not pictured)

Photo and electronic

  • Garmin Edge 830 GPS
  • Mini-USB charging cable with iPhone adaptor
  • iPhone (not pictured)
  • Silicone phone holder
  • Front and rear lights with handlebar bracket
  • Travel adapter, EU
  • USB wall charger
  • Peztl emergency head torch
  • USB LED light
  • AA battery-powered USB charger (emergency back up, carried empty)
  • Peak Designs Capture Clip (quick release camera holder)
  • Nikon D750 DSLR with 28mm and 50mm lenses or Fujifilm X100s mirrorless cameras; sometimes supplemented with GoPro action camera (not pictured)
  • Spare SD cards
  • Spare camera batteries and USB charger(s) (Nikon, Fujifilm, GoPro as appropriate)
  • Mini tripod (UltraPod, as pictured, or GorillaPod)
  • Anker power bank, 20,100 mAh (swapped for Voltaic Systems V25 6,400 mAh solar battery if using the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus solar panel and/or taking power from the Shutter Precison PD-8 hub dynamo and Sinewave Cycles Revolution USB charger, the latter on less hilly routes)

Health, hygiene and emergency

  • First aid kit (the basic and somewhat inadequate Lifesystems package has been supplemented by additional dressings, wipes and bandages and a better quality resuscitation shield)
  • Emergency foil blanket
  • Tick removal tweezers
  • Spare COVID-19 face mask
  • Dr. Bronner’s unscented, biodegradable concentrated castille soap solution (for washing and laundry)
  • Luxury full-sized toothbrush and travel toothpaste (Dr. Bronner’s is a substitute but tastes foul)
  • Chamois cream
  • Vargo ‘Dig Dig’ titanium trowel and toilet roll
  • Nalgene 1.5l fork bottle and 1l bidon
  • Sawyer Mini filter with straw and Evernew 1.5l water pouch (replaces the original smaller, less robust Sawyer squeezable pouch)
  • Sea to Summit Ultrasil packable rucksack (used to carry additional water and food where necessary)
  • ‘Bush bidet’ 250ml lab wash bottle (great for toilet hygiene and body washes)
  • Whistle
  • Small journal with pen and pencil

Tools, spares and repair

  • DIY tool roll
  • Integrated derailleur hanger/drive side dropout
  • Inner tube
  • Tubeless repair kit
  • Tubeless sealant
  • Topeak mini-ratchet set with additional bits
  • Lighter wrapped with Gorilla Tape
  • Nitrile gloves
  • Rubber straps made from old inner tubes
  • Cable ties
  • Chain lube (and rag, not pictured)
  • Tyre levers
  • Gorilla glue
  • Spare tubeless valve and core remover
  • Leatherman Squirt multitool with pliers and scissors
  • Opinel No.5 folding knife
  • Chain tool
  • Spare head torch batteries
  • Universal spoke wrench (with spare spokes stored in frame bag, not pictured)
  • Topeak Road Morph G mini track pump
  • Spares bag — disc brake pads, standard needle and cotton thread, curved upholstery needle and waxed thread, thimble, O-rings for rear light, quick links for chain

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