For anyone curious about what I bring on tour, you’ve come to the right place! The list below varies for me depending on the weather and conditions of a particular tour, but this will give you an idea of my favourite things to bring on a bikepacking trip.
Please note some of the below links are affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission from their purchase. This is at no cost to you and helps me continue making videos and sharing bike touring information and resources. If you don’t see a link it’s likely because I’ve either forgotten what the brand/model is or could no longer find it. I only link to products I am using myself and loving (or I make note when I’m still testing it out). Thank you for your support!
Bike & Bags
- Custom Surly Bridge Club
- Rear rack
- Ortlieb Handlebar Bags – Ultimate Plus 6.5L and Ultimate Classic 8.5 (which I can’t seem to find for sale anymore) and Mounting Bracket
- Ortlieb 4.1L Fork Packs
- Ortlieb Back Roller Classic Panniers 40L
- Voile straps
Camping gear
- Big Agnes Coppur Spur HV UL3 Bikepack Tent (and ground sheet which comes separately) or MSR Elixir 2 (I got the MSR first and then my partner got the big Agnes when we were ready to invest in lightweight. Both have been waterproof and roomy to sleep in — the MSR is cheaper but heavier, the Big Agnes is lighter but more expensive.)
- Sea to Summit UltraLight Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat (my mat for years), now the REI Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad (I recently upgraded to this for a higher R-Value and more padding — still need to test!)
- MEC Talon -3 Down Sleeping Bag (+ compression sack)
- Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow
- Black Diamond Storm 500-R Headlamp
- Ear plugs / eye mask
- Anker Power Bank
- Vargo stove + gas + lighter/matches
- Pot + handle
- Sharp cooking/camping knife
- Resealable plastic container
- Snow Peak Titanium Fork & Spoon Set
- Aeropress Go Travel Coffee Press
- Coffee mug
- 2 x Camelbak Podium water bottles
- MSR TrailShot Pocket-Sized Water Filter (I’ve gotten lucky and still haven’t had to use this yet but will report back when I do!)
- Animal/bug protection
- Trowel & toilet paper
- Power converter (if international)
- Hand sanitizer
- Kobo/book
- Foldable backpack
- Rags
- Spare plastic bags
- Food: Click HERE for some ideas
Toiletries
- Toothbrush / floss / toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Comb/hair brush
- Sunscreen
- Carina Organics biodegradable Shampoo & Conditioner
- Bug spray
- Med kit (bandaids, medications, antibiotic wipes, alcohol swabs, electrolytes + more depending on region/remoteness)
- Muc Off Chamois Cream
- Quick-dry towel (right now I just have an old bulky one I’ve had for ages, but when I’m ready to upgrade I’ll be getting this Matador Nano-Dry that I’ve tried and really like)
Clothing
- Puffy jacket that packs down small for cold weather
- Showers Pass Women’s Ecolyte Elite
- MEC rain pants
- MEC rain shoe covers
- Bridgedale StormSocks
- Comfy t-shirt, sweater and Vuori Performance Jogger Long for sleeping
- I used to use Sugoi padded cycling shorts which I loved, but have since gone non-padded with Patagonia’s Maipo Women’s Shorts
- Leggings/cycling pants
- T-shirts (some of my faves: Vuori Energy Tee, Under Armour Motion Short Sleeve)
- Long sleeve shirt
- Sweater/hoody (for cold weather/cold nights)
- Sun shirt: Ridge Merino Solstice Lightweight Wool Hoodie
- Sports bras (favourite: Patagonia Barely Bra)
- Everlane Linen Relaxed Shirt
- Under Armour Pure Stretch Hipster Underwear
- Mix of thick and light socks
- Fingerless bike gloves
- Cold-weather bike gloves
- Xero’s HFS II Men’s Road Running Shoe
- Merrell sandals
- Baseball cap
- Beanie
- Buff
- Oakley sunglasses
- Bathing suit
Bike Stuff
- Baggy of important stuff (passport, ID, credit card, important medications, travel insurance details)
- Serfas 650 lumen front bike light
- Serfas rear bike light
- Charging cords
- Repair kit: tube, duct tape, zip ties, tire-changing levers, puncture repair kit, multi-tool, CO2+adapter
- Sometimes: spare quick link, derailleur hanger, other parts depending on remoteness
- Bike hand pump
- Kryptonite Evolution Mini U-Lock
- Small cable and lock for situations where u-lock won’t work and for hostel lockers
- Poc Omne Air Mips Helmet
If you’re looking for additional support in planning your dream bike tour, check out my Planning Your First Big Bike Tour Workshop.
Happy adventuring!