Bikepacking Travel Guides for Your Next Trip

Cycling has gotten complicated with all the gear and training methods flying around. As someone with extensive cycling experience, I learned everything there is to know about this topic. Today, I will share it all with you.

Getting Started with Bikepacking (Without Overcomplicating It)

My first bikepacking trip was a disaster. I packed way too much, chose a route that was way beyond my fitness level, and ended up pushing my bike up hills for half the day. But I also got hooked.

There’s something different about traveling by bike with everything you need strapped to the frame. You cover more ground than hiking but move slow enough to actually see things. Here’s what I wish someone had told me before that first trip.

Your Bike Probably Works Fine

The bikepacking industry wants you to believe you need a $3,000 dedicated rig. You don’t. I’ve done week-long trips on a hardtail mountain bike that cost $800 new. Gravel bikes, rigid mountain bikes, even touring bikes all work. What matters more is that you’re comfortable on it for long days.

That said, if your bike can’t fit wider tires or doesn’t have places to attach bags, you’ll have a harder time. Most modern bikes have mounting points on the frame – use them.

The Gear Trap

Pack half of what you think you need. Then remove a few more things.

Seriously, the biggest mistake new bikepackers make is bringing too much. Every extra pound makes climbs harder and distances feel longer. Here’s what actually matters:

• Sleep system: A lightweight tent or bivy, a sleeping pad (don’t skip this – ground is cold), and a bag rated for the temperatures you’ll hit
• Repair basics: Spare tubes, pump, multi-tool, tire levers. Maybe a chain link and small roll of tape
• Food and water: Enough to get you to the next resupply. Carrying three days of food when there’s a town 30 miles away is pointless weight
• Clothing: One riding kit, one sleeping set, rain layer. That’s probably it.

Frame bags distribute weight better than panniers and keep your center of gravity low. Handlebar rolls and seat packs round out the setup.

Planning Routes Without Overthinking

Bikepacking.com has tons of established routes with GPS files. For your first few trips, stick to these. Someone else has already figured out the water sources, the camping spots, and the sections that are rideable vs. hike-a-bike.

A few things to check:

• Daily mileage that matches your fitness (be honest here)
• Where you’ll get water – this matters more than you think
• Surface type – gravel roads are very different from singletrack
• Elevation gain – a 50-mile day with 5,000 feet of climbing is not the same as a flat 50

Start with shorter trips close to home. A two-night loop where you can bail out if needed teaches you a lot without the consequences of being stranded 100 miles from anywhere.

The Fitness Reality Check

Riding loaded is different. Hills that feel easy on a light road bike become grinds with 20 pounds of gear. Your pace will be slower, and that’s fine.

Before a big trip, do some training rides with weight. Even just commuting with a loaded pack helps your body adapt. Pay attention to what hurts – saddle issues, shoulder tension, knee pain. Fix those problems before you’re three days into nowhere.

Food Strategy

Forget freeze-dried backpacking meals unless you really love them. I usually carry:

• Oatmeal packets and instant coffee for mornings
• Bars, nuts, and dried fruit for riding fuel
• Tortillas with peanut butter or cheese for lunch
• Something simple for dinner that just needs boiling water

In areas with towns, I’ll just buy food as I go. A gas station burrito eaten on a picnic bench after 60 miles of gravel is genuinely one of life’s great pleasures.

When Things Go Wrong

They will. Flats, mechanical issues, wrong turns, unexpected weather. Part of bikepacking is problem-solving in the middle of nowhere.

Carry a basic repair kit and actually know how to use it. Practice fixing a flat before you need to do it in the rain at dusk. Have a plan for communication – a charged phone with downloaded maps, or a satellite messenger for remote areas.

But also, most problems are solvable. Humans have been traveling by bike for over a century. You’ll figure it out.

Just Go

The best advice I ever got: your first bikepacking trip doesn’t need to be epic. A single overnight on a route you already know is enough to learn what works and what doesn’t. Then the next trip is better, and the one after that is better still.

You don’t need perfect gear or a perfectly planned route. You just need to start.