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Top 12 Tips - First time Bikepacking
First time Bikepacking? The crew at Flow MTB recently sent four enduro riders out to prove that you don't need a special bike or heaps of experience to go bikepacking. 🤘
An overnight adventure on the Narrow Neck trail
Flow Mountain Bike x aeroe
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''The beauty for us one-bike novices was that we didn’t need a custom setup to get out there. The Aeroe racks we used are easily installed on any bike; you don’t need any mounting points on your frame or fork to fit these. They also don’t attach to your seat at all, which is great for us as it meant we can still use our dropper posts. And let’s face it, the temptation to huck a sneaky water bar is too great.''
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''You don’t need a special bikepacking bike to go on an adventure like this."
Offline maps are a must. Most bike packing routes will have a downloadable map that doesn’t require mobile data to view. Make sure you share your route with a friend not on the ride. If things go wrong someone will know where you are.
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Save your emergency contact’s information into everyone else’s phones. That way if something happens and you get taken away in a helicopter or are unable to unlock your phone, they can let someone know what’s happening.
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Quick access to bike spares. The Aeroe racks and dry bags were great for loading up the majority of our gear. But it would’ve been helpful to have a small hip pack or frame bag so you can quickly access spares.
Share items amongst the group. For example, there is no need to for everyone in the group to bring a gas cooker. What worked for us was to have two cookers for our group of four.
Bring a power bank. Keep those devices that are storing maps and the ability to contact help charged up.
Bring extra ski straps (aka Versa/Voile straps). If something breaks or you want to carry an extra water bottle to your frame these straps are perfect.
Water! You’ll probably need more water than you think. Particularly if you’re planning to eat dehydrated meals that need water added. Use those ski straps to attach an extra Nalgene bottle to your downtube. Or even better get some bottle holders that attach to your fork.
Bring thongs. Having a change of shoes is a campsite luxury that won’t cost you much space or weight.
On bike kit, off bike kit. One set of riding clothes and one set of non-riding clothes is all you need. Go for merino wool if you can. It’s moisture-wicking and doesn’t stink even after multiple wears. Don’t forget to bring a small packing puffer jacket.
Lay your gear out before packing. We met in a park close to the trail head. Here we had tons of room to lay all our gear out. This meant we could easily triple check we had everything.
Get your friends stoked on it. Sometimes you need soul-searching solo missions. But we’ve found bikepacking with friends is the way to go and safer too.
''The pull of going on a self-supported adventure with friends, eliminates any of those concerns of inconvenience. It is replaced with a sense of excitement and anticipation that only a mutual mission can bring.''
''After a big day of riding and next to no screen time (something most of us have way too much of on the regular), the sleep was deep and restful. We woke with two simple goals for the next day. The first was to eat breakfast whilst savouring the epic view of the valley. The second was to ride back out along that amazing ridgeline. A simple life on bike; it’s certainly a good one.''
Get Setup for your adventure
