You have to squeeze yourself inside, and it’s a tight fit, but its Pertex shell gives you a dry, breathable, secure hideaway for sleeping. Hammocks you can string up between two trees, and simple bivvies (ultra-minimal shelters) are easy options because you don’t have to deal with poles, but Kershaw says you should consider an ultralight tent if you want a dry place to read at night.įor minimalists, we like the Rab Ridge Raider Bivi ( $375 from Rab), a one-person bivvy rigged for sleeping anywhere-even in a ditch if you have to. “The ultralight tent versus bivvy versus hammock debate is endless,” says Kershaw. The pros and cons of each piece of equipment can be dramatic, but that’s part of the fun.” As he likes to say, “Bikepacking is a tinkerer’s dream. Kershaw has pedaled thousands of miles to hone his systems.

We’ve provided a few new suggestions for key pieces of the bikepacking puzzle and kept a few steadfast no-brainers provided last spring by Jeremy Kershaw, a registered nurse who for more than a decade has been organizing events like the Heck Epic, a three-day bikepacking race in northern Minnesota.

What you're reading now is a newly updated version of the guide we originally published last year. There may not be a “wrong” way to do it, but there are some kit items, bike accessories, camping gear, and food that will make your two-wheeled foray into the wild more enjoyable. Others prefer to carry the extra weight of tents, sleeping pads, and stoves to ensure their comfort, safety, and well-being. Some cyclists thrive on riding 1,000 miles in cutoff denim shorts, drinking from streams, bivouacking under the stars, and tempting fate with every decision. There are no hard and fast rules for bikepacking. If you've already got a working bike, all you need is a goal, whether it’s exploring new roads solo or finally signing up for that multiday charity ride. For those of us who love our backyards, that’s not such a bad prognostication. We may be able to walk mask-free into a convenience store to fuel up on Snickers and Gatorade, but the unpredictability of international travel will keep most of us exploring in our own backyards. According to the editors at the summer of 2021 will be … a lot like the summer of 2020.

The long dark carry weight