Hi fellow bikepackers!
I’m starting my first bikeation next friday. I’m going to be doing 600km in 9-10 days.
While I will be sleeping in hotels (i’ll pack a pijama + street clothes), i’m not sure if i’m missing anything or packing too much.
I will be carrying a 10L saddle bag (where most of the items will go) + top tube bag + pouch bag (both for essy access items… food, gel, etc)
Now… what am I missing?
by main1984
21 Comments
La Rojigualda.
Idk, but I love the socks!
A bike
Maybe I missed it, is there a lock to go with the cable?
Hard to tell but do you have a spare master link and the pliers to install the master link? Also a chain breaker to install a master link at a random spot in the chain is key as well. Otherwise looks like you have it pretty well down!
Below is what I use. Not a cheap tool but will absolutely save you.
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/tools/products/pack-pliers
No one’s gonna admit it, but a cream to protect your arse. An anti-chafing cream will do miracles.
Beer/ party supplies! Have a fun trip and ride safe
Just my thoughts but at a quick glance it looks like you’re overpacked and could slim down. Two bottles of the same lotion? Why so many brake pads? How many pairs of socks is that? Two should be fine. No need for the sunglasses case. Do you really need that large heavy lock? That toothpaste tube is MASSIVE! Do you really need that entire bottle of lube? I don’t think it’s a big deal to carry these things, but you could shave off some weight and a good amount of pack space by downsizing on unnecessary things.
Food? Sleeping gear?
I would ditch the axe body spray or whatever axe product that is. Nobody will care that you stink, you’re supposed to smell!
Why have you got those orange ‘get home tubes’ instead of normal ones?
Ditch the CO2 and get a pump. And spare tubes and a lot of patches.
My last 10 days off-road I had 10 flats. Needed at least 10 patches and 2 tubes. Replaced a rear derailleur pulley.
I doubt you’ll need new cleats or brakes. Will you really need the head lamp? And such a heavy lock and cable? I have a mini-Abus and a cable with 3mm cable (made it myself), and next trip I won’t bring it – someone will just stay with the bikes.
What seems like not too much weight feels 50 kg heavier going up a mountain
And is that a pack of butt wipes? Just wash with soap and water.
Hard to say for the small parts. Do you have detailed shots or higher resolution?
At first glance I would say (just my preference:
Too many socks and I would swap the cliff bars for cheaper stuff that does the same. If you are willing to spend that amount of money I would recommend some power gel and electrolyte fizzy tablets. Especially the last ones are extremely helpful to recover fast and not getting a headache due to mineral loss.
And I like to carry dental floss an and awl in case of a cut in the mantle. Doesn’t take up any space but can save the trip.
And do you have zip ties and gorilla tape?
Zip ties fit perfectly in the handlebar and I would wrap a bottle or the pump with a few feet of tape. Perfectly stored 😎
Ah, and do you have a small first aid kit if it’s getting more serious? Or are you always in reach of help? There are really small ones for hiking.
Another thing that I love and that might be a need thing: A small pouch at the bar that’s empty in the beginning. You can get special handelbar pouches, I just talk a challbag that’s left over (and clean). I always find a use for it. As a trash bin for plastic packages of food, just food in general gloves, what ever. Depends on your saddle time. If you plan for a more relaxed ride it might be a waste, but if you are going for more than 10 h pure saddle time a day and your cockpit becomes your living room, I would totally recommend!
But most importantly:
Overall: That looks good! Have fun!!!
Can’t see all details on mobile, sorry if you had some of these already. Non-trivial stuff I found useful on my similar trips:
– mosquito repellant (might be a local thing but made my life much better)
– extra trash bags, good for dirty clothes, “waterproofing” sensitive stuff in case of huge rain, etc
– a few papers or mini notebook and pen, good to be able to leave a note in lots of cases
– disinfectant spray
– small backpack that can be wrapped/collapsed to a size of a wallet basically. Super useful for the shoppings for the evening/breakfast. I have the 10L forclaz from decathlon, but many other brands make their own. I even used it on accommodations where I couldn’t get the bike in the room and needed to dismount all my crap.
– pair of sandals or similar light shoes if you plan to walk a lot in cities, i found them super comfortable after a day in spd
– sunscreen!
Have a great trip!
Would def take like 1/2 of those bars per day, not sure if cheaper to buy there where you are or if you go remotely but good bars are really savers I found out, esp compared to the cheap bars that offer very little long term energy. Seems well prepared, leave some room for snacks on the way and enjoy!
Enjoy your trip, the first trip is always the best 🙂
I did 30 days of the Divide about a month ago and I didn’t pack quite as much: you’d be surprised at how little you actually need.
Here’s what I would say:
* ditch the second bottle of sunscreen
* the huge packet of wet wipes is not really necessary
* your tube of toothpaste is rather large
* you don’t need so many brake pads, just bring an extra set
* bring two pairs of socks, there’s no reason to have so many socks
* a bladder (like the Platypus Platy) is good for your water storage rather than having a bunch of water bottles
* your lock seems a little overkill, maybe before you run into stores you can stash your bike
* leave the CO2 at home, just use your pump
A bike?
* Pliers for removing ticks
* Spare sealant for tubeless
* Spare tubeless valve + sealing rings
* adapter from Presta to Schrader
* Puncture Plug repair kit
* Gaffa Tape, wrapped around a lighter
* Bigger bottles, personal preference
* Musette, e.g. for transporting items from supermarket to a nearby lake rather than having to it in front of the market. If you plan on eating out most of the time it’s not a necessity anymore. Most of these are just very small, cheap items that IMO help out in a lot of conditions.
I would go without the brake pads, and cleads and only bring the cleat screws. Only 2 socks for sport and 2 socks for leisure time. Never needed more than 2 Shirts and 2 cycling shirts as well, especially if you’re staying at hotels there’s always access for washing stuff.
Rain jacket? Although unlikely in spain I always have on with me, it’s also good on longer descents when you’re sweaty and it’s getting colder / later in the evening.
I also only go 2 pairs of sport socks and 1 pair of “leisure time” socks and when riding in warmer conditions I’d opt for sandal-type of shoe, but if you plan on go for maybe shorter hiking trips around camping areas a proper shoe makes sense.
For lubricant and tire sealant I have drop bottles from Nalgene (1oz / 30ml). They’re sealing well and help to decrease on packing size. For suncream, laundry wash, shampoo, et al I use travel-size bottles. You can buy them with travel-editions of shampoo and re-use it every time after cleaning. It’s easier to pack different amounts for each trip, e.g. I need 1 travel-bottle of shampoo per 5 days and 1 travel-bottle of suncream for around 10 days in the summer. If I go for longer or shorter trips I can pack accordingly and IMO the sum of these savings is something I really started to appreciate.
Same with the deodorant, a stick one packs easily half the size of the Axe and lasts for longer.
I also like to bring some Iso-tabs, I get a bit bored of water not tasting like anything and that’s a good combination of a bit taste and helping with generation.
A bike.
Phone charger and cable.
Power bank.
Gloves and buff
Anbesol. Bite your tongue or chip a tooth, makes the rest of the trip possible.
Ty-raps. Single use super glue. Gorilla tape. Bandana or painter’s cap. Wear it under your helmet to ward-off sunburn (old person here) and bees/wasps getting excited should they find themselves in your helmet.