First time « bikepacking » report

I am slowly LARPing my way into bikepacking.

When my colleague proposed we take voluntary students to a biking and camping trip, I took it as a sign and I signed.

I wanted to test a proper night out, so while we had a van for everyone’s stuff, I rode fully charged, except for the food and clocking system.

It was only a 15km ride, because our students don’t even have bikes, they never trained for that type of ride, and we discovered one of them had only learned to ride 2 weeks before.

By itself, the camping was a happy mess, with a student who brought a tent made for cars, several plaids instead of a sleeping bag for another, but also 6 crashes, one that ended with a fractured elbow, and a fondue in the camp.

I slept in a tent I had never used before, in a sleeping bag so useless I could feel the cold wind against my back, slipping on the mat because I had forgotten about laying the tent on flat ground, and I loved it. IT WAS AWESOME*.

I am now planning a trip next week, maybe in the Jura mountains, maybe around the Mont Blanc Area, or a more tarmac-oriented ride through the Alps.

I made a list of everything I would take for a proper trip with colder nights, which explains why I brought so much stuff I wouldn’t actually use…

In the seat pack:
– Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 with the ground tarp
– Sea To Summit Insulated mat
– Decathlon S15 bag I’m going to replace if I don’t want to die of hypothermia
– a tyvek tarp because why not
– an Ortovox emergency bivvy (in case I couldn’t mount the tent or whatever)

In the half-frame bag:
– tool pouch with everything (for the tubeless repair, for the chain) except a derailleur hanger and a Schrader-to-Presta adapter
– a foldable lock
– 20000mAh battery
– all the cables and a plug to charge anything
– a spare tube

In the top tube bag:
– some cereal crap bars I like
– disgusting energy gels (cola and mojito)
– a tiny tube of sun cream
– a less tiny tube of chamois cream
– some tissues
– wet wipes in the opposing zip

In the handlebar tube bag:
– a rain jacket
– arm warmers
– a wind gilet
– the pharmacy (for the pain, the bleeding a, the allergy, but also to brush my teeth and wash myself)

In the fork bags:
– a second pair of socks
– a merino t-shirt for the night
– a proper cotton training that is highly impractical and doesn’t hold warmth
– a cotton hoodie for the night
– a light down jacket
– a microfiber towel
– 3 packs of marshmallow

And of course also:
– mandatory mug dangling on the seat pack (such a horrible noisy idea, but then I discovered I didn’t know where to hide it)
– trail shoes, because I fear I might have to hike a lot depending on how my fitness bears me.

I’ll probably update the list as I’m sure I’ve forgotten stuff.

It weighted 27kg with the bike.

Looking at how I’m packing stuff, I think I’ll struggle with the food. I am trying those fancy dehydrated meals, but I think I’ll get food to cook along my trip (we’re in tiny Switzerland, I’d be the unluckiest man on Earth if I couldn’t get anything to cook). I am getting a proper gaz cooking system, and a real sleeping bag (and a liner, just in case).

Roast me!