Phil (ascentale)Dec 20

@ai6yr asks:

Q5. I haven't done any bikepacking, but I am interested in seeing how people pack things they are bikepacking with (ie, what gear goes where, what kind of bags are necessary, etc.).

Any neat photos of your bikepacking setup and/or places I ought to look?

#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite

Show threadnick

@ascentale @ai6yr @bikenite #bikenite A5: I'm yet to do much travelling on the pushbike but I did a lot on motorcycles and my #1 bit of advice is ... well #1 is "if it can do 2 jobs its worth twice the weight" but #2 is to plan out what goes in which pannier and stick with it, that way you're not constantly rooting through your camp stuff looking for daytime stuff etc.

My "system" is to keep during-the-day stuff on one side and camping-the-night stuff on the other, with the mnemonic "do we have any snacks _left_? vs. is this the _right_ place to camp?"

Dec 20 at 5:58amWeb
Show threadMozDec 20

@nickzoic @bikenite 😁

Very much this. I normally have one for clothes, one for tent/sleeping gear, one for food and one for misc. I used to also have a camera bag, but that was just camera gear and there's a special bin on my touring bike just for that.

Watching people open all their panniers when a torrential downpour starts looking for their raincoat is funny to watch but often less of a learning experience than it should be.

#BikeNite

Show threadnickDec 20
@moz @bikenite the logical extension from this is to also put the camp stuff in the bag in the order you'll get it out when setting up, so sleeping bag in the bottom, sleeping mat on top of that, tent at the top & if the tent is in different parts put the pegs on top of the inner on top of the poles on top of the fly. That way when you get there you just start from the top and work down until bedtime :-)
Show threadneoludditeDec 20

@nickzoic @moz @bikenite The other option is a big duffel bag strapped to the back, with some stabilisers on the rack to extend it sideways and backwards. Much easier to pack and unpack IME, you can easily lift it off (if you're travelling on a train or ferry) and you can pack different sizes of stuff, not just thin, small or squashable things .

This was version 1 - with a plank that extended the rack backwards about 20-30cm, and a cheap ALDI camping duffel. The next version will be plywood (lighter) and a bit wider to stop it tipping sideways, and I have a better (waterproof) 65L bag.

https://aus.social/@neoluddite/114764373463974455

Show threadnickDec 20
@neoluddite @moz @bikenite hey, yeah, "whatever works for you" is a totally valid thing here :-)
Show threadneoludditeDec 20
@nickzoic @moz @bikenite Have you seen what panniers cost? It's outrageous! 😉
Show threadSam H (he/him)Dec 20
@neoluddite @nickzoic @moz @bikenite
The large duffle bag is hugely underrated if you can fit it on.
This is my Brompton, packed for 2 nights through a winter storm. Tent on the front, everything else in the back.
Didn't need any cooking gear though as staying very close to town.
Show threadnickDec 20
@v_perjorative @neoluddite @moz @bikenite This is my one all set up for an overnighter ... which I didn't actually end up staying overnight for because the campground was quite busy ... but anyway, the setup feels pretty good with good balance and plenty of extra capacity for a bit more food. Water was the worst bit as it was a dry site but I just added a 2L soft drink bottle on top of that front bag.
Show threadneoludditeDec 20
@nickzoic @v_perjorative @moz @bikenite I have those Azur panniers too - the plastic clips snapped and fell apart on the second ride, I ended up tying them together with paracord, but don't really trust them any more...
Show threadnickDec 20
@neoluddite @v_perjorative @moz @bikenite weirdly they've survived okay the stitching is getting a big dodgy and I've super glued a few holes up. But I always put heavy stuff elsewhere and use the little cross-straps to take some of the weight
Show threadSam H (he/him)Dec 20
@nickzoic @ascentale @ai6yr @bikenite
Riffing on the doing 2 jobs well thing:
If you have panniers, you can also use them to do the shopping.