Bikepacking - What I’m Taking, What I’m Leaving and What I’m Still To Figure Out.

What's Occurrin'

A little update first, or if you haven’t read the other posts. My friend (Clint) and I are going to cycle from Inverness to Cape Wrath on the north west tip of Scotland. We’ve booked the train tickets from Glasgow and are going on the 15th of August. This will give us around two weeks to organise what we need. 

We’ve mapped out a rough route. Clint has a GPS, which should be helpful. We’ll also have our phones, and I have a Garmin watch for backup. 

What I’m taking

I’m packing light. Said no one ever. Well, packing light is the aim, but it’s amazing how much stuff you need when your bike is not only your mode of transport but also your home for a few days.

I’m trying to break it down into categories, as I figure that when I actually pack it onto the bike (using the various bags I now have), it will be more useful to have it packed away together in groups, when possible.

Sleep System:

For me, an important aspect is having good sleep, I need plenty of sleep at the best of times and think it would be amazing to be camping out after a good days pedal and have a decent rest at the end. It just makes the next day’s ride more bearable. 

Compact Lightweight Sleeping Bag - Alpkit

I went for a lighter three-season sleeping bag, figuring that if I’m cold I can layer up with some extra clothing. Space and weight are key. Some people prefer a blanket/duvet style as they pack better and can be lighter to carry, but I’ve went old school as I think it’ll help shut out any draughts.

Insulated Sleeping Mat - Therm-a-Rest Neotherm X-Lite

From what I’ve read, being insulated from the ground is key for a good night’s rest, so I’ve sacrificed some space and weight here. Check out the ‘R’ value of your mat, the higher the better.

Tent - Alpkit Aeronut

I’ve used an inflatable tent for the family for years, and they’re robust and quick to pitch. This one is small, packable (no tent poles!) and weighs only 1.2 kg. I chose a tent over a bivvy, again, as the first foray into bike packing is in the Scottish highlands, so it’s probably advisable to be more equipped than less.

Packable Inflatable Pillow - Big Agnes Rapide SL

Super tiny & packable, and deep enough to be comfortable.

Eye Mask - Free

I got one on a flight back from Canada - thanks, Air Transat! It gets light about 5.20 am here, so some blackout might be necessary.

Cooking/Nutrition

I don’t expect us to be that far from a hotel, pub or shop for large parts of this trip. But as we’re camping, we’ll need to be self-sufficient for breakfast and lunch. I haven’t looked at a burner, but after seeing and feeling the weight of my ten-year-old family burner, I might have to rethink.

I’ll need to find some decent re-hydrated meals, enough for four days and nights! Breakfast will be some kind of porridge. As long as it can all be cooked on a camp stove. Please feel free to suggest any good ideas below for this, I’m all ears!

I’d like to have a decent coffee setup, but since it’s the first time, I’ll go with some good-quality sachets. Maybe London Nootropics Mojo should do the trick, and a good set-up for the day ahead!

Nutrition

During the day, I’ll snack on a pre-made fruit and nut mix, which I’ll place in individual bags and put in a little stem bag. I’ll be taking some Tailwind sachets for a water bottle during the day, Styrkr electrolyte tablets and Energy50 bars.

Clothing

I’m finding this part tricky. Scotland is lots of things, but predictable it isn’t. I’m going to wait until the week before and try to get a proper handle on the weather. Flexibility will be key, layers that can pack and keep me warm and dry when required. 

We’ll probably be moving at a more relaxed pace, stopping for snaps and maybe the odd video, so clothing can be a bit more comfortable. I’ll be looking for technical gear that can perform in various conditions.

A puffy/packable jacket is a must-have; I’ taking a couple of merino wool t-shirts, as they’re good for temperature regulation (and odour). I have some super lightweight waterproofs from last year’s coast-to-coast, so I’m hoping they’ll be up to the task. If it’s looking extremely wet, I might take my heavyweight Gore-Tex.

I’m packing a pair of shoes, for the campsite and in case we need to walk or push the bikes. I have some Vivo Barefoots that are lightweight and can fold up if needed.

Tech

As much as I would ideally like to leave it all behind, but I also want to record it all and share it! I love taking pictures and making videos, especially when I can capture Scotland at its best. 

Camera’s/V-Logging

The bare minimum is my iPhone, which will be used for snaps, video blogging and b-roll stuff. I might take a tripod or my DJI Osmo Gimbal. It’s handy for steadying shots and shooting from the ground.

Bike Video

Insta 360 X4 - Great fun, easy to use, switch on and forget filming. Can do 5K or 8k 360 filming.

Drone

This is space and weight-dependent. My drone is the ever-popular DJI Air 3 - it’s strong in the wind, has excellent 4K footage and a 3x optical zoom if you want it. But it weighs about 800g, and I’d need the controller and at least two or three batteries - so again, I might wait on the weather forecast, if it’s good I’ll make space, and if not, it’ll get left behind. I really love this drone, but I only want to take it if it’ll get used. I might be regretting not getting something smaller!

Batteries

I have two battery packs, and one charger. One 10,000mAh small MagSafe charger for the phone and topping up my watch. The other is a large and heavier 25’000mAh battery that should be good for topping up the Insta 360 and maybe the drone if required.

Tools

This is more important than on a typical bike day out, as we could be in some pretty remote areas. We can’t cover all eventualities, but can try to cover some of the more common ones. 

Multi-Tool

Lezyne Ti with a chain tool and the most relevant Allen keys.

Larger volume pump - Leyzyne

I found a space that fits perfectly on my bottle holder. It barely misses the pedals when turning, but if it stays put, that’s ideal, as it saves bag space and is accessible in an emergency. It needs to be a decent size as we’re riding on 40mm tyres that have a fair bit of volume.

I’ve sourced a rear derailleur hanger for my bike, and I’m also getting a couple of spare magic chain links in case of chain emergencies. 

We’re both running tubless gravel tyres, so I’ll be taking two sachets of tyre slime, some super glue, tyre boot kit and a spare inner tube. Just in case. 

I’m considering a spare tyre and a small bottle of chain lube.

The Bags and Bike Setup

That’s a lot of kit, anyone for a game of bike Jenga? Let’s see if all this can fit on a standard gravel bike with a 54cm frame!

As mentioned, I want to keep things organised, so that each bag is for something specific, Such as Clothing, Food, Tools, Tech, Camp, and so on. It’ll be tight, so I may need to take my ultra running vest as well, but I’ll make this call closer to the time. It could be handy having a bag with me anyway. |

My bike (Specialized Venge Carbon) doesn’t have allen bolts for racking, so I’ve went for a full-on bike packing setup. This is better for weight, but not as good for space. 

So far, it looks like this:-

5L Fork Bag - Stove + Dehydrated Food.

5L fork Bag - Water Purifier + Additional Campclothing (trousers and underwear)

1.5L Stem Bag - Fruit & Nut Snack (for three/four days).

20L Handelbar Bag - All my camping kit (hopefully).

1.2L Top Tube Bag - More Snacks, Phone, Bank Card, Cash, Smidge repellent and sunscreen.

0.8L Rear Tube Bag - First Aid Kit. I may put a buff and or my midge and head net in here or more snacks (can you ever have enough snackage?). 

3.5L Frame Bag - Nutrition will go in here, spare gloves and buff. Styrk bars/gels and Tailwind sachets. If there is space, they can also include some dehydrated meals.

.8L Downtube Bag - Tools! Low centre of gravity and hopefully not needed!

14L Saddle Bag - This will be for most of my clothing, and it gives easy access to waterproofs. It has a good magnetic opening and the whole bag comes out easily.

Let’s Go

Two guys, two bikes and way too much kit. We just need to leave now. I must confess, I’m like a kid at Christmas, can’t wait to get out there and pedal under the big sky.

Oh and I'm determined to get a 'Flat Lay' picture of all this, but not sure when I'll manage that before leaving, stay tuned!