Disclaimer: This is a bikepacking kit list for this particular trip, to share my thought process. While a lot of equipment will be relevant for many situations, I’ve quickly learned there’s no right way to pack for bikepacking. It’s part personal preference, part puzzling out the needs for a particular trip. How long do you plan to spend at camp, and how comfortable do you want to be while you’re there? Will you need to pack all of your food and water across large segments, or is there ample resupply? How comfortable are you with your own smell after three days, and will you be near others who might answer differently?
In planning this trip I wanted to keep it as light as possible with the gear I have. Take the budget one-man tent. Take the heavy-ish sleeping pad. I also decided eschew the stove, cook kit, mug, and (*sigh*) portable pour-over coffee filter. I was reasonably confident there be hoagies in them thar hills.
HIGHLIGHTS
Bags
Bags were a splurge. Over the past year I’ve accumulated a near-full kit of Apidura’s Expedition line. They are not cheap, but they’re also rated incredibly high in terms of weatherproofing and construction. That paid off for this trip, which included several days of driving rain. As a relatively new bikepacker I may not be able to appreciate the subtle advantage of a superlight tent or a high-end rear hub. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I can tell the difference between a wet down sleeping bag and a dry one. Highly recommend. While Apidura also offers a 9L and 17L version, I went with the 14.5L saddle pack, on the principle that less is more until it’s too little.
Purple Lizard Maps
This is a really cool company. Their waterproof maps add a level to detail to state forest back roads and trails that Google, RideWithGPS, and other services can’t match. They are certainly several cuts above the forest service’s minimal PDFs. Currently the Purple Lizard repertoire is limited mostly to Pennsylvania state forests, but they have started branching out with maps for Ohio, West Virgina, and… Ricon Puerto Rico? Well done.
Bike
A GT Grade Carbon Pro 2020 with no major upgrades to spec apart from a recently replaced bottom bracket. I could have gone as high as 42mm tires on the 700s for a little more comfort, but I kept my mismatched front 37 (Riddler) and rear 38 (Trigger Pro) because I wanted to see how the trip felt without a new variable in the mix. As Job Bluth once said to Buster, “Now, when you do this without getting punched, you’ll have more fun!”
While it’s true the route and terrain weren’t overly technical, I was impressed with how the bike performed. The 11 speed Shimano Ultegra Di2 worked flawlessly. I wasn’t sure whether my 46/30 had enough of a low-end for the long gravel climbs in Bald Eagle State Forest, especially fully-loaded. It turned out I had plenty to work with, through some combination of training, light packing, and good terrain.
Keep reading for the full kit list, or see how all this planning panned out in my Day 1 recap.
FULL KIT LIST
| Weight (g) | Weight (lb) | |
| TOTAL WEIGHT | 9339 | 20.59 |
| SLEEP SYSTEM | ||
| Tent – ALPS Lynx 1-person | 1074 | 2.37 |
| Tent stakes | 76 | 0.17 |
| Tent poles | 437 | 0.96 |
| Sleeping pad – Big Agnes Air Core Ultra | 532 | 1.17 |
| Travel pillow – Trekology | 83 | 0.18 |
| Tent floor | 186 | 0.41 |
| Sleeping bag – REI | 942 | 2.08 |
| BAGS | ||
| Seat pack – Apidura 14L | 350 | 0.77 |
| Handlebar bag – Apidura 14L | 275 | 0.61 |
| Top tube bag – Topeak | 120 | 0.26 |
| Frame bag – Apidura half | 170 | 0.37 |
| Accessory bag – Apidura 4.5L | 115 | 0.25 |
| ELECTRONICS | ||
| Bike light – NiteRider Lumina 1000 | 141 | 0.31 |
| Bag lights (front/back) | 80 | 0.18 |
| Head lamp | 58 | 0.13 |
| Garmin Edge 800 GPS | 108 | 0.24 |
| Iphone | 230 | 0.51 |
| Spare AAAs for head lamp | 22 | 0.05 |
| Power bank (Anker) | 348 | 0.77 |
| USB C cord (wireless headphones) | 8 | 0.02 |
| USB micro B cord | 12 | 0.03 |
| USB mini A cord (Garmin) | 37 | 0.08 |
| USB wall plug | 25 | 0.06 |
| iPhone cord | 22 | 0.05 |
| Headphones | 13 | 0.03 |
| FOOD & HYDRATION | ||
| Water bottles x4 (empty weight) | 400 | 0.88 |
| Folding knife | 46 | 0.10 |
| Spork | 12 | 0.03 |
| CAMP CLOTHES | ||
| Ghost Whisper 2 Down Jacket | 221 | 0.49 |
| Merino shirt | 144 | 0.32 |
| Thermal pants | 119 | 0.26 |
| Flip flops | 336 | 0.74 |
| Thermal hat | 25 | 0.06 |
| Underwear (1x) | 67 | 0.15 |
| CYCLING CLOTHES (PACKED) | ||
| Bike shorts (extra) | 146 | 0.32 |
| Arm warmers | 63 | 0.14 |
| Spare socks | 38 | 0.08 |
| Fingerless gloves | 42 | 0.09 |
| FIRST AID KIT | ||
| Bandaids | 1 | 0.00 |
| NSAIDs | 2 | 0.00 |
| Moleskin | 10 | 0.02 |
| Antiseptic cream | 15 | 0.03 |
| Tweezers | 14 | 0.03 |
| Emergency blanket | 64 | 0.14 |
| Gauze | 1 | 0.00 |
| TOILETRIES | ||
| Toilet paper (4 squares x day) | 5 | 0.01 |
| Toothbrush | 14 | 0.03 |
| Toothpaste | 18 | 0.04 |
| Contact case | 7 | 0.02 |
| Lens solution (go bottle) | 76 | 0.17 |
| Spare contacts | 3 | 0.01 |
| Chamois cream (go bottle) | 74 | 0.16 |
| Bug spray (mini) | 29 | 0.06 |
| Sunscreen (go bottle) | 82 | 0.18 |
| Lip balm | 10 | 0.02 |
| Wash wipes (plastic bag) | 94 | 0.21 |
| BIKE MAINTENANCE | ||
| Spare tubes (2x) | 328 | 0.72 |
| Chain lube | 240 | 0.53 |
| Quick links | 2 | 0.00 |
| Tire boots | 1 | 0.00 |
| Valve key | 8 | 0.02 |
| mini pump | 59 | 0.13 |
| CO2 cartridge and chuck | 89 | 0.20 |
| Curved needle | 1 | 0.00 |
| Nylon thread | 1 | 0.00 |
| Zip ties | 5 | 0.01 |
| Stan’s dart | 15 | 0.03 |
| Spare darts | 7 | 0.02 |
| Stan’s sealant | 75 | 0.17 |
| Chain rag | 21 | 0.05 |
| Tire levers | 42 | 0.09 |
| Hex wrench | 28 | 0.06 |
| Superglue | 3 | 0.01 |
| Leatherman Squirt | 57 | 0.13 |
| Crankbrothers M17 multitool | 125 | 0.28 |
| Bike lock | 333 | 0.73 |
| OTHER | ||
| Maps | 85 | 0.19 |
| Voile straps | 48 | 0.11 |
| Travel wallet | 59 | 0.13 |
| Poncho | 65 | 0.14 |