In recent years, bikepacking has become increasingly popular, a long distance cousin of the ever-growing gravel cycling. While it may seem like it’s sprung out of nowhere, bikepacking has been around for a while and is essentially just an evolution of traditional touring.
What is bikepacking?
Bikepacking is basically backpacking but with a bike rather than a pair of hiking boots. Because you’re on two wheels rather than two feet you can go further, and with the right bike you can get off the road and onto gravel paths, bridleways and dirt tracks to really explore the countryside.
You can go on your own, but it’s also ideal with mates, as a couple or even with the whole family.
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In recent years the advent of lighter built-for-purpose bikes and gear means bikepacking has become much more accessible. Also, while it has a reputation for being tough, there’s really no need to worry about fitness. Just because some riders choose to cycle 100km a day, doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with electing to simply ride a few hours between stopping points.
If you plan your routes to suit your abilities you’ll end up enjoying a fun trek, not grinding away on a never-ending slog. While heading off to Iceland or getting yourself lost in the Highlands are both wonderful options, it’s also possible to find adventure closer to home.
Micro-adventures, where you head off for one or two nights, provide a great escape from the 9-to-5 grind, and can easily be squeezed into the average weekend.
Different types of bikepacking
Bikepacking is a broad church. At one end of the scale, you get fully supported tours, which involve cycling a pre-arranged route, usually with a guide and perhaps even an accompanying vehicle bringing your luggage to the next overnight stop.
- Lightweight touring: sometimes known as credit-card touring, this is when you take minimal kit, buy what you need on the way round and stay overnight in B&Bs or hostels.
- Fully loaded touring/self-supported bikepacking: this is when you carry everything you need, including food, spare clothes and a sleeping bag. If your route happens to take you through remote areas or developing countries, this is also known as 'expedition touring'.
- Mixed-terrain bikepacking: also known as rough-riding, this combines self-sufficiency on the bike with a go-anywhere attitude that’ll lead you to bits of the map where you’re unlikely to run into anyone you know. Or indeed anyone at all.
What sort of bike do I need for bikepacking?
Just about any bike can be fitted with racks or more modern strap-on style bikepacking bags, so it's more important to consider what kind of terrain you'd like to tackle/think you'll encounter.
If you're planning a tarmac heavy route, any road bike should do the trick, though an endurance road bike will be more comfortable over long periods, and a touring-specific road bike will be designed to withstand more wear and tear, as well as generally having a slightly more comfortable geometry.
For truly gnarly terrain, an out-and-out mountain bike can serve best – think routes up mountains, over boulders and across rugged cliffsides. Suspension will help soften these blows and big tyre clearance will help over the really tricky ground.
For everything else, a gravel bike is likely the best option. They vary in geometry, whether you want racy or relaxed, and strike a good balance between a bigger tyre clearance and more mounting points, while still being relatively light and fast.
What bikepacking gear do I need?
If you’re planning on sleeping out overnight, you should pack everything you’d need for a regular backpacking camping trip, plus extras for your bike – such as spare parts, tools and tubes.
While panniers will usually swallow up a campsite’s worth of equipment, smaller bikepacking bags require you to be more selective. Standard tents, sleeping mats and sleeping bags are generally quite bulky, so lighter and more compact camping gear is ideal though not a necessity.
Bikepacking bags have become increasingly popular. While traditional panniers are a reliable classic, many modern bikes won't have mounts for them. For these bikes, there are specific bags designed to fit inside the frame triangle and on the saddle, as well as others for handlebars and top-tubes.
For sleeping, a bivvy bag is a popular option in summer – essentially it is a bag which goes over your sleeping bag. You can also add a ‘tarp’ (tarpaulin) over the top to keep off the worst of the dew.
- Read our guide to the best bikepacking bags.
Where can I go bikepacking?
If you’ve got the right bike and the right gear then you can go literally anywhere. That’s the beauty of it, it’s entirely up to you – it’s your adventure.
If you’re not sure what type of bikepacking or touring would suit you, ask yourself the following:
- Where would you like to go?
- How many miles do you want to cycle in a day?
- How much gear are you prepared to carry?
- How long do you want to go for?
- How far do you want to cycle in total?
- How much are you prepared to spend?
Where should I stay while bikepacking?
A key consideration is where to stay. While many people consider wild camping a vital part of bikepacking, it’s not actually legal in most parts of the UK without the land owner’s permission.
Scotland is an obvious exception to this, where greater rights mean you’ve far more options of place to pitch up without paying for the privilege. Just make sure you don’t damage the environment or annoy any locals.
Dartmoor National Park also permits wild camping in certain areas for a few nights. Make sure you check out the permitted locations before you go.
Staying in a dedicated campsite is also another option, and depending on the season this may require slightly more planning and booking ahead, so it just depends on where you are cycling and how spontaneous you are feeling.
Ultimately, bikepacking is all about enjoying the freedom of the outdoors. So, wherever you go, be safe, leave no trace and enjoy it.
Up for the adventure? Read our guide on how to pack your bike and yourself
