Bikepacking: the complete gear list
Bikepacking is minimalist bike touring. No racks, no hard panniers: you strap soft bags directly to the frame, handlebars and saddle. The result? An agile bike that handles roads AND trails.
The bags: the core system
| Bag | Typical contents | Volume | Recommended brands | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle bag | Sleeping bag, pad | 8-16 L | Apidura, Restrap, Ortlieb | $90-200 |
| Handlebar bag | Tent, clothing | 8-15 L | Apidura, Revelate, Miss Grape | $90-180 |
| Frame bag (full) | Food, cooking, heavy tools | 4-8 L | Apidura, Revelate | $80-150 |
| Top tube bag | Snacks, phone, battery | 0.5-1 L | Apidura, Restrap | $28-55 |
| Cargo cages (fork) | Water, compact tent | 2-4 L | Blackburn, Salsa Anything | $22-45 |
Bag budget: $330-660 for a complete setup. Apidura Expedition is the benchmark (quality + waterproofing), Restrap offers excellent value (made in England).
Sleeping setup
| Item | Recommendation | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-person tent | MSR Hubba NX 1, Nemo Dragonfly 1P | 1.0-1.5 kg | $220-440 |
| Bivy (alternative) | OR Helium Bivy, Alpkit Hunka XL | 0.3-0.5 kg | $90-220 |
| Sleeping bag | Cumulus Lite Line 200, Sea to Summit Spark SP1 | 0.4-0.8 kg | $165-330 |
| Sleeping pad | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, S2S Ether Light XT | 0.35-0.5 kg | $130-220 |
Sleeping budget: $550-990 for a comfortable 3-season setup. Most important piece: the sleeping pad. A good pad transforms recovery.
Cooking
| Item | Recommendation | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stove | MSR PocketRocket 2, Soto Windmaster | 70-90 g | $44-77 |
| Pot | Toaks 750 ml titanium, MSR Trail Lite | 100-200 g | $28-55 |
| Utensil | Titanium spork | 20 g | $9-17 |
| Water bottles | 2x CNOC Vecto 1L (soft, compressible) | 60 g | $22-33 |
| Water filter | Sawyer Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree | 60-90 g | $33-55 |
