Bikepacking: List of 10 Must-Have Essentials

When we hear the word mountain biking, the first thing that we imagine is a biker with his clothes and bike drenched in mud. Then we imagine him thundering between and over the tricky obstacles on his way. However, this is not the case at all times.

Yes, it is indeed a fact that people do it for a thrill. But other people in the list go for it to explore the nature without racing down the zigzags. The point here is that irrespective of the purpose, every biker needs to carry some crucial items along.

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Here in this article, we have narrowed down a list of 10 must have bikepacking essentials. Give the article a walk to know and understand why you need all this stuff for the purpose.

Navigation Equipment
It’s a no-brainer that you are going to be at a place you have never been before. For this trip, you must carry a paper map and other navigation equipment like a magnetic compass and GPS receiver. This is crucial because usually, such places do not have enough signboards to direct people into and out of place.
Don’t forget to put them all in a waterproof container. This is because you will not be able to use them, especially the topographic map if they get wet.

Safety Gear
Safety is a paramount factor for whatever you do. You cannot compromise on your safety at any time. For off-road bikepacking, you need to carry a helmet along. And don’t just bring it; wear it. It does not matter how slowly you ride, wearing a helmet while off-road biking is a must.

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It can be a deadly deal to ride a mountain bike in the backcountry without wearing any protective gear. If you fall off, you are likely to hurt yourself because of the irregular surface.

First Aid Kit
Just in case you fall off, you might need a first aid kit to help yourself out there. There’s no shortage of the type of first aid kits on the market. The only thing that you have to remember is to not compromise on the quality of the kit. Take one which provides every necessary thing to you.

Air Pump
The trip that you are going for is likely to last for more than a day. If the tire on your bike deflates because you will need an air pump to inflate it back to the required pressure. Riding a bike with flat tires is not going to be enticing for you. It will spoil the entire idea of biking. Also, carry a spare tire tube just in case the former one bursts for whatever reason.

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Tool Kit
For bikepacking, a bike-oriented toolkit is something you cannot miss. It is as crucial as any other thing on the list. If you are going for a relatively long ride, you may need to carry some additional tools with you.
Chain links, zip-ties, duct tapes, are some of the tools that must be in your backpack when going for mountain biking.

Some Technical Stuff
While en route, you might find yourself in some of the remotest areas of the place. It might even pull you into an emergency. So, to avoid something of this sort, you must carry a cell phone, so you can inform your loved ones about the situation. When taking a phone along, you cannot skip the charging device. Of course, a phone can run out of battery at any time.

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Besides emergency, you may want to click a couple of pictures of the beautiful landscapes there. For this, carry along a camera. Remember that all this must not make you feel burdened at any time.

Shelter
There will apparently be no homes to take rest or spend the night. You have to arrange everything for yourself. The best thing to do is to carry a trekking tent on the trip. To take one-person or two-person tent depends on the weather conditions of the place you are going.
Along with the shelter items, carry something to ignite the fire in the jungle. Perhaps you can carry a butane lighter and matchbox in a waterproof container.

Food & Hydration
Needless to say, we need food and water to survive. In fact, you’ll need a lot of water while biking as you will be losing quite of it through sweat. The quantity of water needed varies according to the needs of the rider.
Also, pack sufficient food for all those numbers of days you are going to be there. You will enjoy the trip only when you survive there for the entire time.

Different types of clothes
You will definitely need your regular garments there. But, in case it begins to pour, you will need some waterproof clothes. You should, under no circumstances, skip carrying the rain and warm clothes for a mountain biking trip.

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The weather conditions at such places generally change very quickly. So, it is recommended that you keep everything in the backpack before you lock the doors and engage yourself in the trip.

A lot of Plastic Bags and Containers
You will be having hundreds of things over there, like dirty clothes, socks, wet shoes, bottles, food, and much more. Ask yourself, can you pack it all together? No, you cannot. You can’t keep your underwear and snacks in the same bag. Similarly, you can’t keep any two different things in the same container or bag.
Simply put, you need to pack the entire rubbish in a separate bag from the useful ones. Have lots of bags in your backpack, even if you have to bring them back as it is.

Bottom Line
It is going to be fun there. So don’t let such small things spoil your experience. Pack everything Emergency Kits mentioned here in the post, but don’t hold yourself. If there’s something else that you need, take it along as well. After all, it is about your personal choice as well.