Blue Cat likes to ride his mountain bike. And he also likes to go camping. So Blue Cat has been spending the winter getting ready to go bikepacking.
So what is “bikecamping? Just think of backpacking but using your bike to carry all the camping stuff and moving a lot faster than your legs will carry you. While it may limit where you can go (a lot of hiking trails don’t allow bikes), it also opens you up to seeing a lot more of a place in a set amount of time. And you can coast going downhill!
Most of what Blue Cat has learned about bikepacking comes from the website Exploring Wild. That website’s author, Alissa, has bikepacked over 19,000 miles in more countries than even Blue Cat has been to. Her site, an “eclectic outdoor adventure and travel blog,” has advice, equipment reviews and stories of her adventures that are really inspiring. You should check it out if you’re at all interested in bikepacking, backpacking (again-tough on the legs) or traveling to really interesting places.
Blue Cat is also in a bit of a bind – he likes going mountain biking with his scribe, but his scribe is not in the best shape, so Blue Cat bought him an e-bike so he can enjoy the trails better. It’s a Trek Powerfly 4 FS – a full suspension mountain bike – so Blue Cat’s bag choices were rather limited. Here’s what he ended up with:
(Blue Cat doesn’t receive any kind of benefit from you using the links in this blog – because who would give a crocheted cat an affiliate account?)
- Ortlieb Quick-Rack: This rack doesn’t need any special mountings on the bike (although it uses the rack dropouts on the Trek Powerfly 4) and can handle a back wheel with suspension. It also goes on and off the bike quickly (in less than a minute) so Blue Cat can travel to his campsite and then remove the rack for some serious single track.
- REI Co-op Link Panniers: These panniers hold a lot of stuff (18 liters each) and also have a pouch for tent poles. They fit well on the Quick-Rack.
- Voile Strap with Aluminum Buckle – 20″: These straps are really tough and allow Blue Cat to strap his sleeping bag onto his rack.
- Osprey Savu 5 Hydration Waist Pack: Blue Cat makes his scribe carry 2 large water bottles in this pack (along with all his bike tools, a wallet and sometimes a Poptart) since all the rack space on the bike is taken.
- Future – RockBros Waterproof Handlebar Bags: Blue Cat is thinking about getting this handlebar bag set. It would free up the panniers for more gear (especially water) as these bags would hold Blue Cat’s tent as well as more snacks.
Here’s the result – not pretty but it holds Blue Cat’s sleep system (Big Agnes Echo Park 20deg XL sleeping bag, Big Agnes Air Core Ultra air mattress, camping pillow), tent (Marmot Tungsten 2P), a Jetboil Mini-Mo, a change of clothes and a couple days of freeze-dried meals. Unfortunately that means that Blue Cat’s scribe has to carry water in bottles on the bike frame and in his waist pack.
Here’s what it looks like on the bike:
So that’s Blue Cat’s bikepacking setup – he’s now ready for his first bikepacking adventure – probably to somewhere close to his house that has a campsite with water and an electrical connection (Blue Cat’s range on the e-bike is only about 40 miles total).
What do you think Blue Cat’s chances are for a successful first outing? Let him know – and any suggestions you might have – in the comments below.
(c) William P Doyle, Jr 2024
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