Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

Possible repost, this is useful bar mount setup plus packing advice

http://coastkid.blogspot.nl/2010/07/packed-to-go.html?m=1

Nice read, but massive overkill for two nights. I'd bring a toothbrush, bivvy and big baguette.

It does seem like a lot of kit...

This weekend's plans are bivvy+sleeping bag, jacket, hat, spare socks, minimal tools/tubes, hip flask, wallet, toothbrush and route-book or a map...

Not planned our route, instead relying on knowledge of good pubs/cafes and trying to find ways between them or loops from them.

More the what goes in where logic I liked, plus going to copy the bar mount for dry bag stability.

Enjoy this weekend, hoping for an overnight test ride myself next weekend all being well.

Thanks! Got a feeling it'll all go terribly wrong but let's see... Think we'll be heading over towards Edale after my plan to ride the Pennine Bridleway from Kirkby Stephen was thrown out as being 'too expensive'. Where are you thinking of heading?

Plans for the end of June have changed too so I'm free the TdF weekend now for sure :)

That's twice the amount of stuff I took for a week long tour :-/ and I took too much stuff...

Yes. But yours was in glorious California, not the utterly random weather of the Scotland.
From experience- you can never have enough warm/ waterproof (off bike) clothes. Even in mid summer.

Looking at the list again, if you lose the cooking/food stuff it's not actually that much stuff, and he's listed what he's wearing as well...

Thanks! Got a feeling it'll all go terribly wrong but let's see... Think we'll be heading over towards Edale after my plan to ride the Pennine Bridleway from Kirkby Stephen was thrown out as being 'too expensive'. Where are you thinking of heading?

Plans for the end of June have changed too so I'm free the TdF weekend now for sure :)

It'll be epic wherever you go, lemme know if you make it to the bulls head in tint'.

Mine might be on cannock so I can combine with mids visit, I'm still to decide though.

Sounds good re: TdF weekend, will share my plan once I've thought it thru properly again see if you'd fancy joining up, or might you do the 01fix1 ride?

Ha, nice! I'm tempted to get one as I've found it too complicated to make my own at the moment. Seems like I could get one from Anchorage for £85 or so, whereas the importer is charging £126+delivery which kind of sucks!

I'm after one of these too, it's either this or the Bridge Street saddlebag but I think this one would be more durable and versatile.

If there's a few of us that want them do you reckon they could sort us out with some sort of group deal?

It'll be epic wherever you go, lemme know if you make it to the bulls head in tint'.

Mine might be on cannock so I can combine with mids visit, I'm still to decide though.

Sounds good re: TdF weekend, will share my plan once I've thought it thru properly again see if you'd fancy joining up, or might you do the 01fix1 ride?

Originally planned for 01... but I think there's a couple of people I know who might be interested in bivvying instead so that's the more attractive option right now

I'm after one of these too, it's either this or the Bridge Street saddlebag but I think this one would be more durable and versatile.

If there's a few of us that want them do you reckon they could sort us out with some sort of group deal?

Doubt it, they're a pretty small operation I believe. The exchange rate right now is pretty sweet and I know a few people who've avoided customs/handling as they pack small. I am going to have a go at making my own in the first instance. The mini bag I made for a friend came out fine (even if th photo didn't), just need to make myself a pattern for a larger version...

Originally planned for 01... but I think there's a couple of people I know who might be interested in bivvying instead so that's the more attractive option right now

cool, it's bivy or bust for me, looking at a stop near (ish) Skipton Fri night then bridleways that cross crag vale the Sat night, but open to suggestions too

Trial setup,

Previous setup, Alpkit, Revelate and Ibera bags.

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/1495964_10203222606152813_1660259649_o.jpg

Pornworthy. What kind of trips are you planning?

It's been lovely up here, hoping the penine bridleway trip went well andytk, was wishing I was out that way overnight & this morning.

I'll now be doing an overnight bivy ride 13th/14th weekend.

Think it went pretty well, will post some words and photos tomorrow. About to try and clean a 29er in my shower...

Cool tell us more guys!

PS: I also shower with my bikes.

^^ ace, look forward to hearing about the trip and the bike shower experience

In other news, not quite bikepacking but using spare framebag material plus an old belt I'm making a simple musette bag (il siogneur style), am pleased with the pinned version ahead of sewing:

Karate Monkey set up for the weekend... more later...

So, here goes... before the weekend I swapped the forks on the Karate Monkey for an ECR fork to allow a small front rack to be fitted and in the future a pair of Anything Cages on the fork. I had a play around trying to fit the dry bag to the handlebars but as they're a bit short, I couldn't keep it off the barrel adjusters on the brake levers. I tried making some spacers and a harness for it but ran out of time to finish this off. I took the rack rather than run the risk of the adjusters rubbing through the drybag and making quick work of my sleeping bag and jacket (a new fork was cheaper than a set of Jones bars too, the other option to avoid lever interference).

We started off in Marple, headed over to Edale and along the road into Hope. After a quick stop at 18bikes and some food we had a look at the guidebook and opted for one of the routes that ran up towards Derwent Reservoir, figuring we'd cut it short at the pub by Ladybower Reservoir and get some food, then head back up the reservoir and camp out somewhere between there and Langsett. On Sunday we rolled down into Langsett for breakfast, then followed parts of the Trans Pennine Trail towards Glossop and caught the train home.

Looking back, maybe I should have paid a bit more attention to the elevation for these route, both being on rigid bikes (single speed in my case) and with luggage meant quite a bit of pushing in places and some interesting rocky descents...

Here are the routes for anyone interested:

• Saturday
  
• Sunday
  
  
  

Couple of snaps...

More... here!

Gear:

I took this photo after the ride, mainly to remind myself what not to take next time... I didn't need the long-sleeve baselayer in the end, various combinations of a short-sleeve merino tshirt, longsleeve merino jersey and gillet were fine for the riding. I could probably have replaced the Patagonia jacket with a smaller insulated vest, it was nice in the morning while waking up and making coffee but overkill for the evening. The guidebook was nice to have, next time I'll just photocopy the routes I'm doing or load them onto the GPS. The caddysacks are good but a bit bulky when packed with first aid, I think two smaller pouches (one for flat items and another for bite-cream, bandages etc.) would have packed better. Two lights was overkill for the amount of night riding we did, the Diablo was fine on it's own and the headband wasn't needed. The Jetboil was nice to have in the morning, possibly too bulky for an over-night ride though. Alpkit Ti mug, gas and their mini burner might be a better solution for overnight trips (one person carrying gas, the other with mugs/coffee/burner/matches).

The Alpkit bag contained a sleeping bag, liner and bivvy bag with the jacket, baselayer and spare socks stuffed in the top. The Jetboil, guide book, gilet, tools, tubes, lights, first-aid pouch, hat, buff and toothbrush/paste were all packed in the Ortlieb saddlebag. Everything else went in two feed-pouches I made earlier in the week along with a camera and phone.

Cheers for the write up & pics Andy. Is that a sawn-off toothbrush you were carrying?

Lovely read and nice gear overview. I should've done that after my last trip. Some amazing views up there in the Peak District. Cheers!

^ Ofc. I also saw off mine.

Btw I just chatted briefly with a Lithuanian couple who were bikepacking from London to Romania fixed or ss, in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. They known here?