Inspired by
this thread, I'd love to hear what is on peoples' essentials (and non-essentials) list for bikepacking in 2019. Let's say for a one-week outing. I'll leave food out as this is highly situational and personal.
As a bonus, list the #1 dumbest thing you've ever brought touring/bikepacking.
I'll start
Essentials
- Layered kit (jersey, bibs, baselayer, arm-warmers, knee-warmers, rain jacket, gloves)
- Socks + spare socks
- Sunglasses
- On-bike shoes
- Off-bike shoes/sandals (depending on the time of year/conditions)
- Off-bike campsite clothes (must be able to double as civilian clothes; pants, shirt, underpants, warm hat, warm socks for sleeping)
- Sleep system (A: Hammock with mosquito net, sleeping bag or B: Bivvy, sleeping bag)
- Cook system (Mini-stove, gas canister [unless wood-burning], small pot with lid, Aeropress if coffee drinker)
- Eating system (Modular utensil/spork, coffee/warm-beverage mug, bowl if not going solo and eating out of the small pot)
- Water purification system (Lifestraw, iodine tablets..etc.)
- Front/rear lights (preferably dynamo, especially if Sinewave or other USB-out system for charging GPS..etc.)
- Headlamp
- High-tensile line/rope
- Knife
- Spare cable (1x shifter, 1x brake)
- Multitool
- Spare tubes
- Patch kit
- Map
- Emergency phone/beacon
- Basic first-aid kit (sterilizing wipes/liquid, band-aids, antibacterial)
- Pack towel
- Sunscreen
Non-essentials (but nice to have)
- Painkillers/anti-inflammatory
- Inflatable pillow
- Candy/chocolate
- Card games
- Notebook
- Camera
- Flora/fauna ID book
- Something to smoke... (see also: painkillers)
Dumbest thing
Many years ago while riding the Colorado Trail, I tore the sidewall of my tire. It was a 29" and this was prior to the full-on ubiquity of 29" tires (circa 2009). I hiked two days out of the bush and onto a trucker route, hitched a ride to the nearest town with a bike shop only to find that they didn't have 29" tires. Two truckers, two towns and two bike shops later I finally found them. Bought a replacement, then two more. Stuffed them in the bottom of my panniers and rode back to the trail to start from whence I came. I rode another 220mi with those two extra tires and never even got another flat.
I also started a 10 day ride while I was in the middle of Finnegans Wake and, being enthralled with the book, decided to bring it with. In the end I started tearing out what I'd read and burning it so I wouldn't have to carry the 900+ pages the rest of the way.