The ultimate bikepacking checklist

Kit recommendations for every budget 🤑

If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen a very exciting announcement this week. I've officially hard-launched my 48-Hour Bikepacking Adventures series to the world. It's a project I've been working super hard on for the last few months, and I'm thrilled to finally let it loose into the wild to do its thang!

I don't want to distract from the main content of today's newsletter by going into all the nitty gritty details (you can read that here), but just to give you the headlines:

What is it? A digital guide series designed to make weekend bikepacking trips simple, accessible, and rewarding.

Why does it exist? For many, the idea of bikepacking feels out of reach - too complex, too time-consuming, or too intimidating to plan. The series aims to tackle that head-on by offering pre-designed, ready-to-ride weekend escapes that remove the guesswork from the experience.

How does it work? Each guide offers a carefully curated, two-day bikepacking escape, with everything you need to just pack, pedal, and go.

Since launching, I've been bowled over by the response. Not only are the downloads coming in thick and fast, but the conversations are f.l.o.w.i.n.g. I am absolutely loving all the engagement and the follow-up questions; it makes me realise that there well and truly IS a gap between dreaming and doing, and I want to help bridge it.

One of the follow-up questions that’s cropped up most frequently follows the theme of: “This is great! The packing list was super helpful, but I don't have any of the gear! What would you recommend?”

Which brings me nicely onto the topic of today's newsletter: the ultimate bikepacking checklist, complete with kit recommendations for every price point ✨️

And yes, I know I recently shared a couple of posts about my favourite camping and cooking gear, but I also recognise that not everyone wants to invest so heavily in a hobby (lifestyle?!) that they're not yet 100% sure they're going to like. And budget definitely shouldn't be a blocker to getting outside and experiencing the joy of adventuring on two-wheels, so if this is going to help bridge even a portion of that gap, you'll bet I'm going all in.

Big, important caveat: Whilst I’ve tried my best to recommend products for a range of budgets, I realise that even some of the lower priced items may still be out of reach. The good news is that you don’t need tonnes of fancy kit to make your bikepacking dream a reality, and you definitely don’t need to spend thousands on ultra-light, ultra-packable gear (unless you want to!). There are always alternative options; repurposing something you already own, or making something yourself from scratch.

Another piece of advice is to start small, and work your way up. You don’t need to panic-order everything on the list right away. Instead, pick a few items that will help you get started, and then slowly add to your collection once you start figuring out what works for you, and what doesn’t. The following should be used as a guide for inspiration. Take what’s valuable, and leave the rest.

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Bike Gear

1. Saddle bag

Splash the cash: Apidura Expedition Pack (14L)

Watching the pennies: Lomo Bikepacking Seat Pack (13L)

2. Top tube bag

Splash the cash: Apidura Long Top Tube Pack (2L)

Watching the pennies: Riverside Bikepacking Top Tube Bag (1.4L)

3. Frame bag

Splash the cash: Apidura Racing Frame Pack (1L)

Watching the pennies: Riverside Frame Bag (1.5L)

4. Handlebar bag

Splash the cash: Apidura Expedition Handlebar Pack (9L)

Watching the pennies: Rhinowalk Handlebar Bag (12L)

5. Backpack

Splash the cash: Albion Cargo Vest

Watching the pennies: Zimoer Cycling Backpack

Free: Whatever you have in the cupboard!

6. Bike lock

Splash the cash: Hiplok Combination Cable Lock

Watching the pennies: Hiplok Z Lok

7. Bike lights

Splash the cash: CatEye Front and Rear Light

Watching the pennies: Rehkittz Bike Lights Set

Save some dough: If you’re not ready to splash out on a series of bike bags just yet, another cost-saving alternative is to go down the pannier rack route and simply strap your things to the outside — preferably in some kind of dry-bag!

Camping Gear

1. Tent

Splash the cash: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Bikepacking Tent

Watching the pennies: Vango Nevis 100

2. Sleeping bag

Splash the cash: Sea to Summit Flame (Womens)

Watching the pennies: Naturehike CW400 Down Sleeping Bag

3. Sleeping bag liner

Splash the cash: Sea to Summit Silk Blend Liner

Watching the pennies: Naturehike Ultralight Liner

4. Sleeping pad

Splash the cash: Nemo Tensor

Watching the pennies: Sundom Camping Mat

5. Camping pillow

Splash the cash: Nemo Fillo Elite Pillow

Watching the pennies: Vango Foldaway Pillow

Free: Bundle up your clothes for a makeshift pillow!

6. Headtorch

Splash the cash: Petzl Bindi Headlamp

Watching the pennies: Blukar Rechargeable Headtorch

Cooking and Eating

1. Stove

Splash the cash: MSR Pocket Rocket 2

Watching the pennies: Coleman Fyrelite Backpacking Gas Stove

2. Fuel

MSR IsoPro Canister (they’re pretty much all the same)

3. Cooking pot and utensils

Splash the cash: MSR Trail Mini Camping Cook Set

Watching the pennies: Cozyswan Picnic Pot

4. Mug:

Splash the cash: Sea to Summit Collapsable Mug

Watching the pennies: Quechua Camping Cup

5. Bowl:

Splash the cash: Sea to Summit Collapsable Bowl

Watching the pennies: Quechua Camping Bowl

6. Spork or cutlery set

Splash the cash: Snowpeak Titanium Fork & Spoon Set

Watching the pennies: Alpkit Ultralight Spork

7. Food

Splash the cash: Firepot Dehydrated Meals

Watching the pennies: Supernoodles!

Save some dough: If you’re light on the funds, instead of buying everything separately, this Odoland Camping Cookware Set does the whole shebang (camping stove, cooking pots, spork, and cleaning cloth) all in one neat little package!

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I won’t go into detail about which toiletries to buy, or where to purchase your underwear because a) this newsletter is already getting pretty long, and b) that’s weird.

But hopefully the above has given you a good starting place for building out everything you need to make those bikepacking dreams a reality 🚴‍♀️🍃🏕️☀️

(And pssttt! If you’re interested in downloading the first edition of 48-Hour Bikepacking Adventures you can do so here!)

P.S Some of the links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. That means I might earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you—if you choose to make a purchase. I only ever recommend things I genuinely love or use myself. Thanks for supporting my work in this way 💛