Total kms recorded: 4,403.4kms
Total rides: 176
Current gear: Trek Dual Sport 2 (2019, 4th gen)
Last update: August 20, 2024
This is the latest bike adventure registered as a GPX file. More rides below.
Bikepacking gear & skills
Bikepacking involves lots of different skills that build up over time and practice. So first, let's summarize those groups of skills to acquire and then let's get deep into the nitty gritty details.
Gear
- Maintaining core body temperature
- Shelter Kit
- Something to sleep under 👉 Military Poncho
- Something to sleep in 👉 Tent & Sleeping bag
- Something to sleep on (majority of our body heat is lost to conduction -being in contact with the ground) 👉 Bivvy sack
- Paracord
- Aluminum stakes (6)
- Fire Kit
- Bic lighter (easy access)
- Ferrocerium rod
- (Swedish) Fire lighters (10 min) 👉 Fiat Lux. Ref. here
- Water
- 1L container (suitable for boling water)
- Sawyer Mini water filter
- Water purification tablets 👉 Clorin
- Shemagh or Fabric to wrap all up
- Food & Cooking - Snack every 1hr. (4K cals per day)
- Oatmeal (instant)
- Bananas
- (Dates / Nuts / Seeds) Mix or Energy bars
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Pre-cooked sausages (for fat and flavour)
- Frying pan (that can boil water)
- Camp Stove + Fuel
- Mug
- First aids
- Navigation & Communication
- Notepad (x1) & pencils (x2)
- Cycle computer 👉 iGPSPORT BSC100S
- Cellphone (well charged)
- Headlamp & Extra batteries (x2)
- Bike Repair & Maintenance
- Sunglasses
- Gloves
- Buff (x2) 👉 Bandana
- Pump
- Spare tubes (x1 extra)
- Bike multitool
- Water bottles (x2 for long distances)
- Water cages (x2)
- Bike Lock
- Power-links (chain)
- Standalone 4mm Allen Key (2, wrapped)
- Chain lub 👉 Wax or Silicone (for humidity)
- Patches & Glue
- Common bolts
- Screwdriver
- Old tires stripes
- Knife 👉 Bahco
- Multitool
- Sharpening 👉 Smith's Arkansas 4inchm (10cm) or Sandpaper (Ref)
- Clothing
- Work (while on the road)
- Others
Those skills groups can help us determine our kits & packs. A small kit for each would be reasonable enough, if they fit into our bags.
Practical skills worth having
- How to fix a broken bicycle chain (Portuguese)
- Lubricant bases for bike chains (Portuguese)
- How to make an anti-punch tape, homemade and cheap. (Portuguese)
Other practical tips
- In dangerous contries
- Never travel at night
- Cycle into cities in the middle of the day
- Take the biggest possible roads into big towns
- When wild camping always set up your tent at sunset so you are less prone to being detected
- Keep asking to the locals that trust you