A Beginner Guide To Bike Touring and Bikepacking

Traveling provides us with freedom; a break from our usual routine and the freedom to luxuriate in leisure time. With nothing too pressing occupying our minds, and often unreliable phone signals and WiFi, it temporarily distances us from our constantly connected, frenetic everyday lives.

There’s no doubt about it, traveling can sometimes be stressful in its own way, (as anyone who has faced a last-minute cancelled flight will attest to), but often the hours spent traveling can provide us with precious downtime.

Routine acts like a straight-jacket, compelling us to be logical, strategic and productive; when you break out of that often stifling routine, it naturally frees our minds.

Travel liberates us from routine

• Always wear thermal or thick cosy bed socks at night
• If you have a mummy bag, make sure you pull it tight around you head to minimise heat loss
• If you are not using a mummy bag, or don’t like pulling it tight around your head, wear a beanie hat to sleep in to help prevent heat lost through your head, it really does make a difference
• Take a fleece hoody or jumper that you can pop on top of your pyjamas in case you get really cold during the night

Bike touring and bikepacking involve multi-day journeys by bike, typically carrying everything you need, including your tent. Bike touring is done on a mix of roads and designated cycle paths. It involves carrying all your gear in panniers on your bike. Cyclists usually cover a lot of distance over multiple days.

Meanwhile, bikepacking usually takes place on off-road trails, including gravel paths and dirt tracks. Bikepacking has an emphasis on traveling light with minimal gear, often in small frame bags. This type of cycling enables you to immerse yourself in the wilderness and get well off the beaten track.

Both styles of cycling have crossover when it comes to the terrain. Whilst most bike touring takes place on paved roads, there are also often sections on loose gravel tracks. Conversely, bikepacking tends to be predominantly off-road, though there are usually sections on-road too. Meanwhile, bikepacking usually takes place on off-road trails, including gravel paths and dirt tracks. Bikepacking has an emphasis on travelling light with minimal gear, often in small frame bags. This type of cycling enables you to immerse yourself in the wilderness and get well off the beaten track.