Hardtail Bikepacking (by location)

  •   Category Price Weight
  • Pocket $158.15
    2.14 lb
  • Misc. Items on Handlebars $618.50
    1.19 lb
  • Sweet Roll $725.37
    5.82 lb
  • Feed Bags $117.40
    0.63 lb
  • Gas Tank $389.00
    0.92 lb
  • Frame Bag $374.00
    2.72 lb
  • Jerry Can $160.40
    1.87 lb
  • Seat Bag $809.18
    6.45 lb
  • Worn $709.95
    6.02 lb
  • Total $4061.95 27.76
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 0.97 lb
  • Worn 6.02 lb
  • Base Weight 20.77 lb

"Glamping" Bikepacking list by Teddgram

Philosophy

I made this list to go as light as possible while still being comfortable. I could probably go lighter with this list, but it would become dramatically more expensive or I would have to start taking some items off the list that still makes this hobby enjoyable. When I ride with this stuff, I'm on vacation, and I like to enjoy my vacations.

This is not an "Ultralight" list, although a lot of items used here are what Ultralight backpackers would use. I think Meph248 on Reddit explains this approach pretty well:

"The core concept is to take less and increase your comfort level while riding. You can go more distance in shorter time, increasing your range and options on day trips. It also means you need to carry less food and water, because you come by re-supply stops more often and burn less calories while getting there."

When I started bikepacking, I had 24+ lbs worth of gear, and that didn't include an action camera and it's accessories, and the only tools/parts I packed were 2 large multi-tools and one spare tube. Over time, I started trimming out items I wasn't using, found lighter alternatives, or better yet items that would serve more than one purpose. When you start thinking this way, you'll start bringing a smaller quantity of items and a smaller overall weight.

Things to note here

  • Weights of individual items are in grams because on a kitchen scale, grams gives you more resolution. Protip: A US nickel weighs almost exactly 5 grams.
  • Overall weights are given in lbs, because, well, I live in the US.
  • You can change the units to whatever you want by clicking on the down arrow next to the weights.
  • You would be surprised if you started weighing your stuff and equated that overall weight to calories.
  • Don't rely on the weights posted by the manufacturer. Weigh all your stuff yourself on a kitchen scale. There are almost always variances.
  • Using Lighterpack (this is a free website open to all) can really help your get your list organized and show you where you are either bringing too much, or why things are heavier than you think.

I haven't backpacked in a while, but if you are interested in my Backpacking list, click here.

What to take away from this

This is just what I bring. YMMV. Maybe you'll see something that will help you here. Maybe you'll find items you didn't know existed. Maybe it will make you think more about how you pack.

You could take a lot out of this list and lose several pounds/kg off this list.

  • Don't take the action camera and lose 19.4 oz / 551g (subtracting 2 18650 Batteries along with the camera)
  • Is it hot where you are going? Just take a sleeping bag liner. My quilt is 25oz/712g, If I just brought a liner, it would save me over 15.2 oz / 431g. I could also leave my fleece at home and save 12.6 oz / 358g.
  • If I'm not worried about getting wet, I could leave the rain jacket at home and save 12.8 oz / 362g.
  • Don't take stuff to cook food (pot, stove, etc) and either cold soak or eat whatever you find along the way. This would save you almost 22oz / 613g.

Just these 4 bullet points alone would save me 5.1 lbs / 2.3kg. In fact, if you kept subtracting items off the list, you could probably drop one of the bags, which are one of the heaviest items on this list.

Be careful about falling into the mind trap of bringing larger or more bags than what you need. An empty bag is a temptation to bring more things, but could instead be used to bring more supplies (food, water, etc) to add possibilities of going further into areas where stores might not be available or water is scarce.

Yes, this list is expensive, but if you look closely and compare what actual retail prices are, you'll notice that a lot of these things are discounted or free. That's because in some situations...

  • I used gift cards
  • got items as a gifts
  • took advantage of sales
  • found "bargain bin items"
  • used stores that offered credit for items purchased towards future purchases

Also, I didn't buy all this stuff all at once. Over time if I found something that would work better and I could afford to replace it, I did so and usually handed the replaced item off to someone else.

Oh, by the way....

This is a breakdown of what's in each bag or where it's located. For a list of items by category, see here.

Total volume of the bags is 44.5 L / 2700 cubic inches (not including Feedbags).

Here's an album for reference. Note: the picture may be outdated from what's in the list.