Grading the Gear -- What's Essential and What Not to Bring for Bikepacking

This post is long overdue, something like 2 years overdue! But bikepacking is becoming more and more popular so better late than never.

Here's a list of some of the gear we've used on our bikepacking trips, from what we found essential to what was disappointing. We do not have sponsors so these views are independent of such influence.

On either end of the scale I've explained why these ratings are warranted, with less words for the middle of the scale items.

First, the scale:

A+: Better than expected
A: As expected, flawless
B: Under-performed a bit. Minor issues
C: Under-performed a lot. Major issues
F or below: Failed miserably. Avoid at all cost

THE OUTLIERS FIRST: 

Steripen Ultra USB Rechargeable UV Water Purifier: A+  

This little gadget is the best thing since sliced bread. And it is USB rechargeable (you can get one with batteries too). This purifier eliminates both bacteria and viruses, while your clunky filter just targets the former. Its what your water authority uses to purify the city's water supply, only in portable size.

We've found this purifier indispensable, and have used it all around the world, from Tajikistan to Kenya to Switzerland, and never once gotten sick. It just works. The charge lasts a long time and can easily be topped off with your dynamo hub or USB battery pack. Its also tiny and weighs less than any filter out there.

Some people make a fuss about needing clear water, yeah you do, but that's what your t-shirt is for. We never leave home without it, its that good.


Finish Line Tubeless Tire Sealant: F- 

What can I say, there aren't enough expletives in the English language to describe what an utter failure this tubeless sealant is. 

On our Central Asia trip, 3 of 4 tires on our bikes punctured at various stages, from tiny pinholes to small cuts. This sealant did absolutely nothing, nada, zilch. I had even put extra (4 oz in each tire) as a precaution.  I might as well have put milk in there, likely the lactose had a better chance of sealing. We had to throw tubes in and ended up with so many pinch-flats that we resorted to riding deep gravel and babyhead rocks with 80 psi just to avoid more punctures. Imagine how comfortable that was! 

Funny thing is I got back home and without patching the tires in any way simply put in Stan’s sealant. And wala, all three tires sealed up immediately. The fourth tire, a gravel king SK, survived the trip without punctures but was completely dry. So much for the “lasts the lifetime of the tire” claim. 

I was so upset at the company that I wrote to them to complain. They never responded. I spoke to a bike industry insider and he basically told me that its such a big company, they couldn't care less about customer complaints. That's just great company policy! 

At this point with a failure rate of 100% over different types of punctures, all very simple ones (no sidewall gashes), I consider this less a review and more a public service announcement. Avoid at all costs. And Finish Line, please stick to making lube, you're good at that. 

MEAT OF THE SCALE (A to C): 

Nemo Dagger 2P Tent: A

This tent is just awesome. We've used it in the middle of the summer and in below freezing temps with snow around us. Its roomy, easy to setup, and rock solid against blistering wind. The vestibules are spacious enough for all gear and cooking. Its not the lightest 2P tent out there but the feature-to-weight ratio is probably the best in the business. 

Nemo Siren 30 Quilt: A

This little quilt is also amazing and I almost rated it an A+. I've used this quilt in all kinds of conditions as described above and it performs admirably, weighs absolutely nothing at all, and packs up into a small ball. An ultra-light racer's dream sleep kit.  

Garmin Inreach: A

What can I say, cell phone coverage is not yet ubiquitous and the Inreach fills that void for now. This is the piece of gear we use to communicate with friends and family, and notably was what we used to post our "alive" status on social media after the violence in Tajikistan. I understand Spot makes a similar product but the Inreach has wider coverage and its possible to turn the subscription on only for the time you'll need it.    

Roll-top Frame Bag: A

For the Central Asia trip, I had a custom water-proof roll-top bag made for my bike from Rogue Panda. In fact, they gave me a nice discount on it after I told them where I was going to take it! I have to say, roll-top is the way to go. You can over-stuff items in the bag and still securely close it without the risk of breaking the zipper. The seal is also water tight so feel free to ride through a hailstorm with the assurance that your gear will remain dry. 

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive High Volume Pump: A

This is almost as good as a floor pump and does not feel or handle like a portable pump. Highly highly recommended. 

King Cage Many Thing Cargo Cage: A

IMHO this cage is a much better investment than the Salsa Anything cage (see below). I've used both and the King Cage one is lighter, smaller, and stronger. 

Voile Straps: A

These are awesome. Use them to strap bottles to the King Cage, support a seatpost bag, tie up extra shopping bags, hold together an improvised hitch, etc etc... the list of uses goes on. I find these much more versatile than nylon straps because they grip so well and will not slip or accidentally come loose. 

Topeak Mini Torque Wrench Set: A

This little set has many advantages and works well in tandem with a multitool. It has better reach than a multitool, and can fit attachments from other standard manufacturers. It also weighs nothing, and even if it did there is a lot of value in torquing your carbon seatpost, stem, and handlebars to spec.   

SON Dynamo Hub: A

The SON just works, nothing will deter it, not even blazing heat, freezing cold, or goat attacks. When you're venturing in the middle of nowhere, you need a reliable power source. This is it. 

Shimano Di2: A

Shimano is like Mathieu van der Poul -- so much better than the competition, yet understated and humble. The Di2 works like a machine, because errr it is a machine. Never a mis-shift, never a battery failure, never an issue, period.  

Gravel Tires -- Panaracer Gravel King SK: A / Schwalbe Thunder Burt: A / Maxxis Rambler: B

The Gravel Kings and Thunder Burts are fantastic tires, lightweight, fast rolling, grippy, and puncture resistant (aforementioned sealant issue notwithstanding). The Rambler is a fantastic race tire, probably the lightest and fastest of the bunch, but its also not as durable for bikepacking. 

Bikepacking Seatpost Bag: B

We have a couple of these, one from Apidura and the other from Ortileb. Both have the same issue that they tend to sway and need additional straps to hold them together. This is a bit of a disappointment especially since the additional straps don't come standard on either bag. 

Salsa Anything Cage: B

Compared to the King Cage, the Salsa Anything Cage loses on all fronts: its clunkier, bigger, heavier, and more delicate. Go with the King Cages. They are solid. 

Jetboil Stove: B

You can't beat the convenience and boiling speed of the Jetboil.... as long as its not windy. As soon as there's even the slightest bit of breeze, the stove performance drops off dramatically. What's particularly frustrating is that there is no windshield for the stove and mechanically you can't put one on without the risk of overheating the fuel canister. So, unless you commit to always cooking in the vestibule or have 12 friends who will form a tight circle around the stove, you'll have an issue. You can get creative and find a large rock or place your bags in front of the stove, but that doesn't always work so well.   

Traditional Rear Rack and Pannier Bags: B

This probably goes without saying but traditional racks and pannier bags just don't perform so well off-road. Natasha insisted on this system for Central Asia and every morning started with me trying to secure her pannier bags to the bike with straps and other contraptions. Leave these for on-road touring. 

Nemo Banshee 20 Quilt: C

As you can tell I really like Nemo gear. But this is one piece of kit I do not like. The potential for this sleeping quilt was great -- it serves as a quilt in warmer weather, but can zip up and cinch up into a 20 degree (F) bag when it gets cold. Unfortunately, the temp rating is way off, the bag is only good for warm weather sleeping and probably the lowest rating would be 45 degrees (F). The zipper is also a bit clunky and catches on the material. Bad job on this one, Nemo. 

Pre-Glued Tube Patches: C

These are very convenient and fast, but will fall apart in extreme temps (heat or cold). Stick with good ol' glue and patches.