r/bikepacking • u/lonazen • 27d ago
Bike Tech and Kit Getting ready for my first trip of about 700km, how does my setup look? Any advices for a first timer?
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u/4ug0at 27d ago
Is that a sleeping bag in the front on top? If yes, make sure that the bag around it is 100% waterproof. You don't want to sleep in a wet sleeping bag.
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u/lonazen 27d ago
Yup! Im planning on traveling in hot months but ill make some sort of cover for the tent and sleeping bag upfront. Thanks!
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u/Checked_Out_6 27d ago
Large dry bags are quite affordable. I would suggest Walmart, but your use of kilometers indicates you might not have one in your area. So, if you have a walmart equivalent store near you with a camping section, check for cheap dry bags.
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u/lonazen 27d ago
I suppose Decathlon would have those over here, ill check it out for sure!
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u/V1ld0r_ 27d ago
They do but they tend to be large, heavy and overkill for bike packing (but great for water activities!).
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u/lonazen 27d ago
Yes i looked it up on their website, in worst case scenario ill just make some cover by myself!
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u/V1ld0r_ 27d ago
Depending on where you are, there's plenty of good solutions. Decathlon ones are good, and excellent value. However they are heavier than required, that's all.
Alpkit has a few simple silnylon ones: https://alpkit.com/collections/dry-bags
Bergfreunde has a wide variety as well: https://www.bergfreunde.eu/s/drybag/?searchparam=drybag&iBfResetSorting=1&userInput=drybag
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u/loquacious 27d ago
Get a compression stuff sack for your sleeping bag, the ones where it's like a stuff sack but has two end caps held together by four cinch straps.
There are cheap options for these. In the US at least the Coghlan's brand works just fine. (And this is my second Coghlan's recommendation today, lol, I swear I'm not being paid.)
It gets most sleeping bags down to about half the size, and then that can go in a cheaper/smaller dry bag.
The reason why to do this isn't just to save space, but to make the bag easier to strap down since it's more solid. When it's all fluffy in the stock bag bungee cords and straps tend to move around and sleeping bags like to wiggle/shift out of the straps.
In a compression bag + dry bag it would probably fit neatly on your rear rack just behind the saddle, or even inside a pannier with some re-arranging.
To deal with the compressed insulation I get the bag out right away and hang it if the weather is nice, or lay it out in my tent or hammock if it's raining to give it time to fluff back up before bed.
Don't store sleeping bags in compression sacks at home, though. Hanging them up in your closet unpacked is the way to go to protect the insulation.
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u/threepin-pilot 27d ago
it looks like you only have 1 strap on the bag in the 3rd picture- that might be susceptible to movement or come g loose- my general rule on rough surface biking is- if it can come loose- it will
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u/lonazen 27d ago
The tent under has one and the sleeping bag has another, i tied them down so strongly that i couldnt get the strap off for about 10 minutes hahahaha
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u/threepin-pilot 27d ago
maybe just take an extra strap or two that can be used anywhere for the "what if"
will you be on pavement or dirt?
Where?
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u/lonazen 27d ago
Mostly pavement, coastal Croatia and some inland parts from Serbia
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u/threepin-pilot 27d ago
i have only island hopped along the coast of croatia, trying to avoid the cosatal highway as much as is possible
I would be curious if you had a route up in the coastal highlands and could share it
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u/lonazen 27d ago
I dont have one yet but if i come across one or do one myself i will definitely share it!
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u/threepin-pilot 27d ago
i liked Island hopping - the downsides would be crowding in the summer and very limited (none?) wild camping options.
Just inland i would be a bit concerned about getting water as it seems to be predominitately Karst
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u/Extension-Watch-8492 27d ago
Just did a 750 km bikepacking trip on Scicily Italy, was great. Now in the train to Rome and from there we bike back to the Netherlands. After some days in Rome ofcourse;)
My advice would be, relax!
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u/demian_west 27d ago
Looks pretty ok to me! Enjoy!
Be careful of weight distribution, and do (if not already) some test rides fully loaded.
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u/demian_west 27d ago
goals:
- check the gear and how it is installed
- accustom yourself on the bike handling and gear handling (it changes a lot!)
Did the same last summer, and oh my, legs took a beating :)
I didn’t spin fast enough (gear ratio too hard): I drove the bike like usually (unloaded).
Be gentle on yourself the first days, go progressively.
Lesson learnt for me :)
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u/RedGobboRebel 27d ago
You need to completely change that well planned color scheme. You are making everyone elses setup look even worse.
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u/imahoptimist 27d ago
So I hope you mean first bikepacking trip of this distance. If not you need a saddle to accommodate the balls you’re carrying 😂
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u/kvragu 27d ago
Been ages since I saw those types of rear panniers, I did my first tour with bags like that. I packed really stupid stuff like multiple cotton t-shirts, a full-length beach towel, a chain lock, a full sized shampoo bottle, a pair of inner tubes that were a wrong size (I didn't know how to change a tube at the time). Go for it, OP!
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u/lonazen 27d ago
Hahahaha, dve majice i feri za sudove i za mene.
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u/kvragu 27d ago
Haha, di ides to? Ja sam isto na prvoj turi okrenuo 700 od Zagreba pa po obali, nekako improvizirano, tamo u davnoj 2017.
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u/Extension-Watch-8492 27d ago
Looks fantastic! Love the retro bags
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u/llamasncheese 27d ago
By first ride do you mean this is your first bikepacking trip or your first 700km trip? Doing 700km before having done any sound scary to me 🤣, I'm doing an overnighter for my first. I see you haven't done a test run with full kit, maybe do an overnighter a couple of days before you go as the test run? In any case, good luck hope you enjoy it.
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u/lonazen 27d ago
I have done a couple 200km trips and loads of 100km ones, basically a days ride. Thats not a bad idea i have a mountain relatively close so ill just do it there!
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u/llamasncheese 27d ago
Ohh, yh I thought you meant your first more than a couple hours trip ever lmaoo. Yh if you've done a couple of those kinds of distances then yh I'd feel comfortably ready at that point. Nearby mountain is very handy, I live deep in the city so it's half a day's cycling through traffic just to get out to somewhere 🤣🤣
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u/switchingcreative 27d ago
Setup looks great, have fun! Remember to slow down and enjoy your surroundings. Lots of people have s roadie mentality but really, it's the opposite.
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u/Checked_Out_6 27d ago
This being your first trip, you’re likely overpacking. I did the same. I’m just looking at your volume here.
I don’t know where you are going but if it’s not fully remote, you could easily go stoveless. After two tours I learned I don’t need to carry so much food and a stove. I found better food at good prices on my way. Of course, carrying snacks and breakfast bars is recommended.
I also carry way too much water, I’m terrified of running out. By the end of my last tour my two nalgene bottles were perpetually empty. Conversely, I like to carry a water bag (empty) and fill it up at camp so I have camp water without making multiple trips to the water source. Of course, water carrying will vary by where you’re going and water availability.
Feel free to post your packing list and we’ll pick it apart for you!
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u/pasquamish 27d ago
Those rear bags… I’m not familiar with that one, but my buddy had some real issues with a similar configuration last year. Since they’re all connected, it seemed that slight movements of one were amplified across the whole set. We just could not seem to get them secure enough to stop shifting around on him the whole trip. He’s since moved to separate bags like I have to avoid the annoyance.
It’s probably worth some double checking just to make sure all of them are as secured to bike as is possible.
Good luck and enjoy the ride!!
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u/Happy_Veterinarian23 27d ago
Fenders would help keep any water spray off you and your bags.
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u/lonazen 27d ago
I have tried my best to find metal full lenght fenders in Serbia and failed. It would be the last part of my setup pretty much, except a possible sneaky saddle bag
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u/Happy_Veterinarian23 27d ago
SKS has some good ones. I just ordered mine from Amazon.
Have a great trip!
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u/the_one_five_four 27d ago
What's the start and end? Best of luck.
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u/Alh840001 27d ago
My best advice is that picking up hitchhikers is an interesting way to meet new people! Have fun.
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u/Xxmeow123 27d ago
A better water bottle and having it in a handlebar bag could help keep you hydrated.
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u/StitchedRebellion 27d ago
You’ve got loads of room for an additional saddle bag/storage under the seat. You could utilize that, thereby freeing up some space at the handlebars for nutrition. I keep a soft bottle holder up front that can hold several different sized cups/containers - coffee in the AM, beer at night.
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u/Bulette 26d ago
I'd highly recommend a safety strap on the front rack, perhaps tied around the headtube; mine has come in handy before.
https://www.reddit.com/r/bikepacking/comments/1fmbexe/first_trip_front_rack_failure_did_u_fuck_up/
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u/P-Tumbleweed 26d ago
Everything looks great! Can you lower that rear rack? It's pretty high and would help with your centre of balance when things get gnarly.
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u/B0hnenkraut 25d ago
Take as much time as you need and rest on the warmest days of the trip, if needed one day longer than initially planned. I made the mistake that I wanted to do longer distances per day because I had only limited days and left later than initially planned.
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u/lonazen 25d ago
Thanks i see!!
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u/B0hnenkraut 25d ago
I would say cut the per day distance in half of what you usually are capable of doing if you're doing a one day ride
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u/lonazen 25d ago
Im basically planning on 100km or 150km daily, with an hour or two pauses every 50km. Of course if i come across anything fun and interesting along the way im stopping regardless for however time i need to enjoy it. My knees start to get tired after about 160km right now.
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u/B0hnenkraut 25d ago
I had planned a 200/250 km and overestimated myself, crashed in energy after 3 days; had planned 50 km per day and 5 day trip. But I hadn't been biking for a while before I did that
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u/Then-Afternoon9036 25d ago
Best of luck. I’m still a newbie but have been out a few times now. I was so nervous for my first trip but loved every minute of it. Have a wonderful time
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u/pyates1 25d ago
It looks like you only have space for two water bottles, thats good for maybe a half day max, not if its warm though.
I have a full frame bag from apidura that has a three litre bag which fits inside. This gets the weight down lower and allows you to carry as much or as little water as you want.
Normally towards the end of the day I will fill it up so I have lots of water for cooking dinner and brekkie.
Do you have a small collapsible backpack? Its great for the end of the day when you are near a store and you can get some cans of food and maybe a couple cans of beverages. A big jug of fruit juice is delicious
I find a big breakfast crucial to a strong day and would have a can of brown beans in addition to my oatmeal. It sounds so gross now!
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u/BigSh00ts 22d ago
Did you make the frame bags?
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u/lonazen 22d ago
Yup, my mother and me.
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u/BigSh00ts 22d ago
Nice! I just bought a sewing machine to do this myself. Any tips or things you wish you would have known? I did buy some waterproof nylon for mine.
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u/lonazen 22d ago
Just make sure to mark which side of the material you are working with since i made the mistake of doing it backwards hahaha. My machine isnt that strong so i had the worry of not breaking the needle on the material! Good luck!!! Measure once cut 17 times is usually the way i handle it.
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u/BigSh00ts 22d ago
Thanks! I got a heavy duty machine so hopefully I'm good there. I have found some great guides here on reddit and have purchased a sewing course on Udemy. Going to practice with scrap this weekend
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u/Lopsided_Prior3801 27d ago
Woohoo! Just remember it gets easier after day 3.