6 Months Bikepacking: Packing properly for a bike trip

"What should I take on my journey?"

Every cycle traveller asks themselves this question before setting off on their tour – whether you're heading off for a well-earned one-week holiday or preparing for a months-long cycling adventure in South America. For me, it’s the call of adventure.

The idea of spending half a year cycling through South America came from a combination of my enthusiasm for cycling and my passion for languages. What fascinates me about cycle touring is the way it creates a bridge between myself and the local culture. Travelling by bike allows me to move quickly enough to discover a lot, while still being slow enough to truly engage with the details of Latin American life.

But before I set off for Brazil in mid-January, I too asked myself those all-important questions: “What should I take with me? What can I do without?”

The Packing List: Motivation Comes Along for the Ride

At the very least, the essentials in my luggage should allow me to travel safely and smoothly through the Latin American countries. This primarily includes tools and spare parts for basic bike maintenance: a multitool, a mini pump, a bike chain, a few spare tubes, brake pads, and a handful of other small parts make up my basic gear.

Beyond these technical necessities, a certain level of safety is important to me when it comes to the rest of my kit. A helmet is of course a given, but I also consider reflective clothing essential. In South America, no one expects to see a cyclist on the roads at dusk – and you never know whether you’ll reach your sleeping spot before nightfall.

Some of the items on my packing list are far from basic. As I want to document as much of the cultural and natural surroundings as possible, I’m bringing a digital SLR camera with three lenses, a compact drone, and an action-cam along for the ride. The accessories – tripod, solar panel, spare batteries and chargers – probably weigh as much as the gear itself. But honestly: how often do you get to go on a journey like this? The memories captured along the way are well worth the extra weight.

Comfort: Sleep well, eat well, and the rest comes

Two aspects of my equipment are particularly important to me. If you live on a bike for six months, you should be able to sleep well and have proper meals. Therefore I decided to buy a big enough tent, a good sleeping bag with inlay and most of all a good pad, which gives me the necessary comfort to be fit again on the bike the next day. Nevertheless, every now and then you have to find a good compromise between weight and comfort.

On the subject of "nutrition" I rediscovered the gourmet in me. First of all, I learned on previous trips that you should never rely on the assortment of foreign outdoor shops regarding gas cartridge standards. So if you don't want to cook over tea lights, it should be a multi-fuel stove. This can be operated with gas, alcohol and petrol, even kerosene.

In small film cans I carry "vital" spices with me. Curry, Himalayan salt, pepper, oregano, a garlic mixture and the most important thing: a green and a red curry paste, which effortlessly conjure up a real meal out of every vegetable. In Latin America it is not easy to find curry pastes and so I decided to choose the brand I trust and simply packed it into an empty XXL can of Tick Tacks. Even a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and another sauce, packed in small bottles, find space in my bags.

I stow the necessary water supply in two bladders, which I place in a baking roller and in the frame bag. On remote parts of the journey I also have a backup canister on the rack. On the Ortlieb panniers there are two additional bottles, which are used as emergency rations. For the water treatment I decided to use the chemical variant with tablets. It weighs less, works fast and cannot break as quickly as a filter.

Safety first, hygiene second

The last important piece of equipment is the first-aid bag. There I store my first-aid kit, bandages, tick tweezers and everything for hygiene. The first-aid kit includes standard medication for pain and diarrhoea, but adapts individually to each trip and is therefore only finally assembled in Brazil.

Hygiene standards are probably getting lower and lower as I ride, but that's exactly why I want to use every available moment to freshen up and that's why I have my shampoo and toothbrush handy in my first aid bag. When in nature I also have a curd soap along with my shampoo. This way I do not harm the ecosystem and can wash-up with a clear conscience.

The following applies to clothing: Pack little, but pack well

For clothing I have four t-shirts, four boxer shorts, four pairs of socks, two cycling shorts and long trekking pants with detachable trouser legs. Because, in my experience, I will reach a body of water after four days at the latest where I can wash everything.

Due to the big differences in temperature that can range from over 40 degrees in the Brazilian cities to -10 degrees in the Bolivian salt flats, I paid special attention to be sufficiently dressed in all temperature ranges. From a down jacket to good gloves and a helmet cap, everything is included.

I’ve prepared myself against the weather with good rain pants and a rain jacket, which together with the overshoes should keep everything dry.

Complete packing list: