Bikepacking gear I regret buying (and what I use instead)

If you have read How bikepacking taught me to handle discomfort, uncertainty and stress, you already know a bit about dealing with uncertainty while bikepacking.

Overbuying gear can be part of the same mindset: trying to reduce uncertainty by being perfectly equipped.

If you're just starting out, you simply might not yet have the experience to know what you actually need. And that's completely normal.

Gear does not replace experience and too much gear can even become a burden: the burden of carrying it all.

With all the brands and social media content out there, you are constantly exposed to advertising telling you that the next innovation is lighter, faster, more comfortable, or essential in some way. They all have one thing in common: they want your money. ;-)

I do use high-quality gear myself and I am a big fan of well-made products that last. But what I'm trying to say is: many things you are told you need, you actually don't need in order to have a great experience.

If you are preparing your first trip, I strongly recommend starting with a short overnight or weekend trip first. That way you'll quickly learn what you actually use.

If you can borrow gear first, even better.

Of course, your bicycle is the foundation, but so are your bags. I won't go into bike choices here, but bags are crucial. From panniers to compact saddle bags to carbon racks, options are endless.

You probably know the saying: "Buy cheap, buy twice." While outdoor gear often has high markups, more expensive gear is often (not always) more durable due to better materials and development.

Especially for bags, I strongly recommend investing in proven, durable quality. Why? Because bags take the most external stress on a trip: rain, dirt, heavy loads, constant movement, abrasion. A broken strap or failing buckle can easily end a trip.

On my first trip, I simply borrowed a few bags. They worked fine for an overnight trip, but for longer multi-week trips, durability becomes much more important.

If you only do occasional overnighters, you can absolutely get away with simpler gear. But for longer adventures, reliable gear brings peace of mind.

That said, you can also go extremely minimal. I once followed Nomad's Trails who cycled from Helsinki to Berlin on 45-year-old bikes with a $300 budget and bags made from plastic canisters. It shows: you really don't need much to start.

Brands I've personally used and liked:

• Apidura - the probably most well known for a reason
• Ortlieb - Made in Germany with long tradition of making pannier bags and now also modern bikepacking bags
• Acepac - not the most fashionable but the ones I had lasted forever
• Restrap - high quality made in the UK
• Cyclite - very light and weatherproof, more performance oriented

Rack systems worth mentioning:

• Tailfin - probably the most known and most expensive rack out there
• Aeroe - very easy to set up and holds firm even off road
• Old Man Mountain - 25 years of rack experience from the US

Too heavy, too cheap, too cold, that sums it up quite well. Sleeping gear can take up a lot of space, and the lighter it gets, the more expensive it usually becomes. One regret I have was not having invested in higher-quality sleeping gear from the beginning.

Sleeping bag

It depends where you go bikepacking and how temperature-sensitive you are. As a woman, I personally don't fully trust sleeping bag temperature ratings, I usually get cold. Down sleeping bags are, in my opinion, the best option: they are lightweight, pack small, and perform well in different conditions. What matters is not only filling amount, but also CUIN value, which describes how much air the down can trap. A lower fill amount with high CUIN can sometimes be warmer than more filling with low CUIN, while also saving weight and space. My sleeping bag weighs around 900g and packs relatively small. It's a good balance between weight, warmth, and cost.

Brands worth checking:

• Nordisk
• Cumulus
• Sea to Summit

Sleeping mattress

In the beginning, I underestimated how important insulation from the ground is. I bought a cheap mattress, had to repair it several times, and never slept properly or warm. Eventually, I invested in a higher-quality mat with a good R-value (insulation rating), wider dimensions, and a lightweight design and it was absolutely worth it. I now sleep warm and comfortably. It weighs around 600g, which feels like a good balance between comfort and packability.

Brands:

• Cumulus
• Nemo
• Therm-a-Rest

Tent & bivvy

On my very first bikepacking trip, I only brought a hammock. It definitely wasn't the best night's sleep, but in warm conditions it worked surprisingly well and was a good way to ease into bikepacking without buying a lot of gear right away. Later, I borrowed a one-person tent/bivvy combination, honestly more bivvy than tent. I liked how compact it was, but I quickly realized how impractical non-freestanding shelters can be when you can't properly pitch pegs.

Eventually, I bought my first real bikepacking tent: the Nemo Dragonfly Bikepacking tent (I think it's replaced by the Osmo tent now). It's specifically designed for bikepacking, with shorter poles that fit neatly between narrow handlebars. That detail is more important than it sounds. My boyfriend's MSR tent, for example, has longer poles that don't fit in the handlebar setup, so we always have to strap them somewhere else.

I'm really happy I invested in a lightweight, high-quality tent made from durable materials. At around 1 kg, it packs small, handles rough weather well, and has become a reliable companion not just for bikepacking, but also for hiking trips.

A few things I'd recommend considering when buying a tent:

• lightweight and compact when packed
• waterproof, fast-drying, and stable in strong wind
• freestanding design, sometimes the ground simply won't take pegs
• double-wall construction so you can optionally sleep without the rain fly
• shorter pole segments that fit easily into bikepacking setups

If you prefer an even more minimal setup, bivvies or tarp systems have their own advantages:

Bivvy / tarp setup

• ultra lightweight
• minimal footprint
• faster setup
• encourages adapting more to your surroundings and conditions

What I wouldn't recommend is overinvesting in a huge, heavy tent "just in case." For most bikepacking trips, a shelter that is lightweight, easy to pitch, and quick to pack away is more than enough.

You don't need much, but smart choices matter more than quantity. Instead of multiple outfits, I recommend layering. I focus on merino and lightweight quick-dry materials for base layers. Merino is great because it doesn't smell quickly and adapts well to temperature changes.

I don't pack clothes for every possible weather situation, but rather layers:

• base layer
• insulating layer
• wind layer

A lightweight, high-quality packable puffer jacket has been one of the most essential items on all my trips. It works for riding, evenings, sleeping warmth, or even as a pillow. Today, I wear mostly the same clothes repeatedly and wash them regularly on the road.

Top clothing items:

• Long-sleeve merino base layer
• Cotton leggings (sleep / evening)
• Packable puffer jacket
• Trekking sandals
• Merino T-shirt
• Thin fleece layer

In most cases, I don't take full cooking gear. My minimal setup:

• spork
• small knife
• plastic container with lid

This is enough for:

• oats
• simple meals
• mixing drinks or coffee
• basic food prep

I avoid cooking setups when traveling solo because they take up space and add complexity. When bikepacking with my partner in colder or more remote regions, we bring a very lightweight stove (BRS-3000T) and a small gas canister. This allows us to make coffee, warm water, or simple hot meals. When bikepacking in really cold conditions once (-10 °C at night in Spain), the gas cooker saved us! Preparing hot tea and even a hot water bottle for the night was a game changer in the cold for sure.

If you'd like to bring more cooking gear to prepare meals regularly, a few things that tend to matter more than expected:

Fuel availability is key. Standard threaded gas canisters are common in most of Europe, but can still be inconsistent in rural or off-season areas. Carrying a bit of extra fuel often removes unnecessary stress. Wind protection makes a big difference. Even a simple foil windscreen can dramatically improve efficiency and reduce fuel use. Keep pots small and simple. A 600–900 ml pot is usually enough for solo or duo travel if you're mainly boiling water for dehydrated meals, oats, or drinks. Stick to boil-based meals. The most reliable bikepacking food systems are built around boiling water rather than actual cooking. Cold conditions increase fuel use. In colder or higher areas, stoves burn through gas faster than expected, so planning extra fuel is smart. In the end, cooking gear is less about necessity and more about comfort and autonomy. I usually stay minimal, but in remote or cold environments a lightweight stove setup quickly becomes worth carrying.

There are many unnecessary accessories out there. What I would not recommend:

• duplicate items "just in case"
• overly specialized gadgets
• tools you don't know how to use
• gear you only bring because someone on YouTube had it

Unless something is truly critical (like essential repair tools you can't source on the road), simpler is usually better. The less you carry, the less you need to pack, unpack, and manage every day. That said, your setup depends heavily on your style of touring.

For example, I never bring a foldable chair. But if I were touring with panniers and staying in camps more often, I might consider it, because sometimes there is simply nothing comfortable to sit on. The key question is always: does this improve my actual experience on the bike, or just my imagined version of it?

I stopped constantly thinking I needed new gear. Once you find a setup that works, sticking with it is incredibly freeing. You stop overthinking every trip and just go.

The biggest improvements for me were:

• durable, reliable bags
• a comfortable saddle (check out Best bike saddles for women and people with a vulva: Fit, comfort and pain-free riding while bikepacking)
• good quality tires
• simple, reliable gearing

These things matter far more than small gadget upgrades. It's a very liberating feeling to trust your setup and not constantly question it.

If you are just starting out or refining your setup, my biggest advice is: You don't need the perfect setup to have a great trip. And if you notice yourself stressing too much about which gear to take, that might already be a sign you probably have enough. 🙂

Happy riding!