5 Must-Have Bikepacking Accessories for Your Next Adventure
Gear up for your next bikepacking adventure with these 5 must-have accessories. From bike bags to sleeping setups, find the best gear to enhance your ride and make your journey unforgettable. Discover these top picks for bikepacking accessories!
Everyone has their favorite things when it comes to bikepacking. The first item for most will be their bike as that is their first tool chosen when picking an adventure. Everything else sort of shapes itself around the bike and adds to the experience. I love my bike, but since most people will not just switch bikes, I would like to discuss the items that I use, and that anyone can add to their own kit to make their bikepacking experience better.
The five accessories (and a few honorable mentions)
- VAP Butterfly 3
- Revelate Designs Spinelock seat bag 10L
- Ortlieb front-packs
- Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilt
- Cheap folding pad
Honorable mentions:
Trekology pillow, Urberg sleeping bag liner, USB lighter, 3M rubber tape
(View my full list of low cost bikepacking items on Amazon here)
**Note: I get paid comission for purchases made via these links
Vap Butterfly 3
My first year of bikepacking was definitely a year of learning and adjustment. Each ride was a test of the setup, and trying new things to see if they could make the ride even better. I was happy with most of the gear I had, and for the most part it worked, but there were some changes that were needed. One such change was the handlebar setup which carried my tent. For most setups, a lightweight tent fits perfectly on the handlebars and stays firmly in place throughout your ride. I had purchased a handlebar harness and replaced its basic straps with some proper Voile straps. This worked for the most part, but it was a bit difficult to get on and off and always seemed in need of adjustment. I strapped an additional small front bag to the harness which seemed to challenge the entire setup even more. Many times I would hit a bump and find that everything landed on the fender and would push the fender onto the wheel, creating an annoying rubbing sound. During each trip, I was constantly adjusting the straps to make the whole thing tighter. Annoying!
At the end of 2021, while researching online, I discovered VAP cycling. This looked like the perfect solution to my issues and I ordered this immediately. What I received in the box was a magnificent piece of Italian engineering. The most beautiful bar setup I had ever seen. In the spring of 2021 I was able to test the setup in Portugal and it was immediately my favorite item. Gone was the frustration of constantly adjusting the straps and tightening my tent. The harness had two simple buckles that made loading and unloading the tent a dream. My small front bag was now firmly attached and easily accessible. This product was worth every penny and I am the happiest of customers. I highly recommend this amazing product!
The Vap Butterfly stabilized my front end and makes loading and unloading simple
Revelate designs Spinelock 10L Seat bag
When it comes to storage on the back of your bike you have two options, a rear rack or a seat bag. I decided to go the seat bag route and the Revelate Spinelock was one of the first purchases that I made when building my bikepacking kit. I had been skeptical of rear seat bags having seen others use them, as they tended to move everywhere and the volumes looked limited. With the Spinelock, both of these problems were solved as they created a fantastic mounting system and offered the bags in two sizes, 1o liter and 16 Liter. I decided on the 10 liter as I wanted to try my best to pack light and also keep the bag as stationary as possible. I have been extremely happy with this bag as it can carry a great deal, has vents that allow you to compress your gear, and a number of straps to tighten and secure the bag. Also love the fact that the bag is easily removed from the bike. The quality is tremendous and the pack has held up well over the last few years.
There are other options out there such as the Ortlieb seat-pack and the VAP kangaroo but I don't think either of them compare to the offering of the Revelate Spinelock.
Ortlieb Fork-Pack
Much like the tent harness, I had a very good solution for mounting bags on my front fork. I was using some simple fork mounted cages and Voile straps along with some smaller waterproof bags. This is the standard setup that most bikepackers use and it was more than enough for me. Until! Until, we were outfitting my wife's bike with a new setup and came across the Ortlieb gravel-packs and Ortleib front-packs. As we unpacked our bikes at the end of each day, I would jealously watch my wife flip a handle and release her packs in seconds to carry them to the tent or hotel. I would be a bit behind as I unstrapped the Voile straps and placed them so that I could move the bike and still find the straps the next morning. The same process was repeated in reverse in the morning, but this time the advantage was even greater as my wife effortlessly popped her bags on the frame as I fumbled aligning and tightening my straps, ensuring that everything was ready for the days ride. Immediately after that trip I jumped online and ordered myself a par of the incredible Ortlieb fork packs. I used mine all summer and fall in 2022 and they are one of the best accessories I have. Even cooler is that they have adapters that allow them to be mounted to suspension forks which worked extremely well with my mountain bike setup. Ortlieb has changed the game with these amazing bags and I am in love with them!
The Ortlieb fork-pack is easy to use and stays firmly mounted on the bike
Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt
To be honest, when I started bikepacking, I didn't even know what a camping quilt was or why someone would use one. To me a quilt was a blanket made up of a bunch of patches, is heavy, is found at the ski house and is somewhat warm and insulated. Little did I know that this item from Enlightened Equipment would become one of the favorite items in my kit.
Why a quilt? When sleeping on a pad (foam or air mattress), you get a great deal of insulation from the ground due to a pad's thermal insulation. Normally a sleeping bag does not offer much insulation when compressed underneath you. This is essentially dead weight as far as bikepacking goes, so having a quit wrapped 3/4 of the way around your body is a win win. We decided to buy the best quilts we could find, both for the light weight and also for the warmth. These are made of ethically sourced goose down and silky smooth. I always look forward to jumping into this amazing bag at the end of a long day of cycling.
Folding pad
A folding pad on your five favorite items list? Yup! I love this lightweight little lifesaver. I purchased it on Amazon ** as a throw in to another order and I have never left home for a bike trip without it. Weighing just 32 grams, it is super light and it folds up so you can fit it almost anywhere. The main purpose of this pad was for sitting at the campsite and cooking but I have found many other uses since. I keep it handy for road side stops where I want some extra comfort, or just want to keep my butt dry. But by far, my favorite use of this item is around the tent. When setting up my sleeping system, I always lay this out first and it is a welcome comfort to my sore knees. It is also super useful for crawling in and out of the tent and it supports in keeping my feet dry as I put on my shoes. It's uses are limitless and I will never leave home without it.
Honorable mentions
I have found that I really like the Trekology **ultra light pillow as it compacts to a small size and is easily adjustable to my comfort level which aids in a good night's sleep. Another important part of the sleep system (I guess you can tell I like my sleep) is a Silk sleeping bag liner. This adds an extra layer of warmth and protects my quilt from my skin since we cannot always bath every day of a bikepacking trip. It can also be used standalone on hot summer nights. When lighting the stove, a regular lighter can blow out easily in the wind so I always carry a USB lighter ** which lights instantly and saves me lots of frustration on windy days. Lastly, when bikepacking, things tend to move and rub a lot. I use 3M Scotchfil rubber tape (or a similar product on Amazon** ) to protect my frame and exposed parts of my gear. This gives an extra layer of protection and adds almost nothing weight wise.
The honorable mentions
More to come!!
There are a few new items that I have purchased over the winter and I look forward to sharing them more with you soon. I would also love to hear your comments about the gear that has worked best for you. Please add them below. For now it is time to hit the gym and get those legs ready for the next adventure!
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