7 articles
A bikepacker's analog backup is not a hiker's. Here is the map scale to print at, the compass worth carrying, and the thirty minutes of practice that turn both from ballast into a tool.
Your phone is a legitimate primary navigation device for a bikepacking trip once you solve vibration, water and battery. Here is how the four mount families differ, and the six mounts we would buy.
All five of these apps will draw you a line and follow it, so a feature table is useless. Here is which one fails in a way you can live with, and the plan-in-one-navigate-in-another pairing most riders end up running.
Hard shell or soft bag? For bikepackers who fly one way, the answer usually is not the expensive case. We compare six travel cases and bags on protection, empty weight, and where they live while you ride.
Most riders buy high-visibility gear backwards — a vest that does nothing in daylight, and no daytime running light at all. Here is the priority order that actually works on a loaded bike, and the six pieces of kit we would buy.
Layered bike security for bikepackers: the lightweight locks, hidden trackers, and zero-cost habits that keep a loaded bike from disappearing at a cafe, motel, or camp.
We compare the six best satellite messengers for bikepacking, from Garmin inReach to ZOLEO and SPOT, on coverage, two-way messaging, battery, and price, so you can pick the right off-grid safety net for your next ride.
