Everyone seems to be discovering bikepacking these days. But what gear do you need and how do you plan your first trip? We asked bikepacking brand Restrap for some pointers…
19th November 2025 | Words by Tom Hill and Joly Braime | Pictures courtesy of Restrap
No longer the preserve of the ferociously fit – toiling through alpine passes with fully loaded panniers and calf muscles like forged steel – bikepacking is easier to get into than ever. Developments in both bikes and luggage now mean a multi-day trip can be as accessible or as challenging as you want it to be.
At the forefront of the bikepacking boom is one of our favourite WildBounds brands, Restrap. They specialise in bike bags and other accessories, made by skilled machinists at their factory on Kirkstall Road in Leeds.
We caught up with Restrap’s marketing manager, Tom Hill – also a freelance cycling journalist and endurance rider/runner – to ask him about his top tips for newbies wanting to get into bikepacking.
Make the first trip manageable and fun. Maybe go with a partner or friend and stay within your comfort zone.
Make the first trip manageable and fun
While there’s always the temptation to go big, Tom reckons it’s probably better to start out with a weekender somewhere local – preferably with decent phone reception and some sort of get-out plan in case anything goes wrong. Likewise, in terms of distance and terrain, it’s worth sticking well within your comfort zone for a first trip.
'Plan a route that's significantly shorter than what you would normally expect to ride in a day,' says Tom. 'Ultimately, you're doing it to have fun – to get the feel for the bike, how it rides, everything else. So the last thing you want to be doing is getting into camp after it's got dark, absolutely exhausted.'
Try to make the second day slightly lower mileage if possible. Most of us don’t usually ride back-to-back days, especially with lots of gear, and you want your first experience to be a good one.
For your first bikepacking trip, consider starting out somewhere local, on easier terrain and tackling a manageable distance – but try to steer clear of busy roads by taking advantage of bridleways and quiet country lanes.
Go local if possible
If you can set off from your doorstep, that’s ideal for a maiden voyage. Tom suggests looking for a campsite that’s perhaps 30 or 40 miles from home, adjusting the distance for your own fitness and whether you’ll be riding on or off-road.
There are plenty of places you can look for route-planning inspiration. If you live in the south, Cycling UK’s website has some well-curated routes, though they’re less good for other parts of the country. Bikepacking.com has a number of UK trips listed – including a useful ‘overnighters’ section – while the Komoot route-planning app also lets you filter by various activities including bikepacking.
In general, it’s best to stay away from busy roads – and fortunately the UK has a great network of bridleways and smaller roads. In fact, bikepacking can let you explore quieter routes that might be out of range for your average day ride.
'That's one of the reasons I got into it,' says Tom. 'I love going to, say, some of the remoter parts of Scotland, where actually it would be a massive day ride to go in there and back out again. And all of a sudden you start realising, well, I can link here to here, to here to here... and start building these routes yourself.'
Pitched up for the night. A tent or bivy bag will usually be wet with condensation the next morning, so bring extra drybags to keep your other kit dry. Many bikepackers often split their tent down (packing poles, inner and fly separately).
Base your load-out around ‘the big three’
Back in the day, cycle touring (essentially an older name for bikepacking) was all about big panniers on the back of the bike, but times have changed. Gear has got smaller and lighter, and modern bikepacking bags will attach easily to pretty much any bike without the need for racks and other scaffolding.
Nowadays, the core of a bikepacking setup usually consists of three main components: saddle bag, frame bag and bar bag. As for what you stash where, that’s up to you – but Tom has a few suggestions.
The bar bag goes across the front of your handlebars. This might seem accessible, but due to the design it’s usually the least convenient to get into during the course of the day. For that reason, most people use it for their sleeping bag, mat, and bivy bag or tent.
Your saddle bag goes on the post underneath your saddle. Available in various sizes, it’s more accessible than the bar bag, but you do still need to stop the bike and get off, so Tom reckons it’s a good place to put stuff like spare clothes and a waterproof. Just be sure to pack your rain jacket at the top so you don’t have to dig out the whole lot in a downpour.
Lastly, there’s a frame bag, which attaches underneath the top tube and is the easiest to delve into while you’re riding. You can get full-size ones that take up the whole space, but that does mean you can’t use a bottle cage so you’ll need an alternative hydration system. Many people prefer a bag that just takes up the top half of the frame, offering plenty of space for food, snacks, tools and gadgets.
Fully laden bike with a bikepacking set-up consisting of bar bag, frame bag and saddle bag, aka ‘the big three’.
Beyond the big three, you can get lots of other accessories including downtube bags, detachable canister bags (ideal for taking your valuables into a caff if you stop for a coffee), tech pouches and quick-access stem bags for your snacks. Some riders like backpack setups – and yes, some folk still swear by panniers.
‘It can be quite a personal thing and we’ve all got different views,’ says Tom. ‘You can talk to everybody here at Restrap and they’ll all do something slightly differently.’
Just like when packing a rucksack, try to stash stuff you’ll need frequently (like water and snacks) in easy reach.
Pack smart
When it comes to packing, everyone’s got their own preferences, but many of the core principles are similar to backpacking: put the most commonly used things where you can reach them most easily, skim the weight as far as you dare, and manage moisture.
A key difference compared to backpacking – where the tent commonly gets strapped on the outside of the pack – is that your tent will probably be going in with your sleeping bag and other things that don’t react well to damp. Even after a dry night, a tent or bivy bag will usually be wet with condensation, so it’s worth bringing extra drybags to make sure it’s securely quarantined. Bikepackers also often split their tent down to help with packing.
Your gear is likely to get wet and muddy, so make sure it’s protected from dirt and moisture by storing it in sturdy and secure drybags.
Apart from that, it’s back to the old question of how light you dare to pack. The more you bring, after all, the harder it’ll be to pedal up those hills. Tom’s a minimalist, but he knows that’s not for everyone.
‘There’s always that pay-off, isn’t there, between the comfort for when you’re not doing the activity versus the comfort while you are doing the activity. You’ve got the two lines crossing somewhere in the middle, and you need to decide where you sit on those lines. I’ve got mates who will bring a little fondue set and full coffee paraphernalia.’
A fully laden bike will handle differently, even if you’re a regular rider. Consider the impact the extra weight will have on your body, especially when tackling trickier terrain.
Consider the extra weight and distance
Unlike backpacking – where all that extra weight is strapped to your body – in bikepacking the bike frame takes most of it. While that’s a great thing in many ways, it’s important to consider how those extra kilos will affect you.
Even if it’s a bike you ride regularly, chances are it will feel very different fully loaded. Riding will take more effort and handling will change. Add in the fact that you’re probably riding much further and longer than you’re used to, and you might find your body developing little niggles.
‘The more time you’re spending on the bike, the more you might realise that maybe a contact point isn’t super comfortable,’ says Tom.
If you start to get a bit saddle sore, a timely application of chamois cream can work wonders, and on more remote multi-day tours, Tom recommends making the effort to get a good wash when you can.
If you start to put in plenty of miles, don’t be surprised if you start to feel a bit saddle-sore. Padded shorts or bibs and chamois cream can work wonders, as can a good wash whenever you get the chance.
You don’t need to drop thousands on new gear
The nice thing about bikepacking is that you don’t need a dedicated touring bike to do it. Whatever you normally ride will be absolutely fine, and you can always upgrade further down the line if you want to.
‘I’ve bikepacked on everything from a fixed-wheel road bike through to a full-suspension mountain bike,’ says Tom. ‘Some of them I wouldn’t necessarily choose to do it again, but it works and you can do it.’
The same goes for the rest of your gear. You’ll need a base set of bikepacking bags to carry your kit, but apart from that you don’t need to be investing heavily in an ultralight camping setup or special touring togs.
‘It’s one of the beauties of bikepacking – you can truly do it with what you’ve got. Buying more expensive stuff might mean it’s a little bit lighter or more durable or something else, but you can start with what you have and build from there.’
Alternative bikepacking setup, with a half frame bag, bottle cages, bottom tube bag and fork storage. Tom’s advice? Don’t spend megabucks to start with: go with what you’ve got and build from there.
Start dreaming of the next steps…
Assuming you have a great time on that first weekend trip, where might your bikepacking adventures take you next?
You could try pushing the trip length up a bit – taking 3-5 days and tackling a well-known route like the Cantii Way, the Trans Pennine Trail or the Way of the Roses. Leave enough time to tackle the route at a comfortable pace, or perhaps just take a section of a longer trail and do that.
Build up from overnighters or weekend trips to slightly longer routes like the Trans Pennine Trail or Pennine Bridleway (3-5 days for most riders), then perhaps set your sights on something even bigger.
From there, you could start setting your sights on something even bigger, maybe venturing abroad in the process. Experienced bikepackers all have their own favourite routes, and for Tom it’s an event called the Torino-Nice Rally.
‘You can ride the route any time. It’s a mixture of road and gravel – and obviously quite challenging because you’re riding across the Alps – but it’s absolutely spectacular. There are loads of refuges to stop at, and you’ve got amazing Italian and French food the entire way. I think if you take your time and you’re relatively fit, that would be a good one to work up to.’
As your skills and fitness improve, the possibilities get ever more exciting. The team at Restrap and their various kit-testers have taken their gear all over the world, sometimes covering thousands of miles and crossing continents in the process.
