2016 Bikepacker Gift Guide

Another year of giving is around the corner. Below is a list of gift ideas for the bikepacker in your life. Before you shop online, be sure to check out your local bike or outdoor stores, they are more than likely to carry many of the items below.

Bags

Andrew The Maker Lace Up Half Frame Bag
Andrew The Maker (ATM) offers limitless options for custom frame bags, including some bags which use a Paracord weave as the attachment point to the top tube instead of Velcro. ATM uses a high-density closed cell foam along the perimeter of the bag to maintain shape. The Paracord weave along the top tube is more sturdy than we would have ever anticipated. While it may not be 100% Velcro-free, it is still a unique and reliable way to attach a bag. MSRP: Dependent on custom order

Alpamayo Designs Front Harness
This is an uber-functional front harness that comes with large spacers which allow room for your brake housing, shifter cables and any other accessory cables you have on your bike. The three buckle system comes with a quality X-Pac bag, but can certainly be used with any other aftermarket dry bag. MSRP: $77


Wildcat Gear Tiger – Wayfarer and Dover
This is a lightweight harness system that attaches to your seatpost and saddle rails like any other saddle bag. Instead of buckles though, it comes with webbing strap adjusters that tighten down around your saddle rails. The Wayfarer comes in at 175g and the Dover comes in at 195g, a crazy lightweight harness system compared to other offerings on the market. MSRP: $93 – Wayfarer, $100 – Dover

Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag
The brand new Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag has come in handy since we started testing it last week. Unlike other stem bags, this bag was carefully redesigned to accommodate one-handed opening and closing. This way you can stay on your bike while fueling or otherwise. The deep bag can accommodate snacks, a water bottle, compact cameras and electronics, and any smaller items in the side mesh pockets. We have only put a couple hundred miles on this bag, but it has already proven to be a well-rounded and versatile stem bag. MSRP: $49.00

Rouge Panda Oracle Downtube Bag
It’s not every day that you can be completely ecstatic about a small accessory bag, but when it comes to the Rogue Panda Oracle Downtube Bag, it has us giddy. The bag mounts on the bottom of your downtube, and can fit those extra belongings that just don’t fit in your standard packs. We have found ourselves using this unique bag for our repair kit. It has proven to fit almost all items in our bikepacking repair kit and is neatly tucked in an area that is easily accessible when you need it. MSRP: $50

Nutrition

Good to Go Foods
Real Food. Real Adventure. We love taking dehydrated meals with us on our bikepacking trips, especially when we know we are going to be far away from civilization. Living off of gummies, bars, jerky, and nut butters is all good and well, but when you can enjoy a hot meal made with real ingredients while taking in your surroundings after a long day in the saddle, your making good decisions. Good To-Go products are handmade in Maine with love and thoughtfulness. “Each recipe was developed with one goal: to elevate your expectations of what trail food can taste like. We want you to take a break from whatever adventure you’re on, sit down, take a bite, and say, “Wow!”” MSRP: $6.75 – $11.50 per meal

Aeropress
Be it extended trips, overnighters, or just #coffeeoutside – the AeroPress is a fantastic lightweight option for bikepackers. While it is a little bulky, we found that storing all the coffee and accessories inside the AeroPress itself saves space well. The AeroPress is also a fantastic way to brew your coffee at home, or even on your car camping trip. At $30 it is certainly worth a try, be it in your kitchen or aside the campfire. MSRP: $30.00

Greenbelly Meal 2Go
Green Belly is literally a meal to go, packed with 650 calories in three tasty flavors. This snack comprises 1/3 of your daily nutrition, and proves to be a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The three flavors could also be split up throughout the day as they come with resealable packaging. Once these bars hit your taste buds you will be instantly surprised by the amount of flavor they pack. Our favorite is the Peanut/Apricot, but all three flavors are delicious. MSRP: $22.99

Electronics

Gaia GPS App
The Gaia GPS smart phone app is a handy $20 app which allows you to create, record, and document routes all within the palm of your hand. The best part? All of this can be done offline, and without using data – as long as you download your maps before you leave service. This is an awesome, user-friendly app for not only bikepacking but road trips, general curiosity and map lovers. MSRP: $19.99


Anker PowerCore 13000
While most of us go bikepacking to escape from the normal grind, it’s inevitable that you will need to charge your devices or lights throughout your trip. After being fooled about cheap battery packs, I decided to purchase one from a reputable brand. the Anker PowerCore 13000 is easily the best one we have used over the past two years, mainly because it has lasted. The battery pack is super light compared to other 13000 mAh batteries, packs a punch, and is reliable, something that is very important. $MSRP: $29.99

Apparel 

GORE ALP-X Pro 2in1 shorts
The ALP-X PRO 2in1 Shorts are a great, casual choice for your weekend bikepacking trips or simple day rides. The extremely technical bib drys very quickly and will keep you slightly warmer when the elements are present. The 2in1 bib comes in two colors, black and red. If you are not into bibs, Gore has a lot of options as far a regular shorts similar to the Alp-X PRO 2in1.  MSRP: $200

Shimano XM7 Shoes
When it comes to clipless cycling footwear and pedals, Shimano has been setting the benchmark for over 25 years –  developing some of the best shoes and pedals throughout modern cycling history. If you’re looking for a do-it-all, tough-as-nails, killer looking pair of hiking friendly cycling shoes, you can stop your search here and now, because the holy grail has been discovered. MSRP: $199

Club Ride Fat Jack Pants
The Fat Jack and Imogene pants from Club Ride are perfect for any cyclist’s gift list.  From wet spring and fall rides to winter fat biking, the pants perform great in all weather conditions.  With reflective zippers on both side pockets and a reflective strip up the inside of your right leg, they make great commuting pants for the shorter days of winter, making you more easily seen in the dark.  The pants have reinforced areas on both the tops of your thighs and the inside of your ankles to protect against unwanted scuff.  The Fat Jack is the men’s version of these pants, and the Imogene is the women’s.  They fit true to size and have upheld a high standard of durability.   MSRP: $119

Giro D’Wool DND Glove
We seriously can’t get over our regular Giro DND gloves, we have used them for years, and continue to because we simply can’t find anything better. Giro recently announced the D’Wool, which is the Merino Wool edition of the DND model. We love these gloves, they are a bit warmer and a slightly more comfortable version of a model we love and trust. They also have a classy reflector seam along the wrist. MSRP: $30

Gear

NEMO Apollo Tent
In bikepacking, tents with floors are a thing of the past. It’s all about efficiency. Finding comfort but not at the cost of unwanted extra weight. The Apollo is a pyramid shaped shelter made up of one lightweight piece of fabric and a single pole. Designed to fit anywhere from three people, to one person and a bike, at 57 sq ft the Nemo Apollo is spacious to say the least. MSRP: $250

Z-Packs Sleeping Bag
If you’re bikepacking, storage capacity is at a premium and the last thing you want is a sleeping bag that takes up almost all of your load space. The Z-Pack is a superb all-season sleeping bag made of the finest materials and designed by exploration specialists. The insulation is second to none, the fabrics are durable and easily repaired, it’s super lightweight and packs down far smaller than other down bags. This sleeping bag may seem expensive at first glance, but with the ability to take on all four seasons and stuffed with thirty percent more goose down than necessary this is a bag worthy of its price tag. MSRP: $395 – custom-made to order

Sea to Summit UltraLight Mat
Finding a lightweight and conformable sleeping pad that is durable is a serious struggle. Many of the sleeping pads we have used are either way to0 heavy and burly, or just too weak. This was the case until we tested the Sea to Summit UltraLight Mat this summer. The regular size pad comes in at 13.9 oz/395g, and packs down so well in our saddle bag. The other winning feature is the two-way silicone valve that allows big breaths of air to inflate, and empties the pad extremely fast. It also work well with awesome accessories like the Sea to Summit Jet Stream, which is a stuff sack that pumps the pad up, and can even stoke your fire. MSRP: $99.95

Sierra Designs Backcountry Quilt 15
Sierra Designs has been thinking outside of the box when it comes to their sleep bags, and it’s something we appreciate. The Backcountry Quilt 15 is an affordable quilt that uses 700 fill Duck DriDown and has a temperature rating of 15°. The extra length in the bag, hideaway hood and hand pockets are unique features that will keep you warm on those cold nights, while the quilt can open up and allow you to breathe on rather mild nights. At 1lb, 15oz, this is a great three-season quilt for the price. MSRP: $249.95

MSR Pocket Rocket
If all you are looking to do is boil water, it’s hard to beat the MSR Pocket Rocket. The highlights with this minimalist stove are it’s lightweight and small pack size that has remained durable and reliable. It’s the easiest isobutane stove we have ever used, and it tends to accompany us on most bikepacking trips. MSRP: $39.95

Accessories

Monkii Cage
The Monkii Cage is a versatile, lightweight and sturdy bottle cage that can accommodate a variety of bottle sizes. Need to carry a thermos, mug, Nalgene, fuel canister? The Monkii Cage has you covered. At 36 grams, 3 different colors, and mounting directly to your bottle bosses, this is a no brainer. MSRP: $14.95

Stan’s No Tubes Tubeless Kit (rim tape, tubeless vales, sealant)
Something we always need yet we don’t always have enough of, is Stan’s No Tube sealant. We have used Stan’s sealant since tubeless became a thing, and have not looked back. Stan’s works, and we currently use it with our gravel, mountain, and fat bikes. If you have yet to go tubeless, you are missing out on a few benefits. It will allow you to run lower tire pressure, give you less rolling resistance and a better feel under your bike, not to mention the drop in weight. Most newer stock tires are tubeless compatible, yet typically come with tubes. Purchase the Stan’s No Tube tubeless kit for a simple upgrade to your rig. MSRP: $63.95
Bedrock Bags SPOT Harness
It’s simply called the ‘SPOT Harness,’ and it ensures that you don’t lose your device. It comes in at a lightweight 17 grams, not including the SPOT device itself, and it fits a variation of SPOT models. Your DIY system may work for you now, but you never know when it will fail you. MSRP: $25

Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System
If you are looking for a real water filtration system for bikepacking, and not just purifying tablets, the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration system is a lightweight and relatively packable option that is widely used amongst bikepackers..   MSRP: $24.95

Bike TOGS
Whether you are touring, racing on a loaded bike, or out for a day ride, comfort and control are always something to look for in a setup. TOGS, or the Thumb-Over-Grip System, is designed to give the rider another hand placement, similar to bar ends, but much safer, lighter, cheaper, and more comfortable. TOGS yield a great amount of increased control and are surprisingly comfortable. Try them out!  MSRP: $20


Industry Nine MatchStix
There are so many ways you can carry your multi-tool, but why not just save the space an carry it in your thru axle? Industry Nine has just the tool, or should we say tools for you. Hidden within this 15 mm thru axle is a #5, 6, 4 and 3 hex, T25 and T30 torx, a flathead bit, spoke tool, and chain breaker. You can customize your bits when you order through Industry Nine. MSRP: $160 for the full model with the chain breaker tool, 6 stainless steel bits and end cap.