gear
bikes & Bags
This page is mainly for the other bikepackers, hikers and gear junkies out there, but if you're just curious as to what someone might carry on a five year expedition around the world then you might find it interesting. My priorities are simplicity and durability, as I can't afford to have my kit fail me in the middle of nowhere. Beyond that it's about keeping the weight down and doing away with everything but the essentials.
Listed below is the full breakdown of what I'm using as of November 2025. Note that I do tend to make small tweaks to my setup from time to time, and on some shorter trips I use a lighter setup. Some of the photos below are of older or different setups, but the gear list shown below should be fully up to date and reflects what I consider to be my 'expedition' setup for long-term, round-the-world bikepacking.
Some of the below links are affiliate links, meaning if you buy anything I'll get a small commission, but the cost to you will be no different and it's a great way to help support me without going to any extra trouble.
For a detailed analysis of my original setup, including gear reviews, see HERE.
And for my video guide to bikepacking navigation, see HERE.
For my written guide to bikepacking navigation, see HERE.
EXPEDITION KIT LIST (EVERY LAST THING)
Total Weight 40.9 oz | 308 grams
OVERVIEW
After many years of experimenting, I find this setup to be a great compromise between weight, convenience and comfort. The seat pack contains everything that I don’t need during the day (sleep system, extra clothes, toiletries etc.) while the front handlebar bag and my framebag are both mostly free for food, and both can be quickly accessed.
Water capacity is 5 litres on the bike (in plastic water bottles) as well as an extra 2L in a Knoc bladder, making for 7L total capacity, although for sections where I know I'll need more I also sometimes carry a 4L Hydropak bladder, for 11L of water capacity. I can also easily attach 1.5 - 2L plastic soda bottles to the bike for extra water if needed.
With this setup I can comfortably carry food for more than a week when necessary, and if I need to further extend, I can also wear the 30 L backpack for extra capacity.
The bike itself has a weight of around 15 kg, and the base weight of all the rest of my bags and gear (everything except food and water) is somewhere in the range of 15 kg, making for a total bike + gear base weight of around 30 kg. Not the lightest rig, but I'm hauling a laptop and a fair bit of camera equipment, as well as enough gear to cross over into early winter, and it's still light enough that I can ride and enjoy technical singletrack without making any changes. Considering the versatility, convenience and carry potential, I’m very happy with this setup.