My Bikepacking Gear Setup After 1 Year in the Americas

[@jimreppinb14]

Chuffed for you getting sponsored by tumbleweed. You're starting to build a name for yourself, should be proud mate.

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Thanks!

[@flightycocktails]

Dan! I’ve missed you! Glad you are back. Thanks for the set up info. 🌎🌍🌏

[@pedallinraw]

Nice kit! i’ve a Surly Ogre …that sleeping mat is huge when packed..i’m using a Vango Aotrom which pack up tiny and after a good years use all fine 🙂👌🏻

[@onewhoisanonymous]

I was living in rural Alaska when I started watching your videos. I dreamed to be on my bike again. Thank you for let me live through you. I really enjoy your videos.

[@Compassroseconsulting]

Love the tumbleweed!!

[@warrenjansen7096]

Very interesting. This was the first video of yours that I have seen, but I assure you it will not be my last. I'm too old and crippled to do any of the things I used to do when I was young, so I enjoy living my life again through people like you. Thanks!

[@tomsitzman3952]

Smart set up. Verify practical with no frills, just the basics. After 50 plus years of touring by bike, canoe, foot, and kayak, I use the same basic setup. Instead of a backpack on the back top rack I use a river roll top dry bag. My max load is 30 pounds, 13.6 K. My check list has 250 items to select from based on the trip needs.

[@KiwiMarcus]

Thanks Dan. I really enjoy following your journey and head to do the Baja Divide route in 3 weeks. I have made a couple of changes to my kit following this video. Cheers

[@MsGenesisgamer]

i biked through south america with my dad with a khs montana comp.

[@Budge-m6h]

Dan! Glad to see you back-my grandson and I have been following your journey here and on instagram. Thanks for inspiring us to get out and see the world! Great info today!

[@earleorenstein2768]

Hey Dan, thanks for the video. SomethingI found essential were cable ties. You can get reusable ties - I have had racks break and bolts shear (overloaded but still) and I;ve also had a derailleur break off. Cheers Earle

[@liamahern8527]

Great video Dan, looking forward to your future adventures. Safe cycling 🚴👍

[@jcmuellner]

Brilliant. I have the same TWP and love it. It can handle anything. Great kit setup!

[@7991noraA]

Hi, Dan i’m also traveling on a Prospector true mexico. I’m in Pachuca de Soto right now.

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Oh awesome! I'm in Oaxaca now, hoping to leave in the next week when the weather improves, reach out on instagram we might cross paths :)

[@elijahkraatz9700]

So excited for you to get a Tumbleweed Prospector! This is also my dream bike. Can’t wait to see how it holds up. Enjoy the new ride!

[@c_steve_j]

Love my Prospector! I'm using it for just about all my riding. So comfortable. Greg McCahon has one also and he is also heading to Argentina. Especially enjoyed this video for packing ideas. Thanks! Stay safe! ... Ciao

[@earthlingdamien]

Thanks for sharing ! Have a great ride.

[@derekarcher8495]

Thanks for the great video, I really enjoyed it. Safe travels!

[@NigelParrish]

Good to see you back in the saddle.

[@davidperry2725]

What a trip! Best of luck to you.

[@lukecardew]

Great summery buddy!

[@commandercookie0]

Class video! Been excited to see your new setup, reassuring to see how similar is is to that of my own, definitely picked up a few tips though!

[@Testbug-dy6tj]

I got the Blackburn cargo cages too.

[@Transtaganu]

Great video. Thanks a lot for all the information. Keep up the good work.

[@grindhead138]

Thanks for the great info, really appreciated! I thought you only swapped from drop bar to straight bar on the strangler, but you swapped the whole bike!

[@cypriano8763]

sweet bike. ive just used my kona cr hardtail mtb with an old man mountain divide rack. its nice to have like a real mtb, you just dont care what gets trown at you, it el work. that rack is indestructible

[@cypriano8763]

a heavy duty needle and fishing line with super glue can fix a bad side wall gash. oh yah a boot too, park tool makes em, better than a card or bar wrapper

[@kloparen7376]

Great video, and what a backdrop!

[@arcoulant87]

Nice one, I to use Rok straps so easy to use .

[@oscargutierrez7117]

Missed your videos bro!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Thanks! The proper videos will be back very soon :)

[@archeer1]

Well sorted!

[@Uhmm485]

Just my humble opinion. The difference between bike touring and bike packing lies in the approach on how to move forward. People have for more than hundreds years traveled on bikes and we now has come to something of a full circle in the way we do that. In the old days, they would strap a sleep-roll, some small bags for provisions and a little spare clothing to a singlespeed bike with big wheels and then cross continents with rough trails and roads, high mountains and whatever weather. There would be roadhouses, friendly people on farms and lodging along the way. These men and women were celebrated and written about. Then came tourism. Tourism, meaning to go on a tour for pleasure, has existed since ancient times however it had a recent boom after ww2 in Europe. Commercially available equipment was mass produced and people started riding around with more and more equipment in order to experience great comfort at the newly developed camping site infrastructure. All was swell. Hiking experienced a similar bloating of their packs as more and more people started to enjoy the outdoors, as companies selling smart equipment and gadgets soon to be deemed necessary and mandatory. Think big heavy mountain boots. Then some folks in the US got tired of all this and started a counter trend, shaving all but the absolutely necessary away from their kits. This trend was dubbed going Ultralight, UL. This approach has become wildly popular and the word ultralight is now attached to anything and everything related to the outdoors. While perhaps not all really being ultralight. Anyhow, big mile days and crazy long traverses, records being broken, fast thru hiking and happiness ensued. Then, this approach was adopted by cyclists and mtb’rs and it was dubbed bikepacking. Soon races where being held by crazy and enthusiastic people and after a lot of messing about with variations of concepts some shapes took hold and those ideas got popularized and commercialized. Today it seems the lines are a little blurred by many people, and thats probably fine. But e.g., here a bikepacking bike was loaded up as one would a bike-touring bike and that’s not very productive. So, in short, one can go “bike touring” on a “bikepacking bike”, but not “bikepack” on a “bike touring bike” setup. Not necessarily so strictly drawn lines but hike-a-biking with a 50kg bike over a mountain is just not very much fun.

[@bbacalhau]

A bit jealous of that bike 😛

[@Naufrago_Sur]

Good stuff, Thanks

[@omare_biketonature]

Nice setup 👌🏻 cheers from Norway 🇳🇴

[@jeffhorner6917]

Nice job with this video!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Thanks!

[@karen21markel]

This was fantastic! BTW, do you carry a spare pair of eye glasses?

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

I don't only because my sunglasses are prescription and are a very gentle tint so I can always use them if my glasses broke. Although the arms are very close to breaking so I do wish I had a spare!

[@thecodydyer]

Awesome video! Can’t wait for episode 19, but instagram is keeping me informed! 🤓

[@ljdgrrladventure]

Are you using or would you recommend using a ground cloth with your tent? Mfg website is contradictory on their recommendation for using one.

[@Bikepacking]

This video will do well

[@susan53226]

Excellent, thank you! What is the base weight of your bike and gear, please? I’d been researching Pinion gearboxes, but not Rohloff, due to the weight being further back. I’ll take a fresh look at Rohloff now, thanks to your video!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

I actually haven't weighed it but I think I worked out it'd be about 35-40kg without any food or water. The rohloff defintely is weighty, unloaded the bike feels much heavier at the back but I just pack more onto the front and it works nicely.

[@geobaer20]

Which yoga mat is that? This is exactly what I'm looking for =D Great update video btw!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

I have no idea the brand, it's just a cheap one I picked up in walmart here in Mexico. I think the key is to find one thin enough you can fold it in half before rolling it up.

[@growabundant]

Did I miss it? Where is your lock to lock it up while in the restaurant, restroom, or grocery store? BTW, what a beautiful setup!

[@growabundant]

And I soooo love your videos! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Oh I knew there was something I forgot to mention! I don't carry a lock. There's very few situations that I'd feel comfortable leaving it locked up somewhere for an extended period of time, especially with all my gear on. So I just go to small grocery stores and restaurants where I can keep an eye on it. What also helps is my Garmin edge has an alarm on so if someone tried moving it while I stop in a store I'd get a notification on my phone.

[@growabundant]

@@DanCyclesTheWorld Great plan! Those locks are super heavy anyway. Enjoy your beautiful journey!

[@rhodeislandhiker4745]

Great video brother, the bike is looking awesome. What's the drone case you use ? Im always worried about damaging mine while bikepacking

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

It's the Pelican 1050 case, perfectly vits the drone with no space for it to move around!

[@smhdpt12]

Awesome! Didn't I see you traveling with a small inflatable chair too. And I thought I also saw solar panels at one point?

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Yeah I used to use a therm-a-rest chair kit. I don't carry it anymore because mosquitos right now mean I wouldn't be sitting at camp much at all. I may pack it again later on in South America though. I haven't had my solar panels for a while because they broke but again will probably replace them for South America for the really remote stretches

[@smhdpt12]

@@DanCyclesTheWorld Thanks for the reply! I've been fascinated with your youtube series and can't wait for the next one. I love your positive attitude, it's infectious!

[@jamestaylor3075]

👍

[@green_building]

Bro wanna ask.. How long is your wheelbase ? and why using small single chainring ? Thanks.. Enjoy your adventure 🚴‍♂️ wish u always safe n sound

[@trevorsherwood6806]

What kind of razor is good enough to travel this distance?

[@DanSmith-sq9qp]

How long did the Grappler last for ?

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

The most significant crack came after 10 months of this trip, although I had lightly used the grappler for about 6 months before the trip as well

[@Bikepacking]

How long does it take to charge the 20,000 mha battery

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

I haven't timed it but I think around 2-3 hours, maybe a little longer if I'm charging multiple devices at once.

[@Bikepacking]

@@DanCyclesTheWorld 2 to 3 hours is amazing to fully charge a 20,000 mha battery wow ..

[@Bartem_]

I see you've gotten some inspiration from Tristan Ridley, or if you haven't your setup is uncannily similar😂

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Yeah a lot of my setup was originally based on his actually!

[@Bartem_]

​@@DanCyclesTheWorldI think it's a great setup. I wish mine was similar. Sadly I'm stuck on a traditional touring setup but I'm 141 days into my tour so it's quite hard to change it now.

[@earleorenstein2768]

Hey Dan,

[@michaljambor7772]

How tall are you, if I may ask? Being 6 ft. (183 cm) tall, I am starting to dislike my Kona Unit L-size. It should fit on paper, but the "progressive" extended geo is almost comical there. Rides like a bus. Jones backsweep bars mitigate some of that, but still...

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

I'm 5'10" and I think I'm right between the medium and large on Tumbleweed's size guide so large may be best for you

[@dishonourablecs7444]

Comment for the algorithm pt 4

[@5kyforger]

1st!

[@asellars]

Didn't answer the most important equipment question....Padded shorts or raw doggin' it??

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Ah yes that's what I forgot! raw doggin' all the way. Find it's just as comfortable once you're used to it and wayy less chafe

[@sharkmentality9717]

Having empty bags for food works.

[@Bikepacking]

Did you buy the bike or was it sponsored

[@BRAINpl]

He reached out, it’s the influencer lingo for ‘can I have this expensive thing for free?’ You’re welcome

[@Bikepacking]

@@BRAINpl lol