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. 🌎🌍🌏

[@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.

[@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!

[@AndrewJackson-p3j]

Hi, just started watching your channel and I love it. Started doing a bit of touring and bike packing a few years ago, and now totally addicted. I found this video interesting and good to see how your kit has evolved, this is how it works for me too. After a few years on a gravel bike, I'm now looking at a setup more like yours, with bigger tyre clearance, more packing options and the big reveal for me was your gearing. Makes a lot of sense going hub gears, never really thought about it until watching this video. So, thanks so much for documenting and sharing your travels.

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@jcmuellner]

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

[@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

[@oliverascher213]

The Garmin inReach Messenger being in the mesh pocket on the feed bag kind of freaks me out lol. I personally would store it in the Rockgeist hip pack because it can’t fall out, it’s waterproof, and you can still use it if you get separated from your bike. If you have a nasty wipeout and your bike goes off a cliff without you on it, it would be good to have the Garmin on your person. I might just be paranoid though.

[@sneaselthebeast]

Hey Dan, Ive been following you on instagram and just checked this video out. Im about to set off on a trip across the southern tier route in the US and this helped me confirm my gear choices :) thanks for sharing and good luck on the miles ahead!

[@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!

[@derekarcher8495]

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

[@davidperry2725]

What a trip! Best of luck to you.

[@liamahern8527]

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

[@kloparen7376]

Great video, and what a backdrop!

[@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!

[@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

[@NigelParrish]

Good to see you back in the saddle.

[@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 :)

[@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 🙂👌🏻

[@Transtaganu]

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

[@arcoulant87]

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

[@earthlingdamien]

Thanks for sharing ! Have a great ride.

[@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

[@Testbug-dy6tj]

I got the Blackburn cargo cages too.

[@lukecardew]

Great summery buddy!

[@Compassroseconsulting]

Love the tumbleweed!!

[@oscargutierrez7117]

Missed your videos bro!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

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

[@archeer1]

Well sorted!

[@thecodydyer]

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

[@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!

[@jeffhorner6917]

Nice job with this video!

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Thanks!

[@MsGenesisgamer]

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

[@tedsmith2150]

Great video, thanks for sharing Dan! Please tell me what that electric shaver is that youre carrying, cheers Eddy

[@omare_biketonature]

Nice setup 👌🏻 cheers from Norway 🇳🇴

[@Naufrago_Sur]

Good stuff, Thanks

[@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.

[@user-ri2ee4qg7k]

I'm a life-long touring cyclist........since way before bikepacking became a thing (and really even before mountain bikes themselves took off). And a lot of my tours over the years were in terrain that is now squarely in the domain of bikepacking. In more recent times I've done a bit of "actual" bikepacking with more modern gear. But I've also reached an age where I'm slowing down quite a lot, and some (but NOT all!) of that serious/rough/technical terrain where bikepacking setups shine is getting a bit more than my body is capable of. But at the same time, I'm about to retire and have planned for many years to seriously hit the road/trail by bike (meaning for months or years at a time) when I do so. And in keeping with that I've been building my dream bike for the job for that last few years, and just finished it. And it's very much a machine (and rig) that blurs those lines you speak of. It's a mix of lots of very old-school tech and thinking (from traditional bike touring) along with quite a few modern touches (taken from the world of bikepacking). It leans more towards a touring setup I guess, but it's very capable of handling a good bit of the terrain that the bikepacking crowd loves too. I've done a few shakedown rides so far, and it's as close to perfect (for my own hybrid touring/packing type of rides) as I can imagine. Touring ? Packing? heck, what about commuting/utility/etc.? it's all good.

[@bbacalhau]

A bit jealous of that bike 😛

[@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.

[@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

[@skellener]

Does the Rohloff only work with twist shifters? Or does it also work with trigger shifters?

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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 ..

[@trevorsherwood6806]

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

[@stevemullin1195]

Are you having any issues with the rholoff? A cyclist i follow here on.YT has one on his ogre and had the frame break 3 times on non-drive side...sounds like a design flaw on the surly ogre.

[@DanCyclesTheWorld]

Nothing so far! That doesn’t sound like a Rohloff issue. My old surly frame also broke 3 times, might be their frames that are the problem!

[@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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@earleorenstein2768]

Hey Dan,

[@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!

[@dishonourablecs7444]

Comment for the algorithm pt 4

[@jamestaylor3075]

👍

[@Zaftrabuda]

Why all the long distance bike people have a license plate attached to their bike

[@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.

[@5kyforger]

1st!

[@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