My COMPLETE Bikepacking Gear Setup. Bags, lights, tools, sleep system and must-have items.

A full run-through of all the equipment I take bikepacking and all the things I took to the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco. From the bike I rode (a dual-suspension mountain bike) to the bags I used, clothing, lights, tools, sleep system, safety and first-aid and extras.
Still photography thanks to Ariel Wojciechowski and Nils Laengener
Watch the Atlas Mountain Race film: • ATLAS MOUNTAIN RACE: T...
Attaquer All Day bib shorts review: • 3 reasons to love thes...
Attaquer All Day bib shorts: bit.ly/3G0kUL2
Get a discount on Attaquer cycling kit: Use code CR-ATQTRISTANTAKE15
Follow me on Instagram: / tristantakephoto
See my rides on Strava: / strava
A big thank you to BMC, ATTAQUER and WINFORCE for helping make this video possible!
00:00 Intro
00:40 Why I ride a dual-suspension MTB for bikepacking
05:43 Bag selection & setup
07:30 Clothing choice
10:57 What lens for your sunglasses
11:44 Hydration
13:38 My lightweight sleep system essentials
16:15 Lights for bikepacking and night racing
19:18 Charging
21:51 Tools and spares
24:35 Safety and comfort
26:51 Navigation
29:09 How I film my vlogs (and how I filmed the AMR documentary)
30:14 Outro

[@kimwalton2873]

100% right choice on the bike. Comfort is supreme on this type of event!

[@LordCapsis]

Bought a krampus recently, put on a RS Pike Ultimate. I can't miss my suspension. Taking it to scotland coming summer.

[@Richz2]

I would imagine your BMC is lighter than some gravel bikes. They aren’t particularly light and when you add in the factor of dual suspension the BMC is an absolute winner.. An insightful video Tristan and hopefully the Atlas experience hasn’t put you off more adventures in the future.

[@felixdieu]

Nice one. Tubolito for bikepacking is usually a no-no. Not resistant enough. Moved to Garmin 1040 solar as for some reason my Wahoo Roam dies unexpectedly. Insane battery life on the solar. Pedalcell is absolutely amazing to charge a battery pack.

[@tristantakevideo]

Cool to hear about the Garmin..I think I’ll be investing in one of those shortly.

[@bradpw4552]

Excellent video. Helpful and inspiring. Nice one!

[@littlealrides]

Hey Tristan, awesome video and music is great as always. Totally agree with you on the chamois cream - never use it anymore and my bum thanks me. It definitely softens and moistens the skin which is the opposite to what you want. There's a reason the skin's natural response to pressure and chafing is to thicken and harden - chamois cream prevents that. Well done for the race, it looked insane. Could we please see more of the cat?? 😊

[@mikitoshi0718]

Amazing video! Love it! 🎉🎉

[@weeringjohnny]

Some great gear tips here, many of which don't cost a fortune.

[@drouleau]

Great video. I've been going toward the replaceable battery lights myself as I'm planning an upcoming brevet series (and then hopefully Paris Brest Paris). While I have a few Lezyne lights, which are great....the ability to easily swap out fresh batteries on my Fenix lights (I have two BC26R and one BC30 V2 for shorter rides) is quicker/more efficient, and I can save my battery bank for the Garmin 1040. On the Fenix BC26R lights (one on my handlebar and one on my helmet), you can get just over 9 hours at 600 lumens per light and only require one battery per light (unlike the BC30 which requires 2)....so it's a pretty ideal all-night setup on a battery. With all the room you save by not carrying extra bibs, you have plenty of room for batteries :). I'm not a fan of chamois cream either and haven't really used it in years. I was going to go with a bikepacking seatpost bag as I have the large 17L Apidura, but two issues with that (well, 3 if you include that I have the non-waterproof one)....1), it's a PITA to access gear not at the top of the bag and 2), it rubs my thighs. I went with a Carradice 15L bag (Lowsaddle Longflap) for longer events, and a 9L bag (Junior) for shorter events, combined with a Bagman sport rack (attaches to your seat) and quick release system. I'm sure for bikepacking you'd want a sturdy rack setup, but they do make a seatpost clamp/extension arms that gives the rack a 3 point "mount" system, greatly stiffening up the system. Since the bag is wider/spread out and the larger bag has 2 external pockets (but it's not so wide that it sticks way out past your hips), it's far easier to access items and separate some stuff, and not have to take everything out of the bag to get at stuff on the bottom. And, they are super durable and feel pretty light in the hand, relatively speaking (my longflap weighs in at 882 grams, but doesn't feel it for some reason - packed bag weight with all my gear, including nearly 40 stroopwaffles was only 3 1/2 kg). Plus the longflap bag has the ability to overstuff it as well, so you could likely get most of your sleep system in there too and not have to weigh the bars down as much, and go with a smaller bag up front.

[@rikuwilson3407]

Thanks for a very comprehensive video!

[@amineroadbikerider1504]

thanks for those amazing details . another great video from you

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks for your support!

[@derekcravenPT]

Loved these two videos, I was exhausted just watching what you went through on that ride but seeing what you had to take makes the whole adventure more amazing! Thank you for your great vids.

[@edzeppelin933]

Why are the top 2 comments almost exactly the same? Paid bots?

[@shred3005]

I have to agree with no chamois cream. Years ago I got some Aussie Bum Cream for all day rides (based on some online article) but while I never had any problems as a result of using it, I also found not using the chamois cream was totally fine too. After you’ve built up an arse of steel, for many riders the cream is more of a hassle and waste of time. Might be necessary for some people, but not most in my experience. Also surprised about you comment about Squirt lube. In dusty conditions you don’t want an oil which gunks up the drive train so clearly a dry lube or wax is better. Riding gravel bikes in Qld dusty conditions I’ve never had issues with my drive train and Squirt lube and found that on my road bike Squirt has given me the longest chain life of any of the lubes I’ve tried over the last decade. I’ve read some reports that support it. Just my experience but I’m always happy hear other peoples experiences

[@olliew8286]

Woop! Great wrap up Tristan

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks dude 🙏🏼

[@Stue007]

Awesome tips, thank you for sharing your race setup

[@tristantakevideo]

No worries man, glad you got something out of it! 🙏🏼

[@Thorsten89342]

Really interesting video, thank you, it’s given me a lot to think about for racing. I really do like that BMC bike I have to say!

[@GR_BackingTracks]

Thanks! Way advanced but informative for this newbie. I've got a few things to get before heading north from San Diego...

[@gavindickson4498]

Awesome! Super helpful.

[@tristantakevideo]

Glad to hear it mate! 🙏🏼

[@mick6ful]

Super interesting. Thank you

[@hoser7706]

Great breakdown, thanks!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thank you! 🙏🏼

[@wendysuperfan1014]

thanks Tristan

[@GoodwinBiking]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@DameEdnaBrown]

Thanks for your very comprehensive video, I learned a lot

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate, glad to hear!

[@benschnabel1931]

Great Video! Thanks!

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers Ben!

[@francisorate6037]

Amazing breakdown Video. for the go pro, i would suggest a bag clamp mount for easy storage yet you can put some tape or something so you can use it as mouth mount.

[@ivechang6720]

I really love the multiple lamps, and the tips on energy conservation. I'm not really looking to go far fast, so dependability, durability and redundancy for critical items. Like having those individual alen keys backups. I think you are also the source that recommended putting a few zip ties in wheel well? If so thanks it's genius. ♿ If you have any ideas on bike packing accessability tips or alternatives I would love to hear them. Just respond to this if you do upload a vid, I get distracted easily. 😂👍

[@shelbypostproduction]

If you are looking for something other than a Wahoo. I highly recommend the Karoo Hammerhead 2.

[@yetogoicolea586]

very nice brother

[@Amundsen.A]

Nice mate! Would be interesting to hear about how you managed nutrition. How often, how much etc

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man. I actually recorded a part about nutrition to add in, but then left it out because the video was already so long. I might make a separate one to talk about my fueling strategy 👌🏼

[@robmason6466]

Interesting. Thanks.

[@michaeljohnson254]

i agree with the no chamey cream...never used it never needed it im gonna use that sewing kit advice...il think il grab tiny spool of kevlar fishing line for that tho

[@pierrex3226]

I have the same setup, except I also carry Tolstoï s war and peace in paper format for the evenings because I'm extra.

[@kellymckenzie4865]

Get some ergon grips with the larger heel pad. Helped my wrists a lot. They look goofy and they're "heavy" but well worth it.

[@tristantakevideo]

Yeah I’ve heard many good things about all Ergon products so I’ll definitely be utilizing them more for future events 🙏🏼

[@RogerByrne]

Ditch the lifestraw and get either a katadyn befree or the Salomon filter, they attach to the top of your soft flask in your vest so don’t take up that little extra space.

[@tristantakevideo]

Oh cool, good suggestion, thanks man. Didn’t know they existed 🙏🏼

[@rottieshepcalibre9156]

So glad u never threw that battery pack into that pristine environment.

[@guillemsanchezmoline8621]

Amazing work and race Tristan! Love this blogs! How many kg did your bike weight? Thanks! See u on the road champ!😊💪🏼

[@chrisrendel7263]

Beautiful race and documentary. My engineering mind always wants to improve the setups. If you ever were to do it again you might attach the top bag over the tire on the back length wise. It should be a lot more aerodynamic and going longer over the back tire won’t be a problem. An aluminum bracket should have enough strength to hold. What is you experience, did you think aero would have even made a difference on the race since it it a lot of climbing and slow speeds ? Keep up the good work.

[@sebastienemir151]

Thanks for this great detailed explaination. Could you tell us more on the preparation of the race, I mean the analysis of the GPX, the way your design the stop or the refull ?

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate. So the race organisers send a list of refill stops before the race, with the distance between them. I “planned” which of them I’d need to stop at to keep the number of stops to a minimum while still having enough water along the way. This kind of went out the window in the second half of the race when I was broken. However I aimed to stop roughly every 60km which was 3-4 hours of riding because I had enough water to last that distance. I also looked at climbs and would always make sure to refill before a big climb so I had enough to get me through the distance.

[@MarkCRyan]

In another doc I saw that Lael has drop bars on her hardtail mtb. I wonder if drop bars and levers would have helped with wrist issues without the repetitive strain of the thumb shifter. And also giving more hand positions that you’re more accustomed to.

[@KonnoOC]

I think that after being in the drops for hours, the wrists would also start to ache because of the angle you hold the drops at and the weight put onto them

[@scugno]

Loved these videos, I was exhausted just watching what you went through on that ride but seeing what you had to take makes the whole adventure more amazing! 🤯 I love the direction you are going with your Videos PS. I completely agree with you about chamois cream

[@edzeppelin933]

Why are the top 2 comments almost exactly the same? Paid bots?

[@scugno]

@@edzeppelin933 interesting I just noticed this I’m not sure who put it out first but I’m definitely not a robot

[@scugno]

@@edzeppelin933 or maybe two great minds think a like ?

[@edzeppelin933]

@@scugno maybe the bot copied you 😆

[@johnbravo7542]

I'm going to invent a flexible multi solar pannel that will mount to and contour the bike helmet😀

[@christophe3358]

always go, no chamois cream, santini recommends the same.

[@silasrobertshaw8122]

I have never once used chamois cream, but then i also haven't been riding lots of super long races. No need for 99% of cyclists imo.

[@crazydamage]

just finished watching your AMR video, great stuff. thanks for that and congrats for the finish! Did you use any heart rate monitoring on the ride?

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man! I had a Wahoo watch on the entire time with heart rate but it was wildly inaccurate and I didn’t ever reference it for anything..I had it on more for the time of day.

[@g1598]

id love one of those BMC fourstrokes however they were always out of stock of my frame size L

[@gabrielthiego1611]

Try restrap bag Race system

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man, will have a look into them 🙏🏼

[@vrta]

Loved the Atlas video! Gained a lot of respect for you. That was brutal 😲 Do you have a weight estimate of your whole setup? So things you showed here plus the bike? With water it must have been 25 kilos or something 😅

[@tristantakevideo]

Thank you! 🙏🏼 I think in total the setup was around 18.5kg without the 750ml bottle full of water. It helped reduce the weight of the bike by carrying the 3L of water on my body.

[@Designandrew]

shimano shifters are better because you can use your index finger from the front rather than SRAM which you have to use you thumb for both

[@dabelpaja_outdoor]

Being a sort of watch guy besides the interest in bikepacking I need to comment: Using a watch as a watch to tell time!? Shocking 😀

[@tristantakevideo]

Hahaha 🤣 Agreed. I had the best of intentions, I swear.

[@bobomac8330]

It's a ​wind up.

[@pandacharm]

Great video. Did you use carbon gripper paste for the handlerbar/ aero bare issue, to avoid it slipping? Just wondering, as I want a similar setup:)

[@tristantakevideo]

I didn’t try it, but I’m sure that plus more tension would help. The inner tubes inside the clamp worked, but eventually began to give out.

[@pandacharm]

@@tristantakevideo Thanks :)

[@albux]

Would it be possible to flip the shifter from under to above the bar, so that instead of pushing with your thumb, you would be pulling it with your index finger? I've broken my thumb on a crash, and if I was in the middle of the desert it would have been a big suck to get home without being able to shift.

[@tristantakevideo]

Unfortunately the shifter is bolted directly onto the brake lever bar clamp, so it has some adjustment back and forth, but can’t swivel all the way around the bars. In the race I resorted to reaching all the way around with my index finger to pull it as you suggest, but that’s the best I could do 😕

[@colingoulding3227]

Hello, what about shoes and overshoes ?

[@tristantakevideo]

For the Atlas Mountain Race I ran Giro Rincon mountainbike shoes and I use Attaquer shoe covers.

[@ReyCrdi]

The CO2 inflator could be crucial for beading in the tire after a bad puncture.

[@mattm00ey]

Great video. New follower. What about the thought that the mini bar ends being your aero grip look extremely uncomfortable. It looks like the gps interferes with your(thumb) hand position

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate. They were actually less uncomfortable than they look surprisingly, and the GPS wasn’t much of an issue either. I’d set the entire front end up slightly differently if I did it again but other than my thumb issue from the button shifter it all worked quite well.

[@mattm00ey]

@@tristantakevideo those extension certainly are a cool and versatile solution. Thanks for the videos. YT recommended you.

[@hoser7706]

+ 1 for not using chamois cream. 😬👍🏻

[@bobomac8330]

I thought the point of the co2 was to pop rims back on after a puncture? Your thinking no??

[@andyheath264]

What were the Oakley gloves you were wearing?

[@tristantakevideo]

I’m not sure of the model name, but they were just simple soft gloves with a bit of grip on the fingers

[@andrew9579]

Tailfin. Once you try it those saddle bags will go in the bin.

[@tristantakevideo]

Yeah, very, very tempted. Probably 1/4 of the riders at Atlas had one.

[@geordiem8496]

Do Tailfin racks work with full sus? They look like a great solution.

[@lpic3438]

Is there a list of your gear...I'm not finding one

[@tristantakevideo]

No, just what’s in the video

[@samuraioodon]

You said buy cheap buy twice? For battery it’s not worth spending for name brand? Thank you

[@tristantakevideo]

The phrase “buy cheap, buy twice” means that if you buy something cheap, you’ll need to buy another one to replace it because it won’t last. But if you buy good quality, you’ll only need to spend money once and the product should always work. Hope that makes sense?

[@just_jay7078]

Surprised you have not purchased Tailfin.

[@tristantakevideo]

I’m considering a tailfin setup for future trips

[@ONE_CLASSIC_GUY]

I am very interested in buying the aerobars featured-VAP-could you let me know the maker/retailers?

[@tristantakevideo]

The brand is VAP, the model is the Butterfly 3, I’m not sure of retailers but you can buy them online at vapcycling.com

[@ONE_CLASSIC_GUY]

That's great-thank you.

[@karlisozols1117]

How heavy was the bike with all the stuff?

[@tristantakevideo]

About 18kg total in the end. Because I carried 3L of water on me, rather than having it on the bike.

[@karlisozols1117]

@@tristantakevideo Thanks. Love your videos

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man 🙏🏼

[@terrycruise-zd5tw]

isnt there like less than a 1% efficiency difference in locking out your suspension lol? i think most people would lock it uphill and then forget to unlock it downhill which is then a negative efficiency

[@benjaminmirt5029]

Carbon Paste

[@_Mountain_Dave]

Aero bars vital, been running them for years. Do not understand anyone not having them the ability to change the positon is such a relief on the upper body. Also i have tested it over distance, it does make a difference with headwinds also. Suspension is another one agree, i even run a front shock on a gravel bike, had done for years away from MTB. That aside I always de tech the bike for remote rides, even carry spare shifters when super remote, always mechanical. Dropped saddle bags for the Tailfin rear bag, real improvement i find, front bag i prefer the Apidura 14L handlebar bag, with the 4 litre clip on if going for super long trips when need more food storage when know long legs without ability for resupply. Spark range are good, also the rab mythic 400, use both. Bivy, Event ones breathe very well. Thermorest i've had many mats and for durability thermorest are hard to beat and cannot recommend enough the small flexitail blower, weight next to nothing, can have option with lamp and also small battery bank built in, but when crackerd the ability to inflate it in 30 seconds without faffing around is a godsend esp when doing 2-3 hour rest naps. Also it feflates them rapid! Anker prime power banks, not just the plug also rapid charge compared to the cheaper versions, again a godsend. Safe travels.

[@KoenMiseur]

You should look the nitecore powerbanks (and lights) they are much much lighter! And stop buying lezyne, they are shit, I have had throw away so much of their stuff (3 pumps, 2 tools and 2 lights that all crapped out on me), buy Topeak instead, cheaper and much much better quality. Lezyne looks expensive but is crap, Topeak looks cheaper but works so much better.

[@crapimk1552]

I've had a carbon lezyne pump for years and used it loads of times,it's great

[@mikelee8407]

the oakly. glasses. @ $250= , the BMC @ ???...$000"s. and ............beyond the reach. of Joe Average .....maybe more items. from Decathlon could be mentioned...or. a non professional/non endorsed set. up could. be added ....NOT totalling $thousands

[@tristantakevideo]

I didn’t buy anything from Decathlon so can’t comment on or recommend them. There are hundreds of videos similar to this, for all budgets..if the things in this video are beyond your reach, don’t buy them. Pretty simple really.

[@mikelee8407]

the pillow?obviously if they. are. beyond a budget u wont.....but......@@tristantakevideo