Adventure Gear Checklist for Bike Overnights

Apr 21st, 2022
|

Small, lightweight backpacking gear is ideal for a bike overnight. If this is your first time though, don’t get wrapped up in shopping for gear right away. Make do with what you have on your first couple of trips, or borrow from a friend. You’ll start to recognize what new pieces you may want to purchase to improve your experience in the future.  

There are lots of different opinions on the best weekend bicycle adventure gear! Of course, some of it is dependent on the season and weather. Here’s our simplified bicycle adventure gear list.

Basic Adventure Gear for Biking

  • Sleeping bag
  • Sleeping pad
  • Small tent, bivy sack, or camp hammock
  • Food (or a nearby dining establishment)
  • Personal items: toiletries, etc
  • Tire levers and patch kit
  • Spare tube
  • Mini-pump
  • Allen wrenches
  • Clothing layers

Bike Travel Weekend is the first weekend in June.
Register now to lead a group ride!

Deluxe Adventure Gear List

Perhaps you’re not a minimalist. Just remember: everything you bring adds weight to your bike. If you have much hill climbing or a lot of mileage planned, you may want to reconsider how much gear you take along on your bike overnight.

Deluxe Camping Gear List

  • Route map(s)
  • Sleeping bag
  • Thick sleeping pad or air mattress
  • Small tent, bivy sack, or camp hammock
  • Camp pillow or stuff sack
  • Cooking equipment (small stove, cookware, utensils) including food
  • Camp chair
  • Headlamp or flashlight
  • Pocketknife
  • Waterproof matches

Deluxe Personal Gear List

  • Toiletries
  • Two sets of bike clothes
  • Two sets of off-the-bike clothes
  • Raingear
  • Cold weather gear
  • Shoes/sandals
  • Bathing suit
  • Towel

Other Possible Bike Overnight Gear

  • Books
  • Camera
  • Playing cards
  • Sports equipment
  • Fishing gear
  • Radio/iPod/MP3 player
  • And more!

Related Reading