Lucas Winzenburg

The Esker Solitaire is a rigid steel frameset with room for burly tires and some nostalgic design cues that harken back to simpler times. The Minnesota brand has fewer than 30 remaining in a fresh “Digging for Gold” colorway, and when they’re gone, they’re gone for good. Learn more about the 2026 Esker Solitaire here…

Chinese brand Fire Maple’s new Petrel Pour-Over Kettle is a lightweight, modular kettle designed for discerning hikers and bikepackers who take their morning coffee a little too seriously. Take a look at the feature-rich $33 boiler here…

Our 222nd Weekend Snapshot tracks down folks from our global community as they pedal around three scenic corners of Europe. Find shots from Türkiye, Poland, and Belgium, and use the quick form to share a photo from one of your recent rides here…

Cedaero in Minnesota just released a handy new product they’re calling the Brown “Paper” Bag. Made of recycled X-Pac, it’s a no-nonsense hauler that folds flat, offers generous capacity, and looks to have endless uses for daily life. See it here…

As an exercise to see how much money he could save using some of the 100+ industry discounts we offer to Bikepacking Collective members, Lucas “built” a trail-ready Hayduke hardtail from Esker Cycles. Check it out here…

This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Max in Germany, who walks through the Stooge Rambler he built up for off-road touring. Get to know a little about Max, see his custom Stooge, and read his story of finding his way to bikepacking here…

Our spring member drive ends tomorrow, which is the cutoff to join the Bikepacking Collective and have your membership begin with the 16th issue of The Bikepacking Journal. Don’t miss out! We hope you’ll sign up to support us this year. Learn about the upcoming issue, over $9,000 in giveaways, 110+member discounts, and more here…

Our spring member drive wraps up tomorrow, and with its conclusion comes our latest drawing for 20 fresh Collective Reward prize packages worth more than $9,000. See everything we’ll be giving away to randomly selected site supporters here…

Friend&Fiend is a new handmade brand from industrial designer Bailey Van Etten. The initial launch includes a pair of On-Tube Storage bags designed to attach to accessory mounts and expand carrying capacity for snacks, tubes, and other small bits. Learn more here…

Wrapping up our current round of Collective Reward giveaways, which includes 15 prize packages worth many thousands of dollars, we’re setting up one randomly selected site supporter with a COROS NOMAD GPS smartwatch. Find details here…

This summer, intrepid cyclist and award-winning storyteller Laura Killingbeck will ride over 1,000 miles across Michigan to advocate for women’s safety and autonomy, documenting the journey through writing and interviews. Learn more here…

The latest addition to Panaracer’s GRAVELKING line is the speed-focused, semi-slick GRAVELKING ZX, which they claim is their fastest-ever tire for mixed terrain. Find a quick look at the new model here…