Rigs of the 2022 Hunt 1000 (Spring Depart)

Developed by Dan Hunt in 2016, the Hunt 1000 is a bikepacking route and annual event that links two of Australia’s major cities, Melbourne and Canberra, and traverses some of Australia’s most beautiful terrain. The route includes amazing campsites and historic alpine huts, offers riders a limited number of resupply points, and mixes in some challenging hike-a-bike sections and river crossings.

For this edition of the event, riders will pedal north from Melbourne to Canberra, aiming for a grand finish, rather than a grand depart, at Capital Brewing Co. on Saturday, December 3rd. The route changes each year to keep things interesting and to adapt to the changing weather and trail conditions in the High Country. This time around, much of the region has been experiencing floods, and previous Hunt 1000 routes have been impassable due to dangerous river crossings. But, even avoiding the rivers doesn’t guarantee this year will be easier, and the first riders have already experienced snow storms.

With help from Dan Hunt and the riders, we’ve gathered nearly 40 rig details, accompanied by the name, age, and hometown of each rider, as well as a brief kit list. Check them all out below, then head over to the event page to follow along live.

Nick Amezdroz

Age 36 / Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

BIKE: Heading out on my Cotic BFE Max XL frame paired with a 130mm Pike Ultimate, Sram XX1 Running Gear w/ 10-52T and Absolute Black 32T oval ring, G2 Ultimate brakes w/ Hope rotors, Chris King rear hub, SP Dynamo front, both laced to DT XM481 rims, Maxxis Ikon 29 x 2.6″ rubber, HT Pedals, FARR bar and stem combo with Ergon GP3 grips, Chris King headset, Thomson Seatpost, Mimic Saddle, King Cage Manything cages for forks and extra water below, KLite MTB light up front and Exposure Joystick MK14 on the melon. Wahoo 830 navigation and Inreach Mini to stay safe.
BAGS: Custom Bike Bag Dude Lite Skin Frame Bag/Fork Bags, Custom BBD X-Pac Feed Bags/Fuel Tank, Swift Industries Zeitgeist Bar Bag, Oveja Negra Gear Jammer Saddle Bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Therm-a-Rest Z Seat (so many uses and only 56g) and my Dan Durston X-Mid 1 (quick to set up, quick to pack down).

Marcus Baguley

Age 52 / Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand)

BIKE: I’ll be riding my XACD custom trusty titanium 29er hardtail. The bike features handbuilt Wheelworks wheels, SON dynamo, and Rohloff speed hub, which have all served me well. I use my carbon Profile aeros whenever I can and sit it out on my Brooks seat. Some Magura brakes with decent sized rotors to give me stopping confidence (lessons learnt!). Going for Maxxis Ardent Race for this one with Stans race sealant.
BAGS: A bit of a mixed bag (Apidura, BPBikebags, Revelate, Salsa, Ortlieb). I have packed a Zpacks DupleXL for this trip, and I’m also taking a stove. Both of which have had me reconfigure for greater capacity. Running the Salsa tube bag in a titanium cage on the downtube with my cooker and some meals packed in too. The Revelate Egress handlebar bag tops up my food requirements and my BPBikebags Dyneema roll keeps my clothes dry.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: New on this trip is a Wahoo v2 Bolt, plus my trusty Garmin i66 for tracking/fine tuning nav. A very patched up Exped (thanks New Mexico) and MLD quilt for night comfort with Sea to Summit pillow in a comfortable snake proof tent.

Geoffrey Bennett

Mudgee, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: Bike is a Giant Revolt with 40mm Maxis Rambler tyres.
BAGS: Bags are limited by the small frame. I’m using an Ortlieb frame bag for water bladder, pump, spare tyre. Topeak handlebar bag for tent and sleeping mat. Saddle bag for spares. Topeak top bar bag for sunscreen, udder grease, headlight, and snacks. Most of my gear goes in the Lowe Airzone Trail 35 pack. The mesh keeps it off your back, and as long as I keep it under 8kg, I find it comfortable. It has the advantage of making hike-a-bike and crossing rivers easier.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Bike is pretty standard. I have replaced the FSA cranks with Shimano GRX as the FSA failed miserably. Garmin 830 with backup battery and Varia radar. I abandoned the 2019 Hunt due to 30cm of snow. I had just a bivvy with no sleeping bag. This year, I have a Vango Helium coffin and light sleeping bag. I must be getting soft.

Luke Beveridge

Age 40 / Canberra, ACT (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding the Hunt 500 on a stock Focus Raven 8.6 carbon hardtail. The bike is running SRAM NX 1×10 (32T/10-50T), Schwalbe Ray/Ralph 2.25″ tires and flat bars with SQLab inner bar ends and Ergon GP5 grips. Garmin 530 for stats and Garmin GPSMap62 for mapping and backup.
BAGS: Mostly Revelate Designs: sleeping bag and dry clothes in the saddlebag, camping gear in the handlebar bag (ZPacks Solplex and Neoair); cooking kit, spares and first aid in the framebag; tools in the Jerrycan and electronics in the Mag-Tank (phone, powerbank, cables). Food in the forkbags and 3.5L water capacity on the forks and under the downtube.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’m excited about the addition of a Hungry Big Lunch for items that need to be easily accessible. Also, I’ve got some Shockz headphones which might help towards the end of a long day.

Kia Binch

Age 29 / Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country (Australia)

BIKE: I have a lil’ 2023 52cm custom flatbar Salsa Cutti. It’s my rocket. Shimano Deore 30T x 11-51T drivetrain. 29 x 2.35″ Mezcals. Super light EIE carbon rims. Silver SON dynamo hub (with matching hand-polished silver rear DT Swiss hub because aesthetics). MTB kLite, Qube and Joystick Exposure. Garmin eTrex 22x so I know where I am and Garmin inReach so you know where I am.
BAGS: Framework Designs and Revelate Designs for life. Custom Framework Designs bolt-on frame bag. Revelate top tube bag. Either Framework Designs ECOPAK travellers, Revelate Vole saddle bag, or Revelate Nano Panniers (I haven’t decided yet). Bike Bag Dude roll and sling. Wolf Tooth Teklite roll-top bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: 41 Coles brand muesli bars in my custom bolt-on Framework Designs framebag #nutrition.

Burnum Brademann

Age 21 / Wollongong (Australia)

BIKE: Medium 2019 Cube Attention SL. Shimano drivetrain and brakes. Flat pedals with tubless on the back.
BAGS: Sea to Summit 13L dry bag on the handlebars, Azur seat bag, Moostrecks frame bag, and Rockbros bottle cages.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Getting two bottle cages was a game changer. Also my 30 dollar sleeping mat that hasn’t popped yet.

Ian Burns

Age 45 / Beechworth, Victoria (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding my trusty Santa Cruz Chameleon with a DVO 140mm fork and 11-speed XT groupset. Old Man Mountain rack on the rear for sturdiness and to give endless packing options.
BAGS: Home-sewn canvas mini paniers out back paired with an Apidura handlebar roll up front. Spares and first aid to go in home made canvas mini frame bag (still in construction).

Rohan Douglas

Age 23 / Sydney (Australia)

BIKE: For the Hunt, I’ll be riding a Serk A21. Groupset is GRX mechanical with a 36T chainring and 11-46T cassette. Wheels are alloy Hunt 650Bs with a dynamo hub and Teravail Rutland 2.1″ tyres.
BAGS: Bags are from a mix of different brands. A Revelate Designs harness w/ an Ortlieb drybag and Ortlieb fork packs upfront. Apidura frame bag and a Tailfin alloy. Also not pictured, I’ll be carrying a 2L Camelbak. Will probably add a top tube bag as well.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Gear highlight has to be the Tailfin, which holds everything super securely, as well as the grunt straps, which keeps my gear rattle free off-road.

Alex Evans

Age 47 / Ocean Grove (Australia)

BIKE: Surly Krampus.
BAGS: Topeak, Rockbros.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Zpacks Duplex Shelter.

Alistair Furnell

Age 46 / Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding my Jamis Dragonslayer. I’m running it with Jones bars, Bikejames Catalyst flat pedals, and low-range gearing courtesy of the Shimano Deore wide range cassette (11-51T x 30T). Definitely built for comfort and off-road ability, not for speed.
BAGS: Bags are a mix of Revelate, Gorilla, and Australia’s finest: Bike Bag Dude. It’s all pretty tried and tested gear and, most importantly for this year, waterproof.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Probably just the humble Buff. Has there ever been a more versatile item of clothing? Any beer I manage to carry to camp will also be an instant gear highlight.

Matthew Foppa

Age 28 / Melbourne (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding a custom 4130 steel frame (Karate Donkey) made in Peru by the great team at Marino Bikes. The bike rolls on 29 x 2.35″ Mezcals. It features a brand new 1×12 drivetrain and 28T chainring to help me get up those hills. I have a SON dynamo hub wired to a kLite MTB light up front and Qube flasher for the rear.
BAGS: Revelate Designs 16L Spinelock saddle bag, 15L Salty Roll, Oveja Negra Lunch Box, Hungry full frame bag and feed bags, Terra Rosa Gear fork bags and toptube tank.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Naturehike 2P tent, massage ball for camp, Garmin inReach Mini, Wahoo Roam to show me where to go. The snack bag filled with oatly bars, Voost, and a bunch of scrawlers.

Adrian Foster

Age 51 / Bomaderry, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: Surly Wednesday, bar ends, and a rear rack.
BAGS: Revelate Designs frame bag, Sweetroll, Lezyne feed bag, dry bag on rack.

Tim Fouhy

Age 47 / Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding my heavily taped Canyon Exceed CF7. It has 100mm RockShox SID SL fork, SRAM GX Eagle (10-52T) cassette and a 32T chainring. I’ll be rolling on MAXXIS Ikon Exo 2.35″ tyres and Reynolds TR309c/TR289c XC wheels. Also changed to a flexy Canyon SP59 VCLS 2.0 CF seatpost and added Ergon grips.
BAGS: Bike Bag Dude frame, top tube and chaff bags. Revelate Spinelock 16L on the seat. Aeroe Spider Cradle and HD Bag upfront.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Zpacks Duplex tent, Sea To Summit Spark II Sleeping Bag, EXPED ULTRA 3R MW Mummy Sleeping Mat, Garmin Edge 1040 Solar, Garmin inReach Messenger, MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit.

Philip Fourie

Age 40 / Melbourne (Australia)

BIKE: I will be riding my Curve GMX Plus. Running Curve Dirt Hoops (alloy) with Mezcal 29 x 2.6″ tires. Groupset is a SRAM “mullet” system all wireless AXS. Rival shifters with Eagle GX rear derailleur. 10-50T cassette and a 28T front chainring. 550mm Walmer bars with Thompson finishing kit. Brakes are Hope RX4 plus calipers.
BAGS: Revelate Designs Ripio full frame bag, Revelate Spine Lock seat bag, Tailfin cargo cages all around, Apidura Expidition fork bags, Baryak Expedition system with Alpkit Airlok Dual 20L drybag, Vargo BOT that doubles as a cooking pot and storage for tool kit. Revelate Mountain Feedbags.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I tend to go for comfort over pure speed, so running more sleep gear than some people would. I can’t sleep in the dirt with a mummy style sleeping bag! My sleep system is therefore a bit bulky hence the 20L handlebar roll that is home to my sleeping bag. Running a Big Agnes Deer Park sleeping bag with a Big Agnes Q Core SLX sleeping pad.

Benjamin Gillies

Age 29 / Naarm (Australia)

BIKE: 2022 Kona Unit X. Set up with Jones bars, 2.6” Mezcals, dynamo hub and Tumbleweed racks.
BAGS: Wald 137 with a misc old storage bag and bin liner. Blackburn feed bags and frame bag. Wizard Works top tube and saddle bags. Framework Designs mini panniers.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL1 to keep me dry and cozy. The basket/cargo net combo makes it really easy to stash stuff on the fly.

Clayton Gumbrell

Age 56 / Canberra, ACT (Australia)

BIKE: I’m riding my Avanti Montari, a 1999 mountain bike. Still love it! The drivetrain has been upgraded to a Deore 2×10, but otherwise configured as purchased. Maxxis Crossmark tires with tubes.
BAGS: Where possible MYOG (Make Your Own Gear). Purchased seat bag but self-made frame bags and handlebar roll.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: MYOG tarp and tent. I love being under a tarp (or not if the weather is good) and able to see the stars above and the bush around me!

Peter Hairsine

Age 49 / Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

BIKE: Specialized Epic EVO. Short-travel lightweight mountain bike. Running Melody Wheels bikepacking wheels and a SRAM 30T on the front with a 10-52T on the back.
BAGS: Running my trusty Porcelain Rocket Seat Bag, a Revelate Pronghorn front bag, Egress Pocket, and Joey Downtube Bag. Also an awesome Bike Bag Dude frame Bag with a couple of feed bags and an Apidura top tube bag rounding out the system.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: My sleep setup consists of a Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 bikepacking tent and a Sea to Summit Spark sleeping bag combined with a small pillow and a silk liner. For a sleeping pad, I am using a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir xLite. And if the night gets really cold, I can put on my Arcteryx Cerium LT down jacket.

Lachie Hand

Age 27 / Maroubra, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: Bombtrack Beyond.
BAGS: Tailfin Aeropack, Bike Bag Dude frame bag, handlebar roll.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’m pretty happy with my noggin and thankful for my bod; I hope we have a good time.

Harald Hofmann

Age 40 / Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

BIKE: I will be riding a Titus Silk Road with a 2×11 SLX/XT drivetrain. I installed a Wolf Tooth Goatlink and have a 26/36T in the front and an 11-46T in the back to give me a large range and small enough gears. Wheels are DT with Vittoria Mezcal 29×2.35″ tyres. Jones Handlebar.
BAGS: I have decided to use a rear rack with Ortlieb Gravel-Packs, an Ortlieb frame bag, and a handlebar roll attached to a Salsa Anything Cradle. I have a Revelate Mag-Tank and a Restrap Stem Bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I love the Jones H-bar and have mounted a small Speedsleev bag in the opening. One of the highlights is my Tubus Vega. I have had this rack for at least 15 years and it is still going strong.

Daniel Jones

Age 46 / Sydney, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: Not quite the same bike it started out as. The frame is Grove. Front fork and rims are Curve. Rims and frame fit a 2.2″ boot on the front and 2.1″ on the back. An e*thirteen 9-46T cassette and 28T chainring give plenty of gears for grinding up them hills.
BAGS: Mixture of Ortlieb and Apidura. Front roll with the sleeping kit and jacket, with added pouch for water purification, gloves, hats, etc. Frame bag for main food stash and Jetboil cookware. Saddle bag for waterproofs, spare clothes, tent, etc.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Mont Guide primaloft jacket has proven super versatile when the temperature drops and the weather is grotty. Good to have a solid mug for lots of tea. The 28T front ring should come in handy although will mix it up with hiking and riding when it gets that steep. Going with flats for this one.

Sarah Lovely

Age 28 / Sydney, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: Riding my trusty Merida Big Nine Limited XC bike with nice and comfy aero bars, bull horns, and Ergon grips to give me lots of different hand positions. My tyres are 2.25″ Vittoria Mezcals with TNT side wall protection. These, plus my groovy purple pedals, Specialized Power saddle, and a whole lot of shammy cream will see me through the ride!
BAGS: My front bag with attached feed pouch, back-loader, fork bags, and one of my top tube bags are all from Apidura. I’ve also got Blackburn Anything Cages (attached to my forks with hose clamps and a tube for protection), a Topeak top tube bag, tent poles strapped to my down tube, and a DIY frame bag with straps all made from my own blood, sweat, and tears.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’m most excited about my homemade frame bag, which has two compartments (can convert into a single one), carries my 2L water bladder, and fits my bike so snugly!

Ben Lyons

Age 38 / Melbourne (Australia)

BIKE: Tumbleweed Prospector with a Rohloff Speedhub, XT brakes, DT Swiss XM481, Teravail Ehline 2.5″ tires.
BAGS: Bike Bag Dude fork bags, Wizard Works too tube bag and feed bags, Porcelain Rocket/Rockgeist frame and saddle bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Helinox Chair Zero for some off-bike comfort, also really impressed with the Rohloff so far.

Vincent Masci

Age 36 / Melbourne (Australia)

BIKE: Testing out the new Ti Hunt Landcruiser.
BAGS: Trying out some Revelate gear this time round that fit the bike nice and snug, will use feedbags plus seat bag and retain Apidura handle bar pack from last time round that seem to work well. Also some cages on the forks.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Pumped about the new Hunt rig with SRAM GX Eagle MTB Groupset for the pinchy bits. kLite dynamo light running off some Hunt Adventure wheels for the night time bits and some Maxxis Icon 27.5 x 2.35″ tires as well as some 55cm wide Walmer Bars for the technical bits.

Chris Napier

Age 36 / Melbourne (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding my custom made Kudu by Auren Bikes. This rig has been built for bikepacking and heavy-duty commuting. Features a unique truss titanium fork with heaps of storage options, DT Swiss 29er wheels with 2.6″ tires, SQLab flat bars with ergo grips, belt drive, and Rohloff Speedhub gearbox.
BAGS: My setup includes a BikeBagDude frame bag, fork bags, feed bag and top tube bag. I’m also using an Alpkit saddle bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Decided to invest in a Garmin Edge 830 for navigation, so looking forward to not making as many poor navigation decisions as previous trips. I’ll be carrying a few luxury items to help make the trip more enjoyable, this includes my ultralight pillow, chair, and a sneaky flask of single malt whisky.

Dominic Nevin

Age 27 / Sydney, NSW (Australia)

BIKE: My weapon of choice for this year’s Hunt 1000 is the Norco Search A1 with DT Swiss GR1600 650b wheels coupled with 50mm wide Pirelli Cinturatos. It’s running a shimano GRX groupset with a 46/30T up front and an 11-42T in the back, flat pedals, Ergon SMC saddle, double-wrapped bar tape and Profile Design aerobars, which will hopefully be enough to limp across that finish line come December 3rd!
BAGS: Without a doubt, the favourite child of my bag setup is my labour-of-love framebag, which I finally brought to life after spending far too many hours sitting behind an ancient relic of a sewing machine. Otherwise, I’m running Apidura bags with a feed-pouch up front, front roll, fork bags that are attached to Blackburn anything cages, backloader, and a top tube bag for snacks.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Our six-year-old Marmot Tungsten tent has been taken on a journey of renewal and restoration after we camped out in the pouring rain one night only to find out that our much-loved shelter was little better than a sieve in a monsoon. Three coats of silicone later, countless layers of seam sealant, and numerous other repairs, and it is ready!

Drew O’Shea

Age 50 / Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be riding a 2017 Specialized Stumpjumper. The bike is an off-the-shelf stock build, and I have fitted Schwalbe Johnny Watts 27.5 x 2.8″ front and rear for the trip. Navigation will be via a Garmin 530 with phone as a backup and I will also carry a Garmin inReach Mini 2. I’m relying on a powerbank for recharging so will have to manage devices carefully.
BAGS: Tailfin mounts of the forks hold a 1.5L camelback bottle and 3x 5L Miss Grape waterproof bags. I will also be using an Oveja Negra check bucket, Topeak freeloader, Miss Grape bud, Miss Grape Tendril, Revelate frame bag, and Oveja Negra Gearjammer.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Gear highlights include my Mont Moondance 1P FN tent with a Mont Helium 450 sleeping bag and Nemo Tensor Alpine sleeping mat. Cooking will be via a MSR Pocket Rocket and a Titanium kettle that nests an 8oz gas canister nicely. It will also triple up as a pot, bowl, and cup.

Ryan Secrest

Age 49 / Fremantle, Western Australia (Australia)

BIKE: Custom Jonesman 29er ATT (All Terrain Townie) sporting some Rivendell geometry vibes—long wheelbase, upright, rigid, Columbus steel, and swept-back bars. Build is more modern though: Rohloff, Gates carbon belt, Sinewave Beacon, Doom Ti bars, SON 28 dynamo, OneUp dropper, XT 4-piston hydraulic brakes, Maxxis Rekon/Ikon 2.6s on WTB i-Kom 40s.
BAGS: Custom Rockgeist Frame bag and their Honeypot feedbags and Cache top tube bag. Simworks Obento rack supporting a BXB Goldback medium handlebar bag. Sea to Summit eVent dry bags to keep things dry.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Supporting local Australian gear manufacturer Sea to Summit with their Alto 1 tent, Spark II sleeping bag, Ether light XT mat, Aeros pillow, collapsible X-Kettle, and Ultra-Sil dry bags inside for organization and weather protection.

Christian Seigner

Age 28 / Brisbane (Australia)

BIKE: The DeLorean—chromoly steel frame from an oldish 1990s or 2000s MTB. Drivetrain is 3×9 with 22T smallest chainring and 34T largest rear sprocket (that’s the maximum this ancient thing can do). With my 26″ wheels I end up with about 16 gear inches, which should hopefully get me up the mountains. Tyres are 2.1″ rear and 2.25″ front.
BAGS: 2x fork bag, saddle bag, handlebar roll, and another roll strapped to the frame with grunt straps from Bunnings.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Looking forward to my first tour with a 22T chainring.

Pete Sergeev

Age 34 / Naarm, on the land of the Wurundjeri Woiworung people

BIKE: You’ll find me aboard my Surly Karate Monkey 29er set up as you see here with 1×11 XT groupset. Gearing is 30T x 11-46T. Wheels are DT350/SON28 laced to XM481, kindly built by my friend and colleague Zeke at Commuter Cycles. Lights and charging by kLite, I use an Exposure Joystick on my helmet. Bars are SQlab 3OX 16* with Innerbarends and Ergon grips.
BAGS: Revelate Designs Ranger frame bag, Nano Panniers, Mag-tank, and Mountain Feed bags. Wizard Works Mini-Shazam will carry my kitchen and bulk food. A Tumbleweed Mini Pannier rack out back, controversially mounted to the dropout bosses—copy at your own risk/do your own homework.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Ongoing La Niña-driven weather has made for a very wet spring down here. As a result, I’m packing like it’s going to rain relentlessly, including a Mont Moondance tent. I’m expecting weather-related re-routes, and I use a combination of RWGPS, Mapout (app for iPhone), and a Wahoo Element Bolt for navigation. Best of luck to all the riders; this is shaping up to be an extra challenging edition of the Hunt.

Stanislaus Stadlmann

Age 30 / Wangal Country, Sydney (Australia)

BIKE: I’m riding a Surly Straggler with 700 x 47mm Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres (biggest I could fit) and a 2×11 Shimano drivetrain: 30/46T (front), 11-40T (rear). In the front, I added two cargo cages on the fork, which rests on an SP dynamo hub laced to DT Swiss rims.
BAGS: I have three bags: A Carradice handlebar bag, a Blackburn outpost frame bag, and an Ortlieb saddle bag. All three of them I have used for different trips, but this will be the first time they all go together.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’m navigating with my Garmin Forerunner watch, and if I need more details will use my iPhone SE (2020) paired to a 10k power bank. Lighting is provided by my dynamo hub (SP), and in case of emergency I have a SPOT Gen3.

Jeremy Sternson

Age 49 / Cobungra, Mt Hotham (Australia)

BIKE: 2019 Focus Jam C Factory edition dual suspension. Carbon frame with alloy rear triangle.
BAGS: Aeroe setup on the rear with pod and two dry bags, Apidura fuel pouch, Dakine spare tube holder, Dom gorilla bags on the forks, Ortlieb 15L handlebar bag. Hardcore solar panel on top and a Quad Lock to hold my phone. Also have a Dakine 2L bum bag/fanny pack with my tool kit inside.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Nemo Hornet tent, Therm-a-Rest Neo Air mattress, One Planet down bungle bag, lots of dehydrated food (made by myself), snake bandages (multiple), maybe a fly rod/reel.

Dan Stork

Age 34 / Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

BIKE: Jamis “steel is real” Renegade with a Wolf Tooth Roadlink, 11-42T cassette, and 2x 36/26T MTB crankset up front. HUNT 650B wheels with Schwalbe Ultra-bite 2.0″ rubber. Fast and light, with plenty of cushion and gears for days. Double-wrapped ultra-wide bars for that extra comfort.
BAGS: Restrap feedbags, Rockbro top tube and saddle pack, Topeak half frame bag, and Stealth handlebar roll plus the front extras bag. Extra water and snacks on forks via some cheap fork cages (if they arrive from the internet in time). I am terrified of running out of water.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Stealth bags are amazing quality, affordable, and handmade in NZ. Check them out, and if you’re in the region support them! Also really happy with my new 2x set up offering 36-11T for speed and 26-42T for climbing—shout out to Nick at Pedal Garage in Wynnum for the guidance.

James Tynan

Age 29 / Sydney (on Gadigal land), New South Wales (Australia)

BIKE: I’ll be running my Curve ‘Kevin’ GXR, affectionately nicknamed ‘The Scrog Hog’ for its ability to handle the roughest and toughest terrain while hauling way too much gear and an endless supply of snacks. It’s set up 650b x 2.25″ on Curve Grav-Al rims, with a SON 28 dynamo front hub and lights by Aussie illuminator kLite. At the rear, I’m running a Garbaruk OSPW long-cage derailleur kit to pair a 10-50T cassette to my wonky 38T front chainring, finishing off with the wide-boi Curve Walmer bars and a set of Profile Design Sonic Ergos mounted to the Siren Cycles Fred Bar.
BAGS: I try to buy from independent local brands as much as I can and la piece de resistance of my Australian-made kit collection is a custom patchwork frame-bag by Hungry, which took six months and every ounce of Harry’s will to live to make. It’s paired with a prototype Hungry Top Tube bag that will undergo rigorous R&D on the Hunt to see how many Haribo Gold Bears I can stuff in there before it explodes. I’ll be running the Tailfin Aeropack at the back, plus a pair of Tailfin cargo packs on my fork. Rounding it out is a Specialized Burra Burra Handlebar Harness paired with a Bar-Roll bag from Newcastle kit-maker Bike Bag Dude, plus a couple of Stem Bags from Wilderness Threadworks, who operates out of the Sunshine Coast.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Shelter-wise, I’m aiming for as much Kosciuszko Hut action as possible, but otherwise getting Zs in a Zpacks Plex Solo with the help of a Therm-a-Rest Uberlite and Quenda -7c Quilt from Tasmanian brand TierGear. Camp meals come courtesy of a recently acquired Soto Muka Stove, which is probably overkill but I’m eager to see how extravagant mealtime can get out in the Australian wilderness *chefs kiss*.

Jason Vains

Age 47 / Canberra, ACT (Australia)

BIKE: For the Hunt 1000, I’m riding “Sparkles,” a second-hand (thanks Lachlan Spencer) 2018 S-works Epic. It has 1×12 SRAM Eagle/GX with a 32T chainring. Running 29 x 2.3″ Specialized Ground Control tyres, on some used (thanks Laura Dunstan) Roval Control wheels. Stock seatpost, borrowed saddle from a Specialized Fuse Fatty, and cockpit rounded out with a sexy Bontrager XXX flat bar.
BAGS: Revelate Designs all the way: 16L Spinelock saddle bag, medium Ranger frame bag and a Salty roll for the bars. Extras include a bottle holder, a 2.5L hydration pack, and a top tube holder for backup navigation things.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Sleep system is a Snugpack Ionosphere, Mont Helium sleeping bag, Klymit V-mat, and a Thermo Reactor, just in case of snow. Shimano MT3 shoes are a bit of a highlight for me. Navigation system is my mate Steve, and a backup iPhone.

Pandanus West

Age 22 / Canberra, ACT (Australia)

BIKE: Soma Wolverine running 700 x 50mm tyres, 820mm wide bars, and a Shimano Deore groupset.
BAGS: Custom full frame bag made by Southern Lite Packs in New Zealand. A folding mat is strapped to the bars just under my inner bar ends. My saddle bag contains my sleep setup.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: The top tube bag will just contain snacks and lollies.

Conor Wilson

Age 41 / Donaghadee (Ireland)

BIKE: The bike was destined for the tip when I rescued it. It needed a bit of TLC, I have replaced the drivetrain, added drop bars, and gave everything the once over. I’m no bike guru, just had a bit of craic learning a few things. It’s all about the adventure—wish me luck!
BAGS: I have a bag on the seatpost, a wedge framebag, and a rolled-up setup in a drybag strapped to the front.

Martin Young

Age 50 / Beechworth, Victoria (Australia)

BIKE: I’m on a steel 2021 Nordest Britango 2 running 2.6″ front and 2.4″ rear tyres, a Shimano 1×12 drivetrain, and a SON dynamo hub up front hooked up to a kLite USB dual charger.
BAGS: The bags are a Blackburn Outpost Elite handlebar bag, Restrap fork bags on Blackburn cages on the fork (via King USB mounts), and a Blackburn dry bag on an Aeroe Spider rear rack. I’ll carry water on my downtube and within the main triangle.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Navigating with a Garmin Edge 830 with iPhone backup. Tent is Mont Moondance 1P (I can’t do bivvy, too many bugs and snakes in Australia!), and my favourite piece of gear is my Snow Peak Ti sake bottle, which will be full of Rutherglen Muscat.

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