Editor’s Dozen: Miles and Emily’s Favorite Gear of 2025 (Spring/Summer)

We bought a house! Emily and I have traded van life for house life, and now we understand what all the hype is about. Instead of bouncing around in a cargo van, we now chit-chat about property lines, drainage issues, and raise our hands at vehicles driving too fast on our street. Don’t worry, the van is still our only vehicle, and I’m dead-set on becoming a part-time snowbird. The one downside was that the house purchase thwarted our plans to relocate to New Zealand for the winter, so we stuck closer to home, spent our travel budget on paint, and embraced another winter in the Pacific Northwest.

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Despite planting roots, we managed to sneak away to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to ride Matt Mason’s Monumental Loop for the first time. I shared the history of the route and a bunch of photos here. It’s easily one of my favorite bikepacking routes yet, with heaps of variety and fantastic riding. When we returned home, we leaned into day rides until the rain subsided enough to tackle some early-season campouts close to town. Most recently, we drove into northern British Columbia on a mountain bike road trip. We hit up some fantastic trail systems, tackled a big loop in Babine Mountains Provincial Park, and capped things off with a bike race, which was a first for both of us.

Our first Editor’s Dozen of 2025 features items and experiences that have stood out in a meaningful way. You’ll find tried-and-true products that refuse to give up, new picks that have earned a nod of approval, and two rides that have us both looking forward to more time on the bike as we head into summer.

Zpacks Potty Pack

Made in USA / $29.95 at Zpacks

If you haven’t read my reflection about bikepacking with Crohn’s Disease, let me summarize: I was diagnosed with Crohn’s about a decade ago, things keep getting worse, and I’ve tried nearly every treatment and medication under the sun. My biggest struggle is managing my symptoms while in public, which has led to anxiety. One thing my counselor has suggested is trying to find ways to take back control—to reduce the anxiety that comes with my condition. Believe it or not, the Zpacks Potty Pack is one of those tools.

The Potty Pack is nothing more than a zippered ditty bag with a sleeve on the back, but it brings me so much comfort while riding bikes. The sleeve holds a tiny trowel for digging holes, and the zippered area has enough room for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes. More importantly, the little orange pouch can tuck into any bag, and in an urgent situation, I can grab it and go without trying to find what I need.

Dyed in the Wool Custom Framebag

Made in Poland / €199 at Dyed in the Wool

Last spring, Emily pulled the trigger on a shiny new Esker Japhy, which coincidentally took a spot in our summer 2024 Editor’s Dozen picks. Here in British Columbia, our gravel rides regularly include light singletrack, doubletrack, and rough gravel roads that we find more comfortable on a hardtail mountain bike. Emily landed on the Japhy as her primary bikepacking bike for its tire clearance, trail-friendly geometry, and Esker’s announcement of Alexandera Houchin becoming Esker Cycles’ first sponsored athlete. While it’s not massive, the main triangle on her medium Japhy is the largest she’s had, so I thought it would be fun to treat her to a custom frame bag.

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We decided to work with Dyed in the Wool in Poland because neither Emily nor I had seen many of their products in person, but we liked the aesthetic of their bags. Emily chose a light pink upper fabric and coyote brown main fabric, two zippers with a horizontal divider (a first for Emily as well), and a hybrid bolt/strap-on attachment. The construction and quality are top-notch, and I don’t think the bag has left Emily’s bike since she received it.

Porcelain Rocket Handlebar Roll Pouch

Made in Canada

I’ve collected some awesome gear over the years, and while it doesn’t always stay with me, there are a few items I can’t bring myself to let go of. I’ve always had a soft spot for Porcelain Rocket. When I started contributing guest articles to this website, Porcelain Rocket founder Scott Felter was quick to help out with some bags. Once part of the MCA Handlebar Harness, this little zippered handlebar bag pouch reminds me of where I started and how far I’ve come.

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The pouch isn’t waterproof, and it doesn’t have magnetic buckles or fancy stretchy fabrics, but it’s still one of my favorite handlebar roll accessories. It’s the perfect size for easy-access snacks and small tools without feeling too big or cumbersome when the terrain gets technical. I remember mailing Scott my first BIKEPACKING.com patch to sew into the bag and how stoked I was when I received it. Thanks for the memories, Scott!

Vittoria Agarro Trail Tires 29 x 2.6″

Made in Thailand / €73 at Vittoria

The Sklar Tall Tale I reviewed came specced with Teravail Honcho rubber. The Honcho is perfect for the loamy, root-covered trails here in coastal British Columbia, but when we made plans to head south to ride New Mexico’s Monumental Loop, I took the opportunity to try some new-to-me tires. The Maxxis Forekaster was my first choice, but due to limited availability, I began searching for a comparable option. It was Neil who recommended the Vittoria Agarro, and considering Vittoria’s popularity in races like the Tour Divide, I figured it would be a safe bet.

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I received a set of Agarros a few days before our departure, leaving just enough time to set them up tubeless and pack my bike away in a box. I don’t like to bring untested gear on bikepacking trips, but they ended up functioning exactly how I had hoped. The Agarro has proven to be fast-rolling, durable, and versatile enough to handle a wide range of terrain and conditions. They never felt sluggish on gravel or pavement and held their own on loose singletrack and soft sand. I had no issues after a week of bikepacking in New Mexico, and they’ve remained on the bike since as an efficient option on mixed-terrain rides.

Curious Creatures Sun Dog Pants

Made in China / $180 at Curious Creatures Women’s Men’s

Emily: I’ll admit I’m picky when it comes to my cycling clothing. I like simple designs, lightweight fabrics, and not a lot of logos. This is why I’ve used my 7Mesh Glidepath pants almost exclusively for the past few years, but when Curious Creatures was first announced, I was intrigued by their fun colors and woman-owned business model. I’ve never really identified with more popular women’s clothing brands that lean into the “shreddy” side of mountain biking, so Curious Creatures was a breath of fresh air.

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The Sun Dog Pants are stretchy, lightweight, colorful, and fit more like a modern hiking pant than your average mountain bike pant. I brought them along during our ride of the Monumental Loop, serving as both a camp layer and riding layer on cold mornings, and they aren’t showing any signs of wear. They are by far my most comfortable pants, but I find myself being somewhat selective of when I wear them, because bright yellow pants and coastal mud don’t mix that well.

My favorite feature of the pants are their stretchy waistband, which relies on a stretchy elastic instead of a traditional buckles or snaps. It’s comfortable on long rides, low-profile enough to sleep in on cold bikepacking trips, and stays put no matter what. I like the pants so much that I’ve been eyeing up the Sun Dog Shorts for the better part of a year and will probably pull the trigger soon.

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GHOOOST Twist Flowers

Made in Japan / $10 at Sim Works GHOOOST

Every now and again, a brand will release a little accessory that is just so useful or cute that you just need it in your life. I stumbled on the GHOOOST Twist Flowers this winter and immediately knew I needed to get some for Emily for Christmas. They are colorful little wires with cute felt flowers on each end, designed to be wrapped around a shifter cable, attached to a strap, or looped onto anything that needs some flair. Each one is handmade by GHOOOST in Japan, and since then, SimWorks has started selling them in the US for $10 a piece.

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Canon RF Canon 70-200mm F4 L IS

Made in Japan / $1,700 at Canon

When I upgraded to the Canon R5, the 70-200mm F4 lens was the first new RF-mount lens I purchased. Having gotten along nicely with the much more compact Canon 50mm F1.2 on my old body, hauling around a relatively large zoom lens took some getting used to. I continued using my EF 50mm lens with an adapter for several months because I preferred the simplicity of a prime lens.

Two winters ago, I met Neil and Joe in Arizona for a route scouting trip and switched things up by only carrying a 35mm prime lens. It was a fun challenge that forced me to experiment with funky angles, but the lack of separation between riders and the massive landscapes was frustrating at times. That’s where the 70-200mm comes in.

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It’s not a cheap lens, but the image quality and compact design of the Canon 70-200 F4 are superb when shooting in changing conditions and landscapes. Zoomed in, it’s easy to achieve silky bokeh and crisp separation for portraits of people and bikes. At 70mm, while not quite as versatile as my 50mm prime, I’ve found it wide enough to capture open landscapes without sacrificing its crisp image quality. The Canon 135mm F1.8 is perhaps the nicest bike portrait photo ever, and it’s responsible for nearly every new bike photo I’ve taken over the last three years. However, the 70-200mm is a close second and is proving to be a real workhorse.

Nic has also been loving the same lens/body setup, and here’s what he had to say about it: “If you’ve ever wondered how to get the look consistent with a lot of bike photos here on the site, look no further than what I refer to as the working man’s lens. Although there’s a bit more that goes into it, this range of lens gives photographers with the desire to pack relatively light enough range to shoot it all. From cropped landscape shots to in-depth bike details, the 70-200 is a true do-it-all lens.”

Aceoffix Alloy GPS Mount

Made in China / $50 CAD at Amazon

I’ve never really had a good method for mounting my GPS to my handlebar. I’ve only ever used the stock “out front” mount or the tiny elastic-mounted mount with my Garmin, and neither work that well. I hate keeping track of rubber spacers to accommodate 31.8mm bars, I don’t like how some mounts push the device out in front of my bars (which interferes with some types of handlebar bags), and perhaps most importantly, I want the mount to be rock solid in all conditions.

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Joe Cruz turned me onto a little alloy mount he found on Amazon, and I ordered one for myself. The Aceoffix Alloy GPS Mount is a simple, low-profile GPS mount designed to position your device directly above your stem. It has a full aluminum construction, a hinged 31.8mm or 35mm clamp that hugs neatly beside your stem, and comes with three plastic inserts to work with Garmin, Wahoo, and Bryton devices. I didn’t think I could be so excited about a GPS mount, but this thing is damn impressive for the $50 CAD it cost me.

Hydrapak Seeker+ 3L

Made in China / $60 at Hydrapak REI

My relationship with water filters is complicated. In my experience, when filters are new, they function incredibly efficiently, but after a few trips, they start to go downhill fast. I probably have more semi-functioning filters in my possession than fully functioning ones, and it’s a little disheartening considering how expensive these things can be. When Hydrapak launched their new water filtration lineup two years ago, I had the opportunity to test out a few options. The Seeker+ 3L stood out as a useful option for bikepacking because of its three liter bladder and integrated water filter. Emily and I ended up bringing it to Australia during a six-week bikepacking trip, and we liked it so much that it has accompanied us on nearly every single trip since.

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It’s nice knowing we have a large-capacity bladder for stretches without resupply or natural water sources, and it’s handy to have 3L of water at camp ready to go for the mornings. There’s something about squeezing a large bladder, instead of a tiny one, that makes pushing water through the filter that much easier, which means less time messing around at camp or by a water source.

The filter itself has also held up impressively over the last few years, only slowing slightly more recently. We’ve learned that soaking the filter in a water/vinegar mixture the night before a trip helps keep it functioning properly. Most filters are supposed to be sanitized and stored either wet or dry, which doesn’t seem to be a step most brands talk about. I’m looking forward to experimenting with this some more.

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Malcolm Island XC Gravel Grind

Emily and I aren’t that interested in organized races. I’ve showed up to two bikepacking grand departs over the last decade, and both ended with me being sore and wishing I took more photos. Emily has completed two trail running races and enjoys the preparation that goes into them, but the competition aspect brings anxiety and nerves. Despite this, like many others, we’re both competitive people. Given the opportunity to win, or at the very least beat someone else, most people will take it.

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We first head about the Malcolm Island XC Gravel Grind while working on a tourism project with our friend Tom Powell. We spent a long weekend biking around Malcolm Island and Alert Bay, just off the coast on the north end of Vancouver Island, and someone suggested we talk to Alden Barnett. Alden moved to Malcolm Island over 40 years ago to help someone make a log house. He’s one of the organizers of the event but has no interest in riding bikes himself.

This was the second annual event, and it was just as quirky and fun as we expected. We rode the 60-kilometer route, which followed a mix of overgrown doubletrack, spicy old-school singletrack, and gravel roads around the island. The coolest part is that the route travels on private property that isn’t normally open to cyclists, so if you want to experience the route, signing up for the race is the only way. Learn more here.

Post-Ride Treat: Kawartha Dairy Moose Tracks

Made in Canada / $12 at Kawartha Dairy

Hold the phone, Kawartha Dairy is available in British Columbia?! If you grew up in Central Ontario, then you likely have a deep connection with the Ontario-based ice cream company, Kawartha Dairy. I distinctly remember annual family road trips to the Minden location and my mom telling me and my three brothers that we could eat as much ice cream as we wanted after we got through our first regular-sized cone. The thing is, Kawartha Dairy was known for dishing up massive servings, and we never made it past a single or double scoop. Still, the memory of walking up the massive selection of flavors, knowing I could order them all, holds a fond place in my memory.

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Earlier this year, Kawartha Dairy opened its first store outside of Ontario, in Britannia Beach between Squamish and North Vancouver. The shop offers 35 flavours of ice cream, along with milkshakes and ice cream tubs to take home. Shortly after the Western takeover, Emily spotted Kawartha Dairy at our local Quality Foods grocery store, and summer just got a whole lot better. We’re now the people who spark up conversations in the frozen treats aisle, asking if folks have heard of Ontario’s Kawartha region. Visit your local Kawartha Dairy dealer or shop and give Moose Tracks a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Outdoor Research Freewheel MTB Leather Palm Bike Gloves

Made in Vietnam / $59 at Outdoor Research

I don’t know what it is about my hands or how I ride, but I tear through mountain bike gloves unusually quickly. Normally, the finger tips wear through, then the palms, and they start to disintegrate all over. If I can get a season out of my gloves, that’s a huge success. Last spring, Outdoor Research entered the mountain bike scene with its Freewheel Collection. It’s all pretty standard stuff, consisting of jerseys, shorts, and jackets, but some new leather-palmed gloves caught my eye. Unlike most mountain bike gloves, the Freewheel MTB Leather Palm Bike Gloves feature a 100% goat leather palm that is designed to offer better durability than other gloves.

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I’m happy to report that after hundreds of day rides and several bikepacking trips, the leather portion of the glove isn’t showing any signs of wear. In fact, like other leather products, they continue to break in and have developed a nice patina that either says “That dude must ride a lot” or “that dude has sweaty hands.” Unfortunately, the terry cloth sweat wipe on the back of the thumb isn’t holding up as well, but I’m hoping Outdoor Research will update them with a fix if there’s a second version. Either way, I’m sold on the leather palm, as it has proven to be more durable and offer more grip than any other glove I’ve tried.

10 Lakes Overnighter

This spring was the first as homeowners here in the qathet Regional District on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. The house needs some love, and we’ve got a lot to give, but the various projects that sound simple in theory usually end up throwing a wrench in our plans. The fact that Emily and I both work from home doesn’t make ignoring these projects any easier.

Between all the house projects, work, and keeping ourselves fed, it was hard to break out of our new routine. Thankfully, we have some unspoken traditions that always seem to find their way into our schedules. This spring, it was not one, but two campouts on the 10 Lakes Overnighter here in town.

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Our first was an early-season ride that was pleasant on the way out and dumped rain on us during the ride home. We were prepared with all the right gear, and it was good reminder that if you’re ready for it, riding in the rain isn’t all the bad. Our second was a group campout and season opener that Emily organized through Slow Coast qathet, like a mini campout before the main event this fall.

It’s easy to forget how fortunate we are to have such easy access to scenic areas and pristine gravel roads. It was extra special to share the route with some folks who had never ridden the loop or bikepacked before. Riding in familiar places can often feel bland, but when you mix new people into the equation, it’s easy to see things through a new, refreshed lens.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of these products, please support your local bike shop and buy from them when possible. If you can’t, or they’re only obtainable online, we’ve provided links to manufacturers and stores where they are currently available; some of these retailers offer a modest referral fee, which helps support this platform. This has no bearing on the review or selection.

Further Reading

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