Bikepacking Gear

After countless trail rides on the 2021 Fox Transfer Dropper Post and hundreds more miles using it to hoist a loaded seat bag while bikepacking, we’re pretty excited about it. Find out why in this long-term review…

Designed and manufactured in British Columbia, the NF DP3 Pants are slim-fit mountain bike pants designed for all-mountain and enduro-style riding. Miles purchased a pair earlier this winter to see if they live up to the hype and how’d they fare for different types of riding. Find his review here…

In effort to keep pedaling through the cold of winter, Virginia tests the high-end 45NRTH Naughtvind Jacket, a performance piece designed for serious winter cycling. After a couple months of use, here’s her review. Plus, find a gallery and short report from two days of snow biking on the Blue Ridge Parkway…

Outer Shell’s Hip Slinger is a distinctive take on the perennially popular hip pack. Think roll-top meets cinch cords, in an assortment of colours and materials. Cass (and Mildred, his pet rhinoceros beetle) try one out for day rides, campouts, and street photography alike. Find the review here…

After years of devoted Garmin eTrex use, Miles takes a closer look at the Garmin Edge 830 to see if it’s a worthy upgrade from the most popular device in bikepacking navigation. Here are his thoughts after a few months of use, plus a side-by-side comparison with his trusty Garmin eTrex 20x…

Let’s be honest, road 1x drivetrains just don’t cut it. The ideal 1x for gravel bikes and drop-bar bikepacking rigs comes in the form of a road shift lever paired with a mountain bike rear derailleur and/or cassette. For the past year and a half, we’ve been experimenting with various hacks and drivetrain modifications to achieve the best of both worlds: a wide gear range and an appreciable granny gear. We’ve fully tested nine solid “mullet” drivetrains for this in depth guide…

The Ratio 1×12 Wide Upgrade Kit allows you to easily hack an 11-speed SRAM road shifter to work with a 12-speed Eagle MTB derailleur. We installed and tested one with a well-used Rival 1 mechanical shifter and an equally worn Eagle X01 derailleur and cassette. Find details and our review here…

The Outdoor Research Helium rain jacket and pants are a favorite among bikepackers as an impressively packable emergency outer layer. After hearing that they updated the line to be a claimed five times more tear-resistant and twice as abrasion resistant than the previous version, we had to check it out for ourselves. Find our review here, featuring a side-by-side comparison with the old Helium jacket…

The Primus Firestick is a canister stove with a unique streamlined packable design. It caught our attention as an ideal stove to cram into a bikepacking bag without any prodding metal edges or rattling bits. We’ve been testing out the stainless steel and titanium versions this fall to see if it lived up to our expectations. Find the full review here…

In our final nod to the stuff of 2020, Logan and Virginia round up a dozen of their favorite pieces of gear that were special during a year of sanity rides, overnighter escapes, and local route scouting. Find it all here, ranging from pricey and odd, to cheap and game-changing…

In our latest video, Neil dives into the world of satellite messengers, explaining their features, the differences between one-way and two-way devices, and the pros and cons of carrying one while cycling. He also reviews the Garmin InReach Mini and touches on a few other devices that are available on the market today…

Remember the funky new Farr Headspace Stem we checked out last month? They just announced a more mountain bike-centric version for those running 35mm handlebars who prefer a short stem. We’ve been trying one out for the last week for this first look. Learn more here…