The 5 Most Impractical Bikepacking Gifts of All Time

There are lots of great gift options out there for the bikepacker in your life. Items like wool socks, sporks, and trailside snacks are all incredibly useful and not particularly expensive either. But we’ve also come across some products that are best avoided. We’ve put a list of the five most impractical gifts of all time together, perfect for those bikepackers who have everything—because we guarantee they won’t have these…

Scout Bike Camper

There’s nothing better than planning a route around a warm yurt or trailside bothy, providing shelter and a sense of security in what can otherwise by a very uncertain situation. Released this year, the Scout e-Bike Camper takes bikepacking to the next level in the form of a towable home on wheels. The Scout deploys in just three minutes, which is on par with of the lightest weight tents we’ve used, but provides 548 litres of additional storage space for food, clothing, folding tables, and more. The Scout trailer comes in three different models, can accommodate up to two people, and due to its compact size it provides “an unobstructed rear view and less susceptibility to cross winds.”

120 Serving Entree Bucket

Although we’re huge fans of preparing your own delicious meals at home, packaged dehydrated meals can be both delicious and convenient for bikepacking. Packing a couple of options might work for some people, but what if you don’t feel like lasagne or you end up craving a nice chilli mac? The Readywise 120 Serving Entree Bucket includes one large bucket, 120 entrees, and nearly 25,000 total calories. Running a rear rack on your next bikepacking trip has never made more sense. Grab a couple of 32″ XL Voile Straps, strap it in place, and get ready to indulge in flavours like Baked Potato Casserole, Hearty Tortilla Soup, and Savory Stroganoff.

Sleeping Bag Suit

Being cold sucks. But imagine if you could hop out of your tent and onto your bike without feeling the nip of the morning air this winter. Building on Lael Wilcox’s 2019 Tour Divide tactic of packing insulated pants and a jacket instead of a sleeping bag, the sleeping bag suit is the perfect gift for the ultra-racer in your life. Synthetic filling, a DWR coated nylon exterior, and leg vents for temperature regulation make the sleeping bag suit one of the most efficient sleep systems available. Okay… this actually looks kind of sweet.

20 Person, 10 Room Tent

When COVID-19 is behind us and group bikepacking trips are a go, and you’re on a mission to make up for lost time spent sharing a tent with your friends—there’s no better option than a 20 person, 10 room tent. With a total weight of just 110 pounds (50kg), easily divided between 19 of your closest friends, setting up camp has never been so fun. It features a fire retardant, double-layer construction, adjustable straps, and a handy storage bag. You might want to pick up 100 titanium tent stakes to help offset the weight of this behemoth of a shelter!

Catpacking Backpack

We are certain 2021 will be the year of #CatPacking, and although we aren’t fans of wearing a loaded backpack while riding long distances, it might make the most sense for your furry feline companion. Some of the burliest models can hold up to 20 pounds of cat (that’s a lot of cat) while still being airline approved for overseas catpacking trips. The bubble attachment is really exciting, providing your favourite kitty with a rarely experienced view of the trail behind you. What a time to be a cat!

What did we miss? Are there any other recent inventions or game-changing products we should watch out for in 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

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