10 Winter Bikepacking Tips for Good Night 2020

compose Logan Watts
time Dec 17, 2020
comment 21

New to cycling or camping in cold weather or winter conditions? There are a few simple tricks that can help make your experience more enjoyable. To kick off of Good Night 2020—an overnighter challenge to inspire people to sleep under the stars and bid farewell to 2020 between December 26-31—Neil shares a few hacks for those interested in braving those colder nights under the stars. Watch it below, then scroll down for more cold weather bikepacking resources…

Winter Bikepacking Resources

First off, you can find all of our winter bikepacking content at the tag #winter-bikepacking. there are tons of great stories, gear reviews, event recaps, and videos there. But also, keep in mind that it’s not all fat biking and snow. Simply bikepacking in cold weather is a challenge on its own. Here are a few other quick resources.

Gloves: We’re working on a larger article, but in summary, it’s hard to beat 45NRTH’s Nokken and Sturmfist gloves. The latter links to the 5, but the 4 is also great for temps in the 30s and 40s (F). I also like to bring a pair of Giro Wool knit gloves for hanging around at camp.

Boots: For heavy duty winter bikepacking, the 45NRTH Wolvhammer is quite impressive. For lighter duties, check out the Ragnarok. And for flat pedals, PEdALED’s Mido Boot or the Five Ten Freerider EPS are both a little more insulated than most shoes.

Sleeping: If you’re sleeping in temps around 20-35°, we absolutely love our Katabatic Alsec quilt and Zpacks Solo Down 20. Both are rated to 20°F and are quite nice, and they’ve lasted a long time. If you want to up the R-value of your sleeping pad, try putting a foam pad or reflectix underneath (the stuff silver bubble stuff people use to make window covers).

Gear Guides: There are a couple of great guides on the site. First, check out this list of winter bikepacking tips from master winter camper Dave Gray. Also, find Miles’ Warm and Dry Packlist here.

Stories: Get stoked on a few great stories. Here’s a lighthearted reflection on Cass’ Caja Del Rio winter campout (title photo is from that piece). Find a bunch more over at #winter-bikepacking.

Good Night 2020 is a local overnighter challenge between December 26th and 31st, inviting everyone to sleep under the stars, have a good night outdoors, and send off an otherwise crappy year. Learn more about the event and how to win one of five new bikepacking bags from Rockgeist while participating.

And, if you have any other tips for cold weather cycling and camping, be sure to leave a comment below.