Ten Resources for Planning the Perfect Swift Campout

By Lucas

PUBLISHED May 22, 2024

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Header image by Tom Norman

We’re proud to be a co-sponsor of this year’s Swift Campout, and the special 10th edition is shaping up to the best one yet. On June 22nd, cyclists from all over the world will pedal out for a night under a canopy of stars, and we hope you’ll be among them. You’re invited to participate in whatever way suits you, whether it’s a solo overnighter or a weekend away with friends.

As part of the 2024 Swift Campout, we’re teaming up with the Swift crew to host and judge the Campout Video Challenge, which encourages participants to submit a 90-second video documenting their experience for a chance to win a prize package worth more than $3,000! It features a Wilde Rambler frameset and a heaping pile of goodies from Swift, Rapha, Ombraz, Feathered Friends, Wild Rye, Ripton, Heather’s Choice, Austere, BIKEPACKING.com, and Ride with GPS. Learn more about the campout, find details on the Video Challenge, and register your ride over at SwiftCampout.com.

In anticipation of this year’s event—which welcomes riders of all levels and is a great excuse to get out for your first overnight bikepacking trip, even if it’s just a short jaunt out your front door—we hand-picked a selection of 10 practical posts and guides from our archive to help in the planning process. Find them below.

THE LOCAL OVERNIGHTER PROJECT

A cornerstone of BIKEPACKING.com, the Local Overnighter Project is our unified effort to map and gather overnighters all across the world, submitted by locals sharing their own backyards. Our goal is to have accessible routes from every town and city in the world. Explore the map and find a short, approachable bikepacking route near you here.

14 BIKEPACKING MISTAKES EVERYBODY MAKES

Throughout the past decade, the team at BIKEPACKING.com has learned from many mistakes, and we continue to make them from time to time. In this video, we discusses these mishaps, reflect on what led to them, and offer some advice for avoiding similar misfortunes. Watch it here.

A GUIDE TO TAKING BETTER PHOTOS WHILE BIKEPACKING

In this handy guide, we share some advice on how to select the right camera for your next bikepacking trip and offer nearly a dozen tips to help improve your photography while out on the bike. Dive in here.

BIKEPACKING REPAIR KIT & TOOLS

When bikepacking in the backcountry, a mechanical mishap can quickly turn a nice ride through the woods into a miserable hike-a-bike exodus. A well-thought-out bikepacking repair kit can help you avoid that fate. We put together a detailed guide to assembling the right tools and spares here.

11 THINGS I LEARNED ON MY FIRST BIKEPACKING TRIP

Almost 12 years ago, Neil went on his first bikepacking trip, an ambitious 10-day journey along the Colorado Trail. The trip was a success, but it wasn’t without many learning experiences. In this piece, he unpacks what he learned from the trip and discusses how he’d do it differently today. See it here.

LEAVE NO TRACE FOR BIKEPACKERS

“Leave No Trace for Bikepackers” is a living set of ethical guidelines designed to help our community grow responsibly and sustainably by providing the proper information and resources to preserve where we ride, lessen our footprint on the landscape, and interact with the land and each other in a positively impactful way. Learn more here.

SURVIVING (AND THRIVING!) WITH A BIKEPACKING PARTNER

Following a successful three-year ride from Mexico to Argentina with his partner Andrea Molina, Jake Dacks put together a seven-part guide to navigating a relationship while pedaling through ever-changing environments and experiences. Read his collection of useful tips for bikepacking with a partner and a gallery of images from Central and South America here.

BIKEPACKING HACKS: BUDGET & DIY HANDLEBAR BAGS

Getting into bikepacking can seem expensive and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. In our first Bikepacking Hacks video, we talk through a few free and cheap ways to carry gear on your handlebars. Watch it here.

BIKEPACKING HACKS: 3 DIY SEAT PACKS

Seat packs and saddlebags are essential pieces of bikepacking gear, but they’re often pricey. In our latest Bikepacking Hacks video, we suggest some simple and affordable DIY solutions for carrying gear at the rear end of your bike. Watch it and find a list of options and notes we put together for other low-budget seat pack solutions here.

BIKEPACKING AS A GROUP

Have you bikepacked as a posse? The experience is distinct from meditative solo rides and the close camaraderie of a shared experience with a single friend. Factor in half a dozen riders and the dynamic completely transforms. In this piece, we offer some advice on organizing a group and getting the most out of your experience. See it here.