How I Pack My New Hardtail for Bikepacking (Video)

I’m just back from a five-day trip on the Fool’s Loop, where the hardtail felt like the best tool for the job. The terrain ranged from smooth gravel to rough two-track, with plenty of singletrack along the Black Canyon Trail. A hardtail is arguably the best choice for most bikepacking trips, and that was the case here.

After many requests for more gear lists, I figured this trip was an ideal opportunity to share my packing list. I’ll dive deeper into this bike in a future video, but here’s a sneak peek at my newest rig, the Gila Monster, a steel hardtail built by Chris and Arly at Goodday Curiosity. It pedaled like a dream on this route, and I’m excited to add it to my stable.

As with any route and rider, packing setups vary depending on time of year, weather, and fitness. Temps on this trip never got above the 70s—perfect weather with no moisture and no risk of overheating. That affected how I paced and what I packed. As you’ll see in the video, I point out areas on the bike that could be better suited for extra cargo, whether that’s more water storage or additional gear. Check out the video above, followed by a list of all the specific gear I brought and how I carried it below.

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Handlebar Bag (7.5L)

I use the Rogue Panda Blue Ridge Handlebar Harness, one of my favorite handlebar systems. It’s simple, stable, and stays put even on rough terrain like the Black Canyon Trail. I typically carry my clothes inside the stuff sack I used with it, but for this trip, I switched things up. Instead, this bag held my sleep kit for this trip, which included:

• A lightweight ground cloth made out of Polycro (basically the stuff used to cover windows in the winter to help keep cool air out. I used this instead of Tyvek. It packs smaller and works well).
• Durston X-Dome 1+ tent and rain fly: I chose a tent for warmth and potential rain protection.
• Katabatic Gear Palisade 30°F quilt: This is my go-to quilt for almost all conditions.

If I expected more rain, I’d keep my sleeping bag in a fully waterproof dry bag rather than this water-resistant stuff sack.

Top Tube Bag

This one is all about snacks: Sour Patch Kids, Snickers, bars, nuts… you get the idea. Anything easy to grab while riding goes here.

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Frame Bag

This large frame bag has two compartments.

Top compartment:

• Drone and batteries (which most people won’t carry, but I do for filming)
• Lightweight, minimal stove kit
• Repair kit with everything from spare bolts to a chain breaker, plugs, and more.
• Spare tube strapped on top tube

Bottom compartment:

• 2L hydration bladder
• Extra food
• Spork
• Life Straw Filter
• Flask
• Hand pump
• PACT poop kit 
• Dopp kit: Holds things like my headlamp, toothbrush/paste, pills/vitamins, instant coffee, Cholula packets, headphones
• Tent Poles

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Overall water storage for this trip:

• 2L Hydrapak bladder
• 750ml filtration bottle
• Another 750ml water bottle on the downtube

If I needed even more water, I’d use the MICA rack’s three-pack mounts or fork-mounted bottles.

Rear Rack + Dry Bag (15L)

I’m using the MICA rack with a Rockgeist Rack Ultra P Dry Bag, a heavy-duty, fully waterproof option. Obviously, you can use a different rack or different rear system, but I’ve been testing the MICA Rack and have really been liking it. Inside, I pack:

• Puffy Mountain Hardwear jacket/pants
• Borealis wool boxers and knee warmers
• Rain gear (pants and jacket)
• Warmer Wool Camp socks
• Nemo Tensor sleeping pad
• Dish gloves for cold, wet conditions
• Nemo inflatable pillow (my one luxury item)
• Started with two dehydrated meals here, so this space gets smaller or extra storage for dinners

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If I needed extra space, I could:

• Add more storage to the rear rack
• Use a larger handlebar bag
• Attach a foam pad or Tyvek sheet to the outside
• Use stem bags, though I prefer to keep my cockpit clear for tight switchbacks

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Hip Pack (Extra Storage + Electronics)

I carry a Deuter hip pack, mainly for camera gear, but also for:

• Anker 10,000mAh battery pack (to charge my phone and devices)
• Garmin inReach (for communication and safety)
• Extra camera batteries and charging cables
• A couple of buffs for warmth

Hip packs are great for keeping layers accessible. You can stash a jacket or gloves without overloading other areas of your kit. 

Final Thoughts

That’s my full bikepacking setup for this trip, a fairly minimalist pack with room for adjustments based on conditions and needs. The last thing I didn’t mention was my GPS mount, which is connected to my stack spacers, and the Coros Dura, my go-to bike computer at the moment. I finished the five-day route with just under half the battery life left.

I’d love to hear from you. Does this packing setup look similar to yours, or would you do things differently? Let’s help each other out and share some thoughts below. Thanks so much for watching and reading!

Further Reading

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