Leo’s Complete Bikepacking Setup After 4+ Years of Testing (Video)

Words and video by Leo Brasil, photos by Leo and Adam Andres Pawlikiewicz Mesa

I’m Leo, a Brazilian adventure photographer who uses his camera as an excuse to go ride his bike around the world. I went on my first bikepacking trip in 2019. I was living in Colorado then and had a cheap aluminum frame with improper gear ratios and second-hand bags filled with improvised gear. This kit got me up Gold Camp Rd, down to Phantom Canyon, and up the rocky and steep Shelf Road, all the way back to South Platte via the most dangerous road I’ve ever ridden (US 24), filled with semi trucks and angry drivers. Despite all the struggles, I found life on the bike to be absolutely addictive.

Since that first adventure, I have hiked my bike across very remote parts of the world and worked with multiple leading brands in the bike industry. The following setup is what I have found to work the best for me as of May 2025, but who knows what it will look like by the end of the year? That’s the beauty of bikepacking: there’s no such thing as the perfect setup. It’s always evolving.

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The Base

• Bike: 2021 Salsa Cutthroat size 54
• Wheelset: Reynolds TR249 w/ Reynolds TR3 hub
• Tires: Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge Endurance with Stans Sealant
• Drivetrain: 1x SRAM Force AXS, SRAM XO1 rear derailleur and crank arms, 10-52 GX cassette, 36t chainring, XX1 chain, eTap wired blips under the bar tape (with opposite commands in case of a crash resulting in a broken lever, this way I can still shift up and down with just one functioning lever).
• Cockpit: Spank Industries Flare 25 (420mm), Ergon bar tape, -17 90mm Specialized stem
• Extras: Salsa Ti seatpost, Ergon SR Saddle (size small), Shimano m540 pedals
• Water: 1l bottles on the fork
• Lights: Fenix BC26r up front and Planet Bike Superflash in the rear
• Navigation: Wahoo Elemnt Roam V2 on a K-Edge stem mount

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Rear End

(All bags by Revelate Designs and most have been used and abused since 2021)
• Rear Bag: Revelate Designs Terrapin – For bikepacking racing or a “credit card” touring when I don’t need to carry a full sleep system (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad).
• Panniers + Old Man Mountain Elkhorn rack: For trips where I’ll be camping & need to carry more gear. It’s way more stable since the weight is lowered on the bike.
• Revelate Designs Shrew: For ultra-racing and day-rides when I only need to carry the absolute essentials

Center

• Revelate Designs Frame Bag: That’s where I keep things I want easy access to, as well as the heaviest items. So inner tube, rain jacket, pump, Dumonde Tech chain lube, RX glasses, first aid kit, and repair kit, and I like to leave some extra space for food.
• Revelate Designs Jerrycan: I keep items that I would need fast access to. So Dynaplug, spare batteries for my Axs system, Spot tracker and lights and full length Allen keys 4, 5, and 6mm.

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Cockpit

• Revelate Designs MagTank 200: for gummy bears, french fries, cookies, pão de queijo…
• Left Feedbag: Spot Tracker locked in place with a S carabiner, food (or an extra bottle of water) and sunscreen
• Right Feedbag: Ricoh GRIII inside an old F-Stop bag. I absolutely love this camera. The image quality is amazing and it’s mega portable. I use this in addition to my Nikon Z8. I also carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer…because hygiene

Handlebar

• If bikepacking with camping and enjoyment: Pronghorn with Egress (I find the Egress essential when using the Pronghorn because it adds stabilization and it prevents the harness from moving)
• If staying in hotels: nothing
• If racing: Revelate Designs Pitchfork on the aerobar

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See more from Leo and Adam on the Chase Regrets YouTube channel.

Further Reading

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