So trial ride today with my provisional bikepacking set up. Surprised at how much extra weight but didn't affect handling massively.

So breakdown is Wild Country Panacea 2 tent between handlebars, poles and pegs in frame bag. Big Agnes Rapide sleep mat and Alpkit pillow in one pannier, Alpkit brukit in the other, repairs and spares in saddle bag. My sleeping bag (Rab Solar 3) is my bulkiest item on rear rack. Can't really see a way to compact things or reduce weight, but open to any advice on packing etc!

I realise there is

BowlandBikepacking wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 5:02 pm Can't really see a way to compact things or reduce weight, but open to any advice on packing etc!

There is! Spend a lot of money...

To be slightly less facetious... I couldn't fit a shelter of any sort onto my bike when I started, as my RAB Atlas 800 was so bulky it took up the entire saddle bag, so I slept in bird hides. The best thing you can do, is go out with what you got and see how you get on; take note of what annoys you. Jettison the stuff you don't use, rinse and repeat, then tactically upgrade the annoying stuff as funds allow. My first purchase after my first bivvy, wasn't a modern lighter wight sleeping bag, but an insulated mat, as I'd got cold from below. Then a few months later it was a lightweight tent, then a lightweight quilt. Earlier this year, I got a lightweight mat and bivvy bag, so my entire sleeping system for this years BB200 easily packed into the same space as the tent I normally use; I now need to buy a smaller saddle bag to I can get the weight off the front of the bike.

As Bob says, spending money is one way but you might be able to reduce weight (if not too much bulk in this case) by simply not taking things ... TLS as it's known. Learning the difference between 'need' and 'want' helps a lot here.

As an example, what's in your cooking kit? If you have a pot and a mug, leave the mug at home. Take a spoon rather than a knife and fork.

Also packing - could your tent poles be put somewhere else which might allow the fabric of the tent to be packed somewhere else?

If you are going to spend some money, focus on getting the biggest bang for your buck - I'd start with sleeping bag. It's often a big investment but it should be long lasting and the gains will be large.

Thanks for responses, so the cooking kit is simply an Alpkit brukit I've had for some time (bit like a jetboil) and plastic spork!

I've got the tent poles and pegs in the frame bag.

I think I could get a lighter drysac for the sleeping bag as the one I have is too big and it's heavy. I'd hoped the sleeping bag would fit in the handlebar bag but it's just to big!

I'm trying to reconcile the picture with the kit list. Nice roomy panier bags but mat & pillow in one, brewkit in the other? That's a lot of bag for not a lot of stuff!?
Plus walking poles? I'm guessing there's a lot more to your first trial ride than just an overnighter and maybe the kit list is a bit longer?
Not a criticism but you could possibly lose weight by reducing baggage capacity which leaves a lot less space to fill; if there's spare capacity we fill it with unnecessary stuff. Well I do anyway!!

I think I could get a lighter drysac for the sleeping bag as the one I have is too big and it's heavy. I'd hoped the sleeping bag would fit in the handlebar bag but it's just to big!

I was really meaning investing in a different bag. I know not everyone will or can use down but the nature of synthetic bags is that they don't tend to compress that well and are often heavy for their performance when compared to down. They do tend to be quite an investment but if looked after, there's no reason why you couldn't still be using tomorrows purchase in 20 years time.

psling wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 6:34 pm I'm trying to reconcile the picture with the kit list. Nice roomy panier bags but mat & pillow in one, brewkit in the other? That's a lot of bag for not a lot of stuff!?
Plus walking poles?

Everyone loves a setup/kitlist

Congrats on taking the first steps... but yes, on the face of it the panniers do seem, shall we say, not optimally utilised .

I see the tent is 2.85kg so not that much of a porker (ooh look there's a half price one on outdooraction.co.uk), and the sleeping bag is 1.2kg (or is it the Ultra at 1470g?) so again not a disaster. Obviously weight isn't particularly synonymous with bulk but something a bit strange going on there with respect to pannier filling.

The mat's pretty premium and only 550g-odd so can't be all that bulky?

Erm, yes, walking poles? Are they used for the tent, if not, um, aren't you biking rather than walking?

I'd be interested in seeing everything unpacked and sitting next to each item's corresponding luggage, so that we can get a better idea.... I get a feeling the whole lot would fit in just the panniers....

Lucky you for having Bowland to practise in too

Some of the "big ticket" items such as sleeping bag and tent do look like an unnecessary expense but over time the cost is reasonable. Seven years ago I bought a Cumulus 150 quilt for £120 (I think it's more like £170 now) but I've used it just short of 200 nights so that's just 60p per night.

As Boab says, over time you get better at both choosing what you need to take and packing it. On my first BB winter event I struggled to get everything packed and on the bike. A few years later and I'm thinking "There's not much there, do I need to add anything so I can fill the (smaller) bags now on the bike. That's just experience.

One final point worth noting is that many of the super light kit lists you see are for summer use. Given the time of year few will be hitting those low weights, in winter you aim to keep warm rather than ultra low weight.

Alpkit brukit in the other

Would not take mine( lives in the van) and a gas stove and ti pot will save space and be more than 50 % lighter.

.( never jsed down ) Bulk , whilst sub optimal , is nothing like the issue of weight. Only my winter one is what i would call bulky and still fits inside an alpkit.13 litre dry bag with my tent in it)

Good stuff .

When it comes to shelter, think like a tramp. Leave the tent at home and use whatever shelter you can find that's provided by nature or man-made (possibly by recce-ing during a previous ride ).

Such as: beneath the canopy of dense fir trees; under a cricket pavilion porch; bus shelters (aka "audax hotels" https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=112284.0 ); those peculiar sheds in the woods that appear to have no particular purpose and Reg's favourite...pub beer gardens. The best we had were beer garden Covid cabins with glazing, heat and lighting. Toasty warm: unfortunately it was the middle of summer .

No doubt he'll be along in due course to explain further .