The Unofficial TBL Bikepacking Guide (3 Levels)

This weekend is The Bike Library's edition of the Swift Campout! If you're interested in joining, don't forget to sign up using this link.

If you're interested, but don't really know how you're going to carry a bunch of camping stuff with you, much less what it is you need to carry -- read on! Today, we're covering three levels of bikepacking setup. From beginner to intermediate to advanced, there's something for you here.

Part 1: The Backpack Bikepacker

Story time: After I graduated college, I packed some clothes and a toothbrush in a backpack I bought from REI, grabbed the two people nearest me – who happened to be the lovely Lauren B and our good pal Jacob Harrison (legend) – and rode from Gainesville, FL to Saint Augustine, FL. It was my first "bikepacking trip."

I was on a fixed gear bike, Lauren was on my gravel bike – way too big for her – and Jacob was on a friend's rusty old Nishiki that we tuned up last minute.

Did we die tho? No, and it was a helluva good time.

Summary of Part 1 of this article:

All you need to bikepack is a bike and a backpack (and, ideally, some friends.)

Part 2: The Overnight Kit

Overnighters are single-night bikepacking trips, and an accessible way to get into bikepacking. That's what's on deck for this weekend, so this section will constitute the bulk of today's article. There are three main parts: How you're gonna sleep, How you're gonna eat, and How you're gonna get it to the campsite. Simple, no?