Four days of biking, swimming, reading, and unplugging in Central Oregon. Just me and my husband, riding from one wild campsite to the next, carrying only what we needed and nothing we didn’t. It felt like pressing pause on all the noise—emails, appointments, logistics—and hitting play on connection, slowness, and movement.
We’ve bikepacked before—with the kids in tow. A 9-day ride across Oregon and then a 5-day adventure a couple of years later. Both times, we pulled them in trailers (check out [this article] for the full story and tips!). Those trips were amazing in their own ways of course. But when the grandparents invited the boys up to Alaska—and we found ourselves with a rare window free from races or events—we knew exactly what we wanted to do: another bikepacking trip, just the two of us.
For us, it’s the perfect mix of adventure and restoration. Low-impact, screen-free, and infinitely flexible. It can feel like a vacation and a low-volume training block, depending on how you build your route.
Still, I know it can feel daunting—mapping out the route, dialing in gear, figuring out food, and all the little logistics. I’ve been there.
So here’s a peek into how we planned our recent trip—and the ultralight gear that made it all possible. Whether you’re dreaming of your first overnighter or looking to level up your setup, I hope this post inspires your next adventure on two wheels.
Why Bikepacking?
There’s something special about moving through the world at bikepacking pace. It’s fast enough to cover ground, but can also be slow enough to notice everything. The dusty smell of sagebrush in the heat, the sound of birds and wind, and the little gems of places that only a bike (or two feet) can take you. While backpacking and packrafting are also amazing, a bike is just different. The speed is a bit faster, and you can make your way to little cool towns or far up into the mountains. You can make it as ‘boujy” or as untamed and far out there as you want. And you can even have one both! You can stop at the base of a mountain and go on a hike or stop in a town and have a nice meal and a bed! It’s balance of flexibility and freedom is quite magical.
As a mom, an athlete, and someone who’s usually juggling twenty tabs in my brain, bikepacking is a reset. It’s a reminder that joy can be light and simple—and that we can carry exactly what we need, on our backs (or our bikes), and still feel full.
How We Planned Our Route
We based our route from our home in Bend, as we both did not want to deal with getting in the car and driving somewhere and then packing up our bikes (essentially packing twice!) We wanted it to be a loop that included forest service roads, easy and flowing single-track, gravel sections, some unknown double track, and frequent opportunities to swim. (That was a non-negotiable for both of us.) Jason, loves using a website and app called caltopo.com. He uses it to help create maps and courses for all of the races he directs, and we always have it up when we are out exploring on our own or as a family. For our routes, he finds some features and places that look cool and then he links them all together with less traveled/ busy roads. In Central Oregon we have a ton of lava tubes and caves so we always look for new caves and sink holes to check out. And of course in the heat, we are always looking for cool swimming holes, waterfalls and creeks. On this route, we chose a few rivers to ride along, a lake to visit (with a burger stop on it), some bonus hot springs that we were not quite sure about, an interesting ridge line and an ice cave out in the middle of nowhere.
Caltopo has a bit of a learning curve, but there great tutorials all over the web, and once you learn it you’ll likely find yourself wanting to explore even more! Gaia.com is a similar website that is less powerful but more beginner friendly.
For this trip, we aimed for about 35 -40 miles a day, which allowed for both a good amount of time in (and out) the saddle – as well as plenty of time to make adjustments or deal with mechanicals. Tools like my Garmin 540 Edge and my Garmin Enduro watch made it easy to follow the route we’d created and see where our next water/swim/break was going to be.
Some route planning tips:
- Build in multiple and flexible camp spots —you might go further (or shorter) than planned.
- Preload your route maps and download offline versions, this will save your battery and if you go out of service, you won’t have to stress.
- Know where water is and plan accordingly.
Ultralight = Ultra-Fun: What We Brought
We’re big believers in not hauling more than we need. Lightweight gear made this trip comfortable, smooth, and low-stress. Here’s our clutch pieces of gear that made the trip for us.
Bike + Racks
- Aeroe Spider Rack: Hands-down one of our MVPs. It mounted solidly and easily (no fiddling with tiny hardware) with zero sway, even on rougher tracks. It let us carry three dry bags securely on the back. And while all weight on bikes takes some time to get used to, these feel very natural. The way the bags are mounted make it easy to ride on single track with out worry of bumping into trees on tight corners. I also really loved how easy it was to secure the bags to the frame, two strap places are integrated into the bags, making them stay put and not slide down or side to side. For longer bikepacking trips, this rack + the three mounts and bags can easily hold all of your equipment for multiple days. I fit our camp kitchen kit, our sleepbags and all of my personal items (clothes and a book) on my bike while Jason fit the tent, the pads and his clothes on his – and we still had a ton of room.
- Rogue Panda Bizmark bottle bucket: Jason had two of these, and I had one on our handle bars. We love them because it lets us carry extra water easily and it’s very conveinent and nice to have a bottle right there! It also has three small mesh pockets to stuff things like lube, sunscreen and snacks into! We also both love and use their top tube bags – these are filled with all of our bike tools and one emergency snack or two.
- Revelate Sweet Roll: This front bag has been in our arsenal for years and has been on many of bikepacking and bikerafting trips. It’s super easy to mount, comes with its own bag that has sown in loops for easy mounting and is super durable. In this bag we put all of our camping food in.
- Revelate Mountain Feedbag : I love this simple handle bar bag. It’s so deep and can fit a ton of snacks. I fit all of my food for the day plus some sunscreen and skindoctor on the side. It’s amazing at what it can hold!
- Rogue Panda Ripsey Seat Bag: For shorter or ultra ultra light bikepacking trips, this butt bag is the one. It’s light weight, fits with bikes that have droppers and fits a ton of weight. I mostly use this one for Adventure Racing, as it fits all of my mandatory gear easily in it. But I could also see it as a great bag to use when you don’t quite need all the space that the Aeroe Spider Rack gives you.
Sleep System
- Gossamer Tent- “The Two”: Minimalist and quick to set up. We shared a 2-person model that packed down impressively small and is really really light (less than 2 pounds and that included our ground tarp!) While it did start to leak on us in the middle of a HUGE storm that lasted all night- to it’s defense, it was the perfect scenerio that would lead many single wall tents to get wetted out. It had been raining non stop ALL night + we were in the tent breathing and creating condensation. Luckily, we were able to dry it out (in minutes) later on in the day but we would have been a little unhappy if it had continued to rain. Bottom line, it’s a great tent for times when you are 90% sure it’s not going to rain- and if it is, make sure it’s not an all night storm!
- Sea to Summit Ascent Spark sleeping bags: These bags are amazing. Super lightweight (1.11 oz) warm (15-30 degrees) and compressible- we fit two and an extra emergency quilt all into one small dry bag. The kept us warm and dry, even when our tent was leaking thanks to dry good down. They are also the most versatile sleeping bags we have used, as they use have the free flow zip system which gave us the ablity to stay in a mummy style for our cold night and then let a leg out and even make the whole thing a quilt for the super warm night.
- Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad: Luxurious, yes. But good sleep makes all the difference. Their weight to warmth ratio is amazing (440 g), and they are just so comfortable. We slept 9 hours easily with no pain and no discomfort which makes riding for 5-6 hours the next day so much more enjoyable. They also pack down small and are a breeze to fill with the new bag system!
- ENO Suber Sub ultralight hammock: Great for midday naps and could even be used for a night or two of solo hammock camping. We didn’t bring chairs, so these doubled as our chairs, cuddle spot and reading space. We brought two, but we mostly just used one together.
- Gravel blanket: One of those surprising heroes—used for extra warmth, picnics, and even an impromptu shade canopy. Jason through it in at the last second, and we used to for the entire trip through out the day. It’s light (XL one is 15.4 ounces), packs down really small and turned out to be be clutch!
- Infinity Bike Seat: I have talked about these seats many times but it’s because they are just so good. The AXI is my absolute favorite of all of their models. It’s super comfortable (no chamios pad!) and I can literally sit on it forever with out any chaufing or discomfort. Use our code: BendRacing and get one. It may take a few rides to get used to, but trust me, it’s so worth it.
Camp Kitchen + Food
- Jetboil Stash Stove: We used it for morning coffee, oatmeal, and hot dinners. It’s fast and efficient. We only took one small fuel canister that had already been used twice. The jet boil boiled 1.5 Liters of water in just over a minute which was enough for 2 coffees and 4 oatmeals!
- Hydrapak Seeker 6 L filter + bag: Lightweight, reliable, and great for scooping water from shallow creeks. It’s also easy to hang, and the flow is pretty fast! It fills up a 1 liter pot in about a minute. Just remember to back flush it before you use (aka follow the instructions on the bag) and you are good to go!
- Gnarly Nutrition single-serve protein: Easy to mix in a bottle for recovery. We drank these first thing in the morning and after our rides to make sure we got enough protein in. They taste good, and the single serve packs make it nice to make sure you are getting the right amount.
- 4 Hour Fuel: Long-lasting energy without a sugar spike—helped us keep a steady pace day after day – and it tastes sooo good. It’s easy on the stomach and gave us instant energy. My ultimate flavor for summer is lemonade and horchata!
- Backpackers Pantry Meals: Nutritious, yummy and super easy to make. Just add boiling water, do some stretches, put up the tent or read in the hammock for a few minutes and waa laa – dinner is done! Our favorites so far are lasagna, chicken rissoto and chana masala. And when our kids are with us, it’s always chicken alfredo! There are so many to choose from and their summit breakfasts are tasty too.
Other Favorites
These compact yet powerful picks consistently earn their place in our gear rotation:
- Ciele Go Cap PYN Comp One Hundred – Feather‑light, ultra‑breathable, and perfect for quick sunny hikes or rest stops. Packs down tiny and dries fast.
- Smith Bobcat Sunglasses – Rugged yet lightweight with excellent lens clarity. These stay put during high‑output activities such as trail running or mountain biking, offering solid coverage and protection.
- Uswe MTB Hydro 3L Hydration Pack – Engineered for aggressive riding, this pack features Uswe’s “No Dancing Monkey” harness for a secure, bounce‑free fit. A spacious 3 L bladder and organized pockets make it ideal for full‑day adventures.
- Lazer Sphere MIPS Helmet – Sleek, ventilated, and equipped with the MIPS safety system, this lightweight road helmet delivers top-tier protection and comfort. Easy to adjust on the fly, and compatible with optional accessories like lights and visors.
Clothing:
It’s way too easy to overpack clothes for any adventure. What if it rains? What if it’s cold? What if it’s blazing hot? My answer: layers. Even better? Lightweight ones.
Below are my go-to layers for summertime adventures here in Central Oregon, where the weather can swing from chilly mornings to sun-drenched afternoons in a matter of hours.
My favorite piece on this trip was the Patagonia R1 Crew Neck Pullover Fleece—cozy, super lightweight, and just the right amount of warmth for summer evenings and crisp mornings. I skipped the puffy this time and brought the Smartwool Active Ultralight Hoody instead. I wore this hoody first thing in the morning or at night, and layered it under the R1 for extra warmth when needed. It was the perfect combo.
On top during the day, I wore an ultralight long sleeve with SPF—my personal favorite is the Oiselle Flyout. And for bottoms, it’s always the Patagonia Maipo Shorts. As I mentioned in a previous post:
“Made with their miDori™ bioSoft fabric, they’re soft, breathable, and perfect for long days in the saddle.”
Food & Water Planning
We didn’t bring a stove for every meal—just enough fuel for hot drinks, dinners and breakfasts. During the day, we kept it simple: 4HourFuel, gummies, crackers and peanut butter and some salty chips. We also built in some ice cream and burger stops along the way. While this is not ALWAYS the case, we took advantage of going by some lake side lodges and dollar stores along our route.
Water planning was key. We mapped out known creeks and springs, and our Hydrapak filter made it easy to refill throughout the day without carrying too much.
Navigation Made Easy with the Garmin Edge 540
Knowing where you’re going is obviously key. As adventure racers, we’re no strangers to navigating with a map board, paper maps, and a compass. But for this trip, we didn’t have room for a map board on our bikes—and I was curious to give the Garmin Edge 540 a real test.
The 540 mounted easily to my handlebars and stayed rock solid through all the singletrack and even some pretty rough descents. Before we left, I uploaded our route straight from my phone to the device via Bluetooth, which was super straightforward.
While it took me a bit to figure out all the buttons, I was able to dial it in while riding over the first few hours. I tweaked a few settings to fit my preferences—like turning off the off-route alerts—and from there it was smooth sailing.
The best part? The battery lasted all four days on the power-saving mode, giving me 17–18 hours of ride time without needing a recharge. Overall, I was seriously impressed—and I loved not having to constantly pull out my phone at every junction.
Lessons Learned & Pro Tips
- Practice packing your bike a few times before you head out. You’ll quickly figure out what fits where and what can stay home. If it’s your first time. Pack a few days before and take one 4-5 mile ride to feel it all out. And if you only have a day or two to figure it out, don’t worry too much, you will learn as you go. The first time we repacked out on our trip we changed things slightly and then we just got into a good repack/ unpacking flow from there.
- Less is more. The lighter the load, the more fun the ride. Take what is only necessary and resist the urge to take everything you want. It’s not a rafting trip, you do have to put more of an effort into haul your stuff around!
- Comfort matters. Don’t skimp on sleeping gear or saddle time. Lots of sleeping gear has gone down way down in weight and up in comfort. If you plan to do this multiple times, it’s a worthy investment. Good sleep just makes everything so much nicer! And a good saddle is everything. It will become your “home”, so make sure you like it and have ridden on it for at least 20 miles straight.
- Plan for fun. Make space for swims, naps, detours, and dessert. This is a given- but bikepacking, unless you are going for an FKT should be enjoyable. Have at least one stop a day where you are looking forward to.
- Know your priorities. For us this time, and really any time is : swim spots, strong coffee, and good sleep.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been toying with the idea of bikepacking but aren’t sure where to start, this is your sign. Start small. Go local. Use what you have. And borrow what you don’t.
This trip reminded me that we don’t always need big miles or elaborate plans to have an unforgettable adventure. Sometimes all we need is a dirt road, a good flexible route, and just enough gear to sleep under the stars.
We’re already dreaming up our next one. In fact, our bikes are still set up – so when the next Nanny and Papa overnight comes, we can just jump on our bikes and go!