Bikepacking is about adventure, not racing. You really don’t need to be an elite athlete — but you do need to be comfortable spending full days in the saddle. Riding a fully loaded bike feels different: it’s heavier, climbs and rougher ground sap more energy, and bike handling takes more concentration. As a rough rule of thumb, 30 kilometers off-road on a loaded bike can feel like 40–60 road bike kilometers. The grading of each trip reflects a mixture of the following; amount of hike a bike, stream/bog crossings, track surface, bail out options, re-supply options and number of days on bike/camping. Its not really an exact science and these factors will impact people differently, please don't hesitate to make contact to discuss.

Both hardtail MTB's, with either rigid forks or suspension, and Gravel bikes are excellent for bikepacking. Some of the trips are on rougher ground and handling a fully loaded MTB is easier than a gravel bike, so if you’re completely new to bikepacking a MTB might be better on these routes – see trip descriptions. I can carry two E-Bikes on the car, however due to charging the only trip suitable for e-bikes at present is the Gravel Weekend. 

A full kit list will be provided—don’t worry, there’s nothing too unusual on it. If you're new to bikepacking, I have a range of gear available to hire; tents, sleeping mats, cooking stoves, and front and rear bikepacking bags. (Frame bags, which fit in the centre of the bike, tend to be too specific to each bike model, so I don't currently offer those for hire.)

Yes they're real and when there's zero wind they can be an irritation. But an irritation is the only threat they pose and with a midge net, spray and some ninja movements around the campsite we'll be alright.