Bikepacker's Guide Virtual Workshops

First published in 2015 the Bikepacker’s Guide was the first guidebook dedicated to bikepacking. Now revised in this 2nd Edition, the book still breaks down trip planning and bikepacking skills and now includes additional resources on navigation, positive impact practices, mindset, and all the checklists you need for a successful bikepacking trip. Whether you are a first-time bikepacker looking for guidance or an experienced bikepacker looking for new ideas, this book offers resources for all. Stories from a variety of bikepackers contribute inspiration and perspective to help and encourage you to get out on your first, or next, bikepacking adventure!

Building on the 2nd Edition of the print Bikepacker’s Guide, Bikepacking Roots has developed The Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshops Series, presented by Revelate Designs. This educational how-to series provides bikepackers (and aspiring bikepackers) with a virtual learning opportunity to develop and strengthen essential skills for bikepacking. This series is taught by Bikepacking Roots’ co-founder Kait Boyle along with special guests.

Links to the recorded workshops can be found below. Stay tuned for a new workshop series for winter 2024-25.

See our website to purchase a print or PDF/EPUB version of The Bikepacker’s Guide, 2nd Edition today.

Upcoming Workshop Schedule and Descriptions

Wednesday, December 11th. 5:30pm MST

EAT, Sleep, Ride: Meal planning and cooking strategies for bikepackers

Creating nutritious, satisfying meals that are also light, compact, and fuel/water efficient while out bikepacking can be tricky. Meal nutrition while bikepacking is a key opportunity to set your body up to remain fueled for the miles ahead and recover for the next day of riding. Meals are also often times to enjoy the camping side of bikepacking, and are a great social opportunity. Building on the first Virtual Workshop series webinar that covered bikepacking nutrition and hydration, this workshop will share strategies for utilizing meals to maintain energy and promote recovery while bikepacking while balancing nutrition with the reality of the limitations of traveling by bike.

Wednesday, January 8th. 5:30pm MST

Eat, SLEEP, Ride: Shelters, sleep systems, and campsite selection for bikepackers

What kind of shelter is best for bikepacking? What is the lightest, warmest, most compact, most comfortable sleep system for bikepacking? Where do I find campsites on my route? These common questions are easily answered with it depends, so in this workshop we dive into how to identify the best shelter for your bikepacking trips, what sleep system is ideal for you and how to stay warm in it, and we untangle the web of finding great campsites.

Wednesday, February 12th. 5:30pm MST

Eat, Sleep, RIDE: preventing and preparing for mechanicals on your bikepacking trip

Uncertainty or fear of how to manage bike or body mechanicals while out on a bikepacking trip is one of the most common barriers to people going out bikepacking on their own or with partners of similar experience levels. In this workshop we address preventing bike and body mechanicals, unpack the bike and body repair kits (bike/gear repair and first aid kits), and we share pro-tips for problem-solving common bike and bikepacker ailments that will keep you riding!

Past Virtual Workshops: Winter 2023-2024

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 1: Getting Started: planning your route & trip.

What do you do if _____ breaks when you’re out bikepacking? Mechanicals far from home with limited tools on hand are a common concern for folks starting out, or even have experience, bikepacking. In this session professional mechanic and educator, Leah Fantle teaches the skills necessary to repair common field mechanicals.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 2: Bikepacking bikes & gear

The second of the Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshops is focused on bike set up, gear selection and packing your bike. Kait Boyle discusses ways to set up your bike for comfort on your route, different strategies for loading your bike depending on terrain and riding surface, and the timeless discussion of balancing traveling light while also being prepared and comfortable. In this workshop she addresses solutions to common challenges including DIY solutions to bikepacking specific bags, fitting everything on smaller bikes, and packing to improve bike handling and energy.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 3: Eat, drink, ride, repeat

What do I eat? How much do I pack? Where do I get food? How do I find reliable water? These are all some of the most common questions considered by bikepackers prior to every trip. In the third Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshop Kait Boyle shares all things bikepacking food & water. Topics covered include food planning to move away from just bars and dehydrated meals, planning food to fuel your body, maximize energy and recovery while preventing bonking, what bonking is and how to prevent it, planning for and executing a smooth resupply, and planning for and finding water while out bikepacking.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 4: Innovators & Builders of Bikepacking Gear

In the fourth of the Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshops, Revelate Designs founder, Eric Parsons, takes a deep dive into bikepacking bags. Eric started Revelate Designs in 2007 and has been at the forefront of innovating the bikepacking bags you see across the market today. He covers techniques for home and field care and repair of your bikepacking bags, shares DIY strategies to make the most with fewer bags, and highlight strategies for streamlining your kit to maximize your packing and riding experience.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 5: Caring for the Bikepacking body & mind

If it’s true that endurance sports are 90% mental, then this is the workshop to best prepare you for bikepacking! In the fifth Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshop, Kait Boyle draws on her experience from years of successful, failed, challenging, and rewarding bikepacking trips around the world and from her career in ultra-racing to share tools for taking care of the mind and body while out bikepacking. She shares practices for preventing common physical ailments as well as strategies for preventing and overcoming mental struggles when out bikepacking.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 6: Get Inspired, Not Lost

The sixth Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshop is with guest instructor, Alex, from Ride With GPS for a workshop designed to take your route building and navigation skills to the next level. Building on our first workshop where we cover route planning, this workshop shares informative and important skills for being self sufficient in route planning from scratch and navigation while out riding. Using the Ride With GPS platform (web and app), he discusses importing and editing existing routes for your use, tricks for easy transfer of routes to devices, navigating and using your routes offline, and tricks for using your phone as a resource for navigation and route finding while out riding. This workshop will be most effective for those with a foundational understanding of GPS navigation and have familiarized themselves with the basic functions of Ride With GPS.

Bikepacker's Guide Workshop 7: While out bikepacking

A well-planned route, well-packed bike, sound food and water strategy, and all the mental tools will only get you so far. In this workshop Kait Boyle addresses the final of the cornerstone bikepacking skills – camping and traveling with style and competence. These skills will contribute to sound risk management while bikepacking and also contribute to your ability to have a positive impact on the landscape and communities you engage with while bikepacking. Because so many specific camp skills are gear specific (like shelters and stoves), this workshop takes a zoomed out lens to the skills around campsite selection, camp set-up, bike maintenance, and Leave No Trace. This is the workshop that covers topics that influence bikepacker’s safety and comfort while camping as well as the impact they have on their surroundings while out bikepacking.