Voile – Made in the USA Voile has been quietly designing and manufacturing backcountry ski and snowboard gear in Utah since 1980. That’s 44 years of hands-on backcountry know-how. Their product line is extensive and functional. From the humble but oh-so-useful Voile strap and bomber avalanche shovels to bindings, boards, skis and skins, they make a lot of products. More impressive is that Voile makes 98% of them in the USA. It’s a shameless plug for a brand that popularized telemark skiing and invented the production splitboard and the Voile strap. When they didn’t have the tools to build wha ..read more

Make Dinner a Priority Part of the fun and challenge of a multi-day bikepacking trip is planning the meals. Some routes let you indulge in small-town food stops where you can resupply or simply eat at a restaurant every few days. But what about more remote routes and the days when you need to be self-sufficient with your food? Packing enough food to fuel a five- or eight-hour day on the bike is not a trivial task. It takes planning and strategic food sourcing to replace the thousands of calories you burn riding a loaded bike day after day for multiple days. Breakfast and daytime snacks are i ..read more

Pack Light, But Not Too Light Carrying a compact multi-tool or a limited collection of bike tools is essential on extended bikepacking trips and remote gravel rides, but the minimalist in me is always looking for ways to carry less.  Roadside repairs fit into two categories: bike adjustments/fixes and flat tire repairs. Few tools cover both scenarios, though there are an increasing number of kits that offer multiple components to cover both needs, like the Crankbrothers SOS Series or the Wolf Tooth Encase and 8-Bit kits. These kits are good one-and-done solutions, often with convenient o ..read more

Ortlieb, Osprey and Deuter Seat Pack Reviews The seat pack is one of the largest volume bags on most bikepacking setups. They are also arguably the most finicky to set up and fit to your bike. They require careful packing, correct positioning, snug attachment and enough clearance above your tire to avoid problems down the road. We tested a number of bikepacking seat packs and offer our review of three distinctly different models, each with its own design approach, mounting system and merits: the Ortlieb Seat Pack QR 13L, the Osprey Escapist 9L, and the Deuter Mondego 16L. From left to right ..read more

Bikepacking Route Craft 101 “All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” — JR Tolkien. Gandolf’s words to Frodo as the Hobbit departs in search of Aragorn are equally sage for those looking to learn the art of creating bikepacking and adventure gravel routes. Route craft is equal parts map reading skills, curiosity and experience, with a dose of adventurous spirit thrown in for good measure. Route craft also takes practice, and as the words of Tolkien foreshadow, things are not always as they may appear. The best roads are often the lesser ones. The best routes are ..read more

Immersing yourself in the rhythm of flowy forested singletrack on a mountain bike takes confidence, faith in your tires and a crisp view of the terrain ahead. Confidence comes with practice. Faith in your tires comes with experience. And a crisp view of the terrain comes with good mountain bike sunglasses. Smith Ruckus photochromic mountain bike sunglasses When choosing MTB sunglasses, you need to consider the wide range of changing light conditions a typical trail ride entails. Full bright sun, shady dark sections and transitional zones are the norm. Of course, there are loads of sunglass ..read more

Ortlieb Fork Packs – Convenient Mini Panniers Packing your gear and loading up your bike for an adventure requires a mix of experience, restraint and experimentation. It also takes the right combination of bikepacking bags. I consider a set of fork-mounted bikepacking bags like the Ortlieb Fork Packs to be essential equipment for any multi-day bikepacking trip. Fork-mounted bags are smaller than traditional panniers, don’t require a rack and typically serve up a total of eight to 10 liters of storage per pair. They’re ideal for smaller, heavy items as they keep the weight low on the bike, ma ..read more

Solo bikepacking missions are synonymous with packing light. There’s no one to split group gear with, so gram counting is essential for an efficient load. One of the best ways to save weight and space while solo bikepacking is with a bare-bones shelter like a tarp tent or a bivy bag. But tarp tents and bivy bags are about compromise. Tarp tents compromise on weather and insect protection. While a bivy bag compromises sleep comfort and weather protection.  Tarp tents and bivy bags work great for certain types of trips and times of the year, but the most versatile shelter for solo bikepac ..read more

Solo bikepacking missions are synonymous with packing light. There’s no one to split group gear with, so gram counting is essential for an efficient load. One of the best ways to save weight and space while solo bikepacking is with a bare-bones shelter like a tarp tent or a bivy bag. But tarp tents and bivy bags are about compromise. Tarp tents compromise on weather and insect protection. While a bivy bag compromises sleep comfort and weather protection.  Tarp tents and bivy bags work great for certain types of trips and times of the year, but the most versatile shelter for solo bikepac ..read more

Ski and Bike Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and bike industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention.  This week’s edition of Blown-In features EXPLORE Act status, a new multi-day bikepacking route in Oregon, plus new bike-specific gear from Outdoor Research and Osprey packs. EXPLORE Act Passes House For what it’s worth, the US House of Representatives passed the EXPLORE Act (Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act). Rooted in the growing ..read more