This is my maxed out three-season, multi-day, long distance bikepacking kit list, assuming mostly wild camping in Europe. It has been assembled over time in a process of trial and error (things have come a long way since I used a bin bag to waterproof my tent, strapped to the rack with an inner tube, in Greece) and is adaptable to the requirements of individual trips — for instance, the bivvy setup might be swapped for a tent, and camera equipment varies. The gear is carried in a variety of bikepacking luggage and dry bags (including the Scrubba wash bag) and I use a molle belt with harness to carry the camera, which lives in a waterproof Aquapac pouch when not in use.

Clothing and sleeping

• US Army surplus Gore-Tex bivvy bag (sometimes swapped for MSR Hubba NX tent)
• Rab 1-person siltarp with tent pegs and parachute cord
• Groundsheet (the footprint for the MSR Hubba NX)
• Three-season down sleeping bag
• Closed-cell foam sleeping pad with Voile and webbing straps for attachment (not hugely comfortable but impossible to puncture)
• Sleeping bag liner
• Thermarest double-sided dry bag/fleece pillow (again, not as plush as inflatable model but can’t go wrong)
• Travel towel
• Off-bike clothing — down jacket, underwear, zip-off walking trousers, Crocs, T-shirt, Merino leggings, walking socks, balaclava (omitted or swapped for woollen hat depending on weather and sleeping arrangements)
• On-bike clothing — bib shorts, running T-shirt, MTB socks (with spares), arm and leg warmers, long-sleeved base layer, cycling gloves, sunglasses, Gore-Tex rain jacket, gilet, Shimano SPD shoes, buff, helmet (not pictured)

Cooking

• Trangia alcohol stove with support
• Fuel bottle
• Windshield
• Titanium cookset — two pots and non-stick frying pan
• Flint and steel (with back up matches, not pictured)
• Titanium knife and spork
• Pan scraper
• Variety of foods, repacked into freezer bags as appropriate (not pictured)

Photo and electronic

• Garmin Edge 830 GPS
• Mini-USB charging cable with iPhone adaptor
• iPhone (not pictured)
• Silicone phone holder
• Front and rear lights with handlebar bracket
• Travel adapter, EU
• USB wall charger
• Peztl emergency head torch
• USB LED light
• AA battery-powered USB charger (emergency back up, carried empty)
• Peak Designs Capture Clip (quick release camera holder)
• Nikon D750 DSLR with 28mm and 50mm lenses or Fujifilm X100s mirrorless cameras; sometimes supplemented with GoPro action camera (not pictured)
• Spare SD cards
• Spare camera batteries and USB charger(s) (Nikon, Fujifilm, GoPro as appropriate)
• Mini tripod (UltraPod, as pictured, or GorillaPod)
• Anker power bank, 20,100 mAh (swapped for Voltaic Systems V25 6,400 mAh solar battery if using the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus solar panel and/or taking power from the Shutter Precison PD-8 hub dynamo and Sinewave Cycles Revolution USB charger, the latter on less hilly routes)

Health, hygiene and emergency

• First aid kit (the basic and somewhat inadequate Lifesystems package has been supplemented by additional dressings, wipes and bandages and a better quality resuscitation shield)
• Emergency foil blanket
• Tick removal tweezers
• Spare COVID-19 face mask
• Dr. Bronner’s unscented, biodegradable concentrated castille soap solution (for washing and laundry)
• Luxury full-sized toothbrush and travel toothpaste (Dr. Bronner’s is a substitute but tastes foul)
• Chamois cream
• Vargo ‘Dig Dig’ titanium trowel and toilet roll
• Nalgene 1.5l fork bottle and 1l bidon
• Sawyer Mini filter with straw and Evernew 1.5l water pouch (replaces the original smaller, less robust Sawyer squeezable pouch)
• Sea to Summit Ultrasil packable rucksack (used to carry additional water and food where necessary)
• ‘Bush bidet’ 250ml lab wash bottle (great for toilet hygiene and body washes)
• Whistle
• Small journal with pen and pencil

Tools, spares and repair

• DIY tool roll
• Integrated derailleur hanger/drive side dropout
• Inner tube
• Tubeless repair kit
• Tubeless sealant
• Topeak mini-ratchet set with additional bits
• Lighter wrapped with Gorilla Tape
• Nitrile gloves
• Rubber straps made from old inner tubes
• Cable ties
• Chain lube (and rag, not pictured)
• Tyre levers
• Gorilla glue
• Spare tubeless valve and core remover
• Leatherman Squirt multitool with pliers and scissors
• Opinel No.5 folding knife
• Chain tool
• Spare head torch batteries
• Universal spoke wrench (with spare spokes stored in frame bag, not pictured)
• Topeak Road Morph G mini track pump
• Spares bag — disc brake pads, standard needle and cotton thread, curved upholstery needle and waxed thread, thimble, O-rings for rear light, quick links for chain