An adventure like “bikepacking” the Colorado Trail is not a trip to be taken lightly, but with adequate preparation and planning, it is sure to be a ride of a lifetime.

The 549-mile long trail from Denver to Durango is unique to Colorado and is one of the premiere long-distance bikepack (like backpacking, but on a bike) trips in the United States. The technical nature of the trail and length in the wild warrants packing gear relevant to being exposed to the sun, rain, being at high elevation and in remote spots for extended periods of time.

Most bikepacking gear is similar to backpacking gear, from your tent to your clothes, but the greatest choice difference to make is what kind of bicycle to ride: Full rigid, hard tail or full suspension?

For my bikepack, I narrowed down my gear list to the following:

Bike gear

• Rocky Mountain Instinct 930, 29″ dual suspension mountain bike
• Topeak front fork rack with dry bag and bungees
• Top tube bag
• Multi-tool
• Two extra tubes, 29 inch
• Chain lube
• Hand pump
• Garmin 840 GPS bike computer

Riding gear

• Helmet
• Riding gloves, two pairs
• Waterproof hiking boots
• Hip pack, 7L
• Small back pack, 24L

Camping gear

• Ultra light weight bikepack tent
• Sleeping bag, 25 degree
• Ultra light sleeping pad
• Headlamp
• Utility knife
• Fire starter and lighter
• Water filter bag
• Assorted bungees, straps, zip ties and rope
• Small cache of plastic bags
• Pack towel
• Small first aid kit
• Spork

Clothing gear

• High wicking riding shorts with padding, and convertible pants
• Hiking and biking specific socks
• High wicking underwear
• Rain jacket 
• Beanie
• Neck-gaiter
• Long sleeve base layer
• Short sleeve base layer

Food stuffs

• Trail mix
• Honey Stinger Waffles
• Energy gels
• Peanut Butter energy bars
• Nutrition drink mix

Personal gear

• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper – biodegradable 
• Battery pack unit
• Fujifilm XT-2 camera with 18-55 lens
• GoPro 10 with bike mounts

Beginning in late-July, I’ll be heading into Colorado’s wilderness for two weeks to bikepack the Colorado Trail, documenting the trek with daily ride segments of the experience for the Denver Gazette and Gazette. I’ll be looking at some environmental impacts to the trail through hiker and biker usage and weathering on the trail along with finding and sharing stories from hikers and bikers while they experience the adventure of the truly unique Colorado Trail. 

Come back to the Denver Gazette and Gazette websites starting July 20 to find trail reports and short video segments of the bikepacking trek.