Adventure Magazine

A rare motel stay to re-charge everything
I like good gadgets and a good camera,
phone cameras are getting better, but
still a few years off me leaving my good
camera at home.
What to wear - warm layers and
waterproofs? This is a tough one: bike
shorts for some, merino underwear or
a good pair of shorts for others. Small
trips usually are nothing fancy. But
once you get in the wild, merino gear
does not need to be washed too often.
It’s warm, even when it’s wet, and has
good air control when it’s warm. Don’t
underestimate the use of a quality riding
raincoat.
On my 10-day trip in the middle of
summer, it rained every day bar one,
and my jacket was used every day.
Pit zips and ventilation and a good
waterproof jacket is worth spending
money on. Again, a good warm hat
and some after-riding warm gear is
important. A good puffer jacket that
folds small is a bike packer standard
uniform around the fire. Good socks,
merino, again, and you can’t go wrong.
Again, this is very personal. If I am on
big, long trips, I tend to ride Lycra, as it's
comfortable and it dries well. It's good
to maintain warmth in all conditions
with knee and arm warmers and jersey
pockets for more food. For smaller trips,
I tend to go a lot more casual.
Cooking equipment It depends on
the trip and where I will be riding. I use
an old Swedish army Trungia liquid
burner, I like the ‘vintageness’ of it, and
I can buy fuel (meths, white spirits etc.)
almost anywhere. Bit more sustainable
for the planet than a gas cylinder unit.
I am a 'glutard', so small towns have
limited options for food, so I tend to cook
a lot more soups and stews in winter,
bacon and eggs anytime. I also love
coffee, so I have a cutdown Aero-press
(for lightness) for my caffeine addiction. I
can’t stand coffee bags or instant coffee
sorry. I always take a small water filter,
again keeping bugs out of my belly, and
saving time for cooking or hydration.
Do you have to be specific in terms
of packing for backpacking – are
there considerations for biking that
you would not have for hiking? ?
Nah, they pretty much do a crossover,
light, and small as trampers have to
carry it on their backs, so makes sense
for bikes as well. We have a few things
to consider for our bike, but much
as a tramper may have for his feet,
boots, and pack. Again, a good setup
kit makes all the difference. I do use
a pile of colour-coordinated dry bags
in my packing. They can be knelt on
and squashed small as almost vacuum
sealing them, cutting down the volume
in your bags. Also helps me find things
quick on the road, toiletries in the yellow
bag, electrics in the green, puffer in the
red bag, you get the idea.
For the bigger events, a Tracker is
essential for entry (dot watching is a
sport for those that are not riding), and
of course, a PLB would make sense if
you are travelling solo or into the wild
parts of NZ. I also carry a small flare
sometimes, and for sure a bit of safety
equipment like a safety blanket. I am
also fully trained in first aid, so not shy of
sewing and taping myself up if needed.
Another good investment for me has
been Kinesiology tape, which does
wonders for weird injuries, and a good
tape for broken bags, bodies, and bike
bits. Always carry a whiskey-filled hip
flask, for winter nights and beef jerky for
long chewy climbs. Protein shakes are
light and a good source of good food.
Some of the smaller dehydrated food
companies have better-tasting food, and
I always carry salt and chill flakes for
bland food. Homemade wax fire-starters
for wet wood at campsites. E-books on
my phone for reading. Bug repellent
for anywhere in NZ. Ear plugs for noisy
campsites. The list goes on.
After 8 days of rain in the middle of summer!
"I always carry salt and chill flakes for bland food. Homemade wax fire-starters for wet
wood at campsites. E-books on my phone for reading. Bug repellent for anywhere in NZ.
Ear plugs for noisy campsites. The list goes on."
Getting a ‘bike fit’ on your bike is
essential. We do many of these
throughout the year. Your bike and gear
may cost nearly $5-10k, and a fitting
may cost $150, but without a fitting
nothing really works correctly. Saddles
and bar setups, aero bar, personal
bike fittings are cheap in the scheme of
things. Small insurance to make sure
you are not going to blow out your knees
or hands. Hand issues are massive and
can linger for months. Saddle sores
(a nice name for painful boils) can be
effectively eliminated; these things can
stop you in your tracks if infected.
Saddles are very personal, we use a
digital system to measure your butt,
and a good store will let you loan
saddle if they have them, to find the
right one. You could be sitting on it for
8 hours a day for a month; you want
to get this right. Same with shorts, a
type of shammy cream (barrier cream,
antibacterial, etc., for your sitting areas),
is a must to sort before you leave. The
most annoying questions asked and
answered online in forums; ‘What’s the
best saddle out there’ and ‘What’s the
best shorts?’, these are pretty much
a minefield of disinformation from
generally those who have no idea what
they are talking about. The best saddle
is the right one for YOU, measured,
tested, and brought with the right
information from someone that knows.
Same with shorts and all other contact
points on the bike.
As with any emergent sports, there is a
lot of misinformation, copycat products
and a range of pitfalls and potholes
just waiting to trip you up. The answer
is simple, get good advice, we have
started with ‘part one’ of Bikepacking
with Benny – part two to follow in the
next issue
Benny Bike Shop
www.bennysbikeshop.co.nz
"The best saddle is the right one for YOU, measured, tested, and brought with the right
information from someone that knows."
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