Bikepacking vs. Loaded Dirt Touring

[digaaron]

Just have to point out that the term "Bikepacking" has been in use for more than 40 years to refer to traditional road touring. There were books about touring published in the '70s and '80s with "bikepacking" in the title. That said, I'd support a modern effort to redefine it as an off-road activity.

But, as far as I'm concerned, any definition that includes "speed" misses the mark. Bikepacking certainly can be fast, but it sure doesn't have to be. In fact, I'd encourage everyone to slow down a bit and enjoy the ride and all of the amazing places bikepacking can take you. After all, what's the rush? 

[digaaron]

Here's the cover of book published in 1981. As you can see, their definition of "backcountry" is pretty different from ours...

[stevage]

Looks like their definition of "lightweight" is too. You have this book? If so, post us some juicy excerpts...

[bmike-vt]

why did they choose that photo?
was there nothing scenic around?
did all the film save that one shot expire?
wow. sold me on traveling by bike with a ginormous tent camped next to a freshly composted field!

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I'll take a crack at this though it could be as simple as it is what you want it to be but for the sake of clarification.

I'll start with bike camping IMO this would be a camping trip with bikes being some how involved as a means of transportation not going car camping and then doing day rides. Weather you drive to a TH or ride from home the main goal of the trip is a camping location and riding is not the be all end all. I can think of one 3 day bike camping trip I did in CA we drove to a TH did a 4 mile ride down a 4x4 road and made camp near by a creek, hung out did some bouldering we had climbing shoes with us. The next day we did an unloaded ride of about 20 miles out and back and then hung out back at camp. On the last day we rode up the 4x4 road 4 miles back to the car and went home. It was fun but I wouldn't say we set any records. And we didn't ride any single track but if we had it would have been unloaded.

Loaded dirt tour IMO has more of a travel distance goal, more time would likely be spent on the bike trying to get somewhere camp would be just a place to sleep. IMO this could mean bringing more gear to make camp a little more comfy and possibly last longer then 3 days may or may not include single track. In 2004 I did a big ride touring the AZT spent about 2 months working out 3 sections of the trail. First I rode from Mexico to my home in Tucson. Then spent 4 days riding out to a dead end the trail was still under construction. I then had to go back home and get some work done before I could take off for the final leg. The last piece was the biggie all the way from Tucson to Utah with a big detour around a giant ditch. I had a full squish bike with 2 racks 4 panniers lots of camping gear plenty of food and spent a lot of time hanging out at camp sites along the way.

Modern bikepacking again this is just my take on it. But it seams like things have progressed a lot in recent years. Most riders seem to be going rackless and fairly light, there are some great products mostly hand made by two one man companies, using modern lightweight backpacking gear. I would say that if you aren't riding single track then you are not bikepacking very few backpackers go out to hike on roads, unless they are on a through hike ie AZT, ATA, CDT, PCT ect. To me any ride that includes bringing sleeping gear riding on single track would be bikepacking. Weather you spent one night out or 30 the goal for a bikepacker is IMO to ride most of the day make a camp and ride again the next day and so on. With an emphasis on single track and getting out in to places you might not otherwise go.

Ultra racing seems to be a growing part of mountain biking starting with the GDR race then the AZT 300 and CTR. IMO these races are long, long enough that it only make sense to plan on having some sort of sleeping system. While it would be possible to ride with out it, having the gear to stay warm and sleep seems sensible. It would surely be possible to ride the AZT 300 and stay in a hotel room or 3 along the way but it makes more sense to plan on having what you need to sleep. From a safety stand point if nothing else, just in case you ended up at a higher elevation area and just couldn't stay awake any longer you could stay warm and get some sleep. Not sleeping seems to be a big part of it thou if you want to win any of these races you will likely have to go with out much sleep. On this years AZT 300 the winner never stopped for more then 2-3 hours at a time.  

Hope this make sense of it all for you.

  

I like these definitions they make perfect sense even 4 years later.

[abhemet]

In the book above it has some interesting stuff. It only slightly mentions off-road biking or bikepacking what is posted here on this site. I think in this book the author called it adventure biking. And he said that a select few small  adventurous people that are sub culture practice going off road on trails. I can't pull anything out the book right now I'm work. But Mainy in this book its more about tour on road and gravel roads, stuff you might need and expect. It has some good info. But in my opinion it doesn't matter what its called. It all about the journey whether you go 2 miles or 380 miles as long as its what you like doing be it you eating resturants, bringing your food, buying at the ampm. Staying at motel, or hammock, tarp, tent. For as equipment it all depends on your wallet and how you want to roll. All friends have different setups.

[jbphilly]

I don't think the definition is totally settled. Even less so than "bike touring." And of course the term has been around forever - I saw an ACA magazine from the 70s that used it to mean, again, self-supported bike touring, and nothing more.

My definition would be that it's a subset of bicycle touring which is off-road/uses a mountain bike, and is minimalist/usually rackless. But none of those things are necessarily the case.

Obviously, as a type of touring, it must be overnight, but bicycle touring doesn't have to be self-supported (i.e. you can stay in a hotel every night and eat in restaurants and it's still a bike tour) while I feel bikepacking does have to be.

It doesn't have to use a mountain bike, either. I guess even a pavement-based trip on a road bike with a minimal load could be called bikepacking, but I feel it's too different from what most people mean to be meaningful.

And of course, it doesn't have to be rackless - some people use racks and panniers, big deal. It can still be bikepacking. I think the defining factor is more the level of minimalism and elimination of extraneous stuff in your load.

There's also an implication that it's not for as long (distance or time wise) as a full-on bike tour. But first of all, I think it can be - you can use a bikepacking setup for trips of almost any length, as GDMBR riders show us. And a short bike tour is still a tour.

But everyone's going to disagree, and there's no governing body to decide what's the right or wrong definition, so have at it!

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

In the book above it has some interesting stuff. It only slightly mentions off-road biking or bikepacking what is posted here on this site. I think in this book the author called it adventure biking. And he said that a select few small  adventurous people that are sub culture practice going off road on trails. I can't pull anything out the book right now I'm work. But Mainy in this book its more about tour on road and gravel roads, stuff you might need and expect. It has some good info. But in my opinion it doesn't matter what its called. It all about the journey whether you go 2 miles or 380 miles as long as its what you like doing be it you eating resturants, bringing your food, buying at the ampm. Staying at motel, or hammock, tarp, tent. For as equipment it all depends on your wallet and how you want to roll. All friends have different setups.

I could not agree with you more. I wasn't trying to stereo anyone group. I try to do them all.
OH! well not the ultra racing I'm a bit old for that one. haha

With a little effort from its members websites like this one can make books like this obsolete since
we can post about all the latest gear as it comes out.

[egear]

Oh lord when I saw the thread title I knew this was going to be a blast.  Good reads all and all good points.  Ok my 2 cents.  I have ridden every trail on Md I can find over the years.  These days at 51 I am looking at comfort more then minimalist means.  I use panniers and packs.  I don't have any more or less problems on singletrack trails then the next.  I always carry my REI solo tent and fly, sleeping bag unless it's summer and my old beaten Thermarest pad.  I skimp on kitchen gear and other gear.  I have climbed mtn trails from bottom to top for 1 - 4 days at a time and been comfortable all the way.  My racing days are long long over.  My point is this.  This hobby/sport is really whatever you make it. I really applaud the guys on here who race and if your racing then less is way more.  If you are out to follow the GPS or in my case the campass and enjoy the ride and the surroundings thats just as much fun.  This is a unique group here and I guess my point is the definition is what you make it.  No skin suits and carbon fiber seats just tee shirts and sleeping bags.  Great fun I say.

[Slim]

I think those old books used the term 'bikepacking' to imply carrying overnight gear, rather than staying in buildings at night during a 'biketour'.

In my mind, it means backpacking with a bike.
So I think of the same things as you would for a backpacker:

• Must sleep outside. You don't expect someone who says they went backpacking to have stayed in hotels either
• Mostly offroad. Look at backpacker magazine and just about every book out there. Doesn't feature a lot of road walking does it?

Speed is not a part of it. Racing is something separate. Again, when your hear someone's gone backpacking, do you imagine they ran most of the way and slept only 5 hours a night?
Minimalism and seatbags vs panniers doesn't matter. Those are means to an end, namely the two points stated above. It is hard to ride true mtb trails with overnight gear if you are carrying 65 lbs, so most bikepackers pack fairly light, but that's not the defining point, it is a result of the goal.
Gear should never be part of the definition, other than a bike vs walking or paddling. Imagine if we defined hiking by footwear:
We still call someone a backpacker whether he wears trailrunners or mountaineering boots, as long as he is hiking, not running or climbing, he is a backpacker.

That being said, that doesn't imply that other types of trip are no good, just that this is what I think of when I hear "bikepacking".

[Slim]

The name seems a bit of a misnomer, in that bikepacking is more akin to hiking (minimal changes of clothes, carry only the bare necessity), whereas normal bike touring is more like backpacking (spending time in cities, carrying souvenirs, books, and other luxuries).

That might be a difference between Aussie english and US English. In the US, hiking is the means of travel of a backpacker. Am I correct in assuming when you talk about backpacking you mean (mostly) young people traveling around a foreign country by hitchhiking or public transport, staying in hostels and campgrounds and carrying their belongings in a backpack?
In the US backpacking means walking in undeveloped areas, while carrying your shelter on your back.

[AZTtripper]

• Must sleep outside. You don't expect someone who says they went backpacking to have stayed in hotels either

I haven't done a lot of backpacking but, back in my rock climbing days car camping days, I could go days, weeks, nearly a month with out a shower.

That's not a good way to go on a really long bike trip.

Also I should think that most people who thru hike any of the longer trails, AT, CDT, PCT, AZT, and the like do spend some time staying indoors.

Tho I totally agree nights out are the ticket.

[Done]

All of the focus on gear is a bit short-sighted. Gear will always change, but the basic gist of the sport will remain the same: bikepacking is backpacking with a bike. Doesn't matter if you carry a tent on a rack, or a bivy bag on your handlebars. Doesn't matter whether you're a single-speed racer, or a full-suspension tourist: if you're mostly riding on dirt, gravel, or snow, and mostly sleeping on the same (using gear that you carried), you're probably bikepacking.

[Slim]

I meant: "must sleep outside predominantly".

Through-hikers and -bikers will occasionally take a hotel night or something, but that is in between stretches of hiking and camping. That is not the same as someone intending to sleep inside most of the time, but carrying a shelter for an unplanned night out.

[Tommi]

This is bikepacking, courtesy of the Swiss army....

[wahday]

bikepacking is backpacking with a bike.

Interesting discussion in here, but I have to agree - bikepacking seems like the perfect term to me for taking your mountain bike (or other off-road bike) on multi-day excursions off-road. I just tell people its like backpacking, but on my bike and they get it. I guess I see that some associate "backpacking" with young people traveling around the world with a backpack, but to me, its still carrying all your gear on your back and doing a multi-day hike in the woods. Put that stuff on your bike (or bike and back) and you're bikepacking.

And those Swiss examples are AWESOME!

[Tommi]

Yah, they are hard dudes; as a former soldier [27 years infantry] I appreciate feats of strength and endurance, and bikepacking so beats walking.
I read that the bike itself is 23 kg [50 lbs] without equipment.
Heres a show room pic of the Militarvelo...

[benajah]

I think of the difference much as I would between "backpacking" and "being a tourist". It a real wide, fuzzy line between the two. I tend to define it, in my mind, as to how you spend the night. So if I'm riding a mountain bike, using frame bag and big saddle bag, etc. but sleep in hotels every night, versus riding an expedition touring bike with racks and panniers, and sleeping on the ground every night...there's a lot of overlap there.
For me, the term "bikepacking" has very little to do with what style bike you are on, or how you carry your gear. To me it means much more that you sleep in the woods.

[benajah]

This is bikepacking, courtesy of the Swiss army....

I love the Swiss. The entire country is like an island on this planet. They don't give a crap about the rest of the world, just do things their way.
Seriously, how did a country that was geographically smack dab in the middle of WW2 just sort of "sit out" the whole thing?
I had a Swiss girlfriend once. Quite serious we almost got married, the whole country is kind of bat s¥it crazy in a good way.

[Tommi]

Money, and religion, I think; as a predominantly Roman Catholic country, they supply the troops for the regiment that guards the Pope. For a neutral power, they make some mighty fine army gear. As you mentioned, geographically, they are very difficult to attack, being surrounded by mountains.