- Sebastian & Michaela -

Being out and about, free and independent, by bike away from the mainstream, exploring the landscape and experiencing an adventure exposed to all the “forces of nature”. Such is the partly romantic idea of a journey with a gravel bike. Below are a few tips on route planning as well as a short packing list for your next outdoor adventure.

 The journey is the destination, which is why we attach particular importance to route planning on our bikepacking tours. The route can lead you along a busy road or through remote areas and breathtaking landscapes. It definitely pays off to invest time in route planning, so that you can enjoy the journey to the full. Nevertheless, be aware: plans are there to be changed.

First, a few basic questions: How many days do you have? How many kilometres and metres of elevation gain do you trust yourself with each day? Don't set the bar too high for the kilometres and metres of elevation to be covered each day. Since you are supposed to deliver this performance for several days in a row, it is advisable to increase slowly. Plan in rest days; along the route there will certainly be lovely places that invite you to linger. Are you planning a loop to return to the starting point again, or will you use public transport for parts of the route? Are there alternatives in the event of possible road closures or a change in the weather? 

The Bike Router serves us as the first instrument for the rough planning of the route. Simply enter start and finish and a first route is calculated. Use the different profiles (we use Gravel “11n”, Gravel fast and Road bike low traffic) to obtain various route courses. This way you get a first feel for distance and the metres of elevation to be covered. Komoot is particularly helpful for identifying lovely sections or highlights along the route and incorporating them into your tour planning. For detailed planning we use Ride with gps or GPX Studio (more for shorter tours). In these tools the exact route can be created and divided into stages. There is the option of adding personal notes to the map. We use these above all for marking sleeping/camping spots, drinking water and points of interest. 

For navigation on our travels we use a Garmin eTrex 32. The reason for this is the long battery life, good display, overlaying of different maps and the use of standard AA batteries. For spontaneous stopovers or detours we use OSMAnd and mapy.cz on the smartphone. 

A short packing list In order to travel as self-sufficiently as possible, it does take quite a bit of luggage or a large dose of minimalism. Below is a brief insight into how we found a good balance for our multi-day tour right across Germany, and what our luxury items of everyday cycle-touring life are. 

The first question to be answered is: Where are you planning to spend the night? In accommodation (hotel, guesthouse, etc.), at a campsite or somewhere outdoors in open nature along the route? We decided to spend the majority of the nights in open nature along the way. Here it is important, in the course of route planning, to already familiarise yourself with the local conditions and regulations. Anyone planning to stay overnight in accommodation can skip this paragraph with a clear conscience and thus also save a few kilos of luggage ;)

Here is our basic equipment for the night outdoors: 

- Tent: MSR Hubba Hubba NX - light and yet robust. Anyone who wants to save even more weight here reaches for an even lighter tent or relies on a tarp. We came to appreciate the Hubba Hubba on our journey. It is quick and easy to pitch. The tent is freestanding, with no annoying tensioning of cords required. It offers perfect protection from rain, there is room for the luggage too, and it is a mosquito-safe place. The tent will certainly come along again next time. 

- Mat: We use sleeping mats from Therm-A-Rest and Exped. Even for summer, we recommend a mat with good insulation. 

For provisions we mostly visit bakeries, supermarkets or inns. Anyone who is already very hungry in the morning after getting up (like me) or is out and about in very remote areas should perhaps have a simple breakfast with them.