Last year I brought the entire kitchen sink for a 75-day trip across country. This time around, I’ll be going minimal and wanted to share what I’ve packed for a 5-day bike packing trip on Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway meanders for 469 miles from Virginia to North Carolina. We’re planning to start East in Lynchburg, VA to Sparta, NC, and hope to cover somewhere around  200 miles. There are several grades especially when traveling from the east, so swapping my platform pedals for clipless pedals is a must. My camera gear would be the heaviest in my arsenal but I look at this as a necessity. Aside from that, this is a very light collective of gear packed for the terrain we’ll be covering.

I’ll also be carrying Voltaic’s V72 battery that will keep my electronics charged throughout this trip.

In terms of food, I’ll be keeping it simple and light with the exception of a couple of cans of beans and corn. Other foods will include pasta, trail mix, small loaf of bread, peanut butter, jam, apples, avocados, a couple packs of ramen and candy.

In addition to my two 21oz water bottles these two 40oz Kleen Kanteens will house my water for the entirety of the trip.

Nights will be spent getting cozy in my REI Radiant 650 down sleeping bag. It’s rated at 20 degrees for 3 seasons. I often find myself keeping it halfway open if not sleeping on top of it during the fall season inside my Akto

Packlist:

Camera/Lighting DSLR, GoPro Headlamp Front/Rear Lights

Batteries

Clothes Shorts Thermals Puff Jacket/Rain Jersey/ 2 shirts Bib/Underwear/Socks

Cycling shoes/ Sandles

Tools
 Compass Pump/Tube/Patch kit/Tire levers Allen key set Bungie/rope

Knife

Housing Hilieberg Akto Tent REI Radiant Plus

Sleeping pad

Misc Toiletries Map

Journal