Can't top Stu's post earlier but that's never stopped me from raving on...
Reckon the thread will come to its natural end soon as we've covered most things, although it was good to see some "different" angles from newer people in the last few posts to compare with those from old salts.
The person I'm most keen to hear from now is Jacob!
From his post the key words (arg, I've gone all MBA (no, that MBA not
that MBA)) are "beginners", "bikepacking", "improved" and "industry".
Have we addressed those four words Jacob?
"Bikepacking" is indefinable almost, however
generally it's not bike-touring with one or more of campsites, B&B's, a route, "sightseeing", "comforts" (sorry Tim).
The Venn diagram seems to split into a/ those who ride TLS/LNT to a seriously physically/mentally challenging format, often with timed aims or route aims, such as the amazing feats we read about from Trep, Barter, Sean and many others, and b/ layabouts like me. Of course there are overlaps and outliers.
Group A by definition are not beginners, so we can discount them here
. There's a chance that an expert, say, backpacker or climber, will aim to switch to bikepacking, and will have enough experience to select kit and mindset quickly without help. They’re not beginners either.
So Group B, some of who may be beginners. Group B1 is experienced layabouts, so ignore them as non-beginners too.
It might also be Group B2 an amateur walker or cyclist who’s heard about bikepacking and wants to give it a go. We must assume they’ve read a bit about it or talked to a “bikepacker” (or how will they know what they’re aiming to try?), so they will know that it isn’t “touring” and involves TLS and LNT to whatever extent and probably more self-reliance/self-supportedness. They will also have twigged that it usually involves wildcamping. It might also be Group B3, someone who has very little idea about it but spontaneously fancies a night out in the woods.
Group B3 has quite good motivation to just “try” it in as quick a way as possible. I must agree that there is a barrier if the person lives in a city with no nearby wildcamping spot – but the only thing the “industry” can do about that is offer a paid “course” outside the city, which costs money that Group B3 may well not have. So, this person does not need £1000 worth of gear. I have a concrete example of my friend’s teenage son. He and some friends simply used their cheap Halfords MTBs, the cheap sleeping bags from family camping trips and super-cheap popup tents from Millets. They took no cooking gear but loads of fun snacks and sweets. Easily carried in a rucsac and bungied to a pannier rack. They rode 2 miles to some public woodland. Note that it was SUMMER and GOOD WEATHER and they were CLOSE TO HOME (and, ahem, unknown to them dad followed discreetly and bivvied 200 yards away ;-)). Surely any age beginner would realise those three things were essential. They had a fantastic time, sleeping bags got drinks spilled on them, they stayed up til midnight, etc. Later one was taken by dad to the Peaks and offered a short route and a wildcamp spot and off he went. He is now GRADUALLY and ITERATIVELY improving his kit & knowledge and refining his mindset. All the aforementioned applies to any age, and I would risk saying
gender/background too. All this beginner needs from the industry is to be offered myriad kit options, and all they need themselves is to remember TLS and LNT so should be selective. So yes you certainly can just "get out there and wing it with not much gear or experience".
Group B2 is the amateur walkers/cyclists/etc who fancy branching out to this TLS/LNT thing. They may be slightly less motivated than Group B3. They need a “course” from the industry (which includes things like Stu’s courses, and all the other ones). They will be provided with support, probably an experienced buddy, and maybe some kit (hired sleeping bag… sounds a bit unhygienic without costly washes etc… hmm!). They may be asked to bring whatever kit they have. But again, they do not have to spend MUCH at this point, given the basics of bike/bags/shelter/sleepingbag. We know very heavy stuff can be carried on a bike, and the course will not take them far so no problem there - they'll learn how heavy stuff is in a safe environment
. The course will major on TLS and LNT. Given those two things, Group B2 will either stop (not for them), or do something similar to Group B3 – local woods in the summer. Basically they have been given the motivation and mindset –
by the industry.
B2 and B3 will then set out on their mental and physical journey. They will GRADUALLY realise their sleeping bag is too heavy so will save and replace, same for all their other kit. As weight is lowered and kit acquired they will GRADUALLY expand their horizons. All the industry is now doing is offering information, and kit that can be bought or ignored.
So I think we come back to the industry offers beginners courses to motivate and mindset, and a wide variety of kit to gradually acquire as desired. People will make their own decisions, and if they don't who are we to force them.
Group C of course is those who might be inner-city, have no money at all, and little motivation....
Jacob?
'Reg'
so it's just my own experience (equally happy as a solo rider, hiker, bikepacker as in a group). Self-reliance can still be developed in a group, of course.
