Taking up Bikepacking properly in 2022 with the aspiration of attempting the Silk Road Mountain race, I knew the next part of the puzzle for my load carriage challenge, would be making use of the centre triangle with a frame bag.

When I rowed across the Atlantic in 2017, I wore these with the Vivobarefoot Ultra III aqua shoes listed below and had nice, dry feet even when it’s cold (and it does get cold at night when you first start in Europe).

Nowadays, I still use the same pair for mountain biking, riding my motorbike (to keep my feet dry), but not for hiking as they cause my feet to sweat excessively when walking in them (they’re really good at retaining warmth but not very breathable given they’re designed to keep your feet dry).

The Versacage set come with 3 of Topeak’s excellent versamounts to attach to the frame or forks to hold the cage in place, and as you can see – it holds a 1.5-litre water bottle without any problems. I’ve cycled over 500 miles across Estonia in 2022 without any problems from either one of them

I’ve been using Fixplus straps since I started bikepacking in 2022 and now swear by them!

They come in many sizes and can be used to secure all kinds of items to the bike, or for holding heavy things together.

They work by having a small amount of stretch in the belt (but nowhere near enough to make it snap), which then pulls back against what you’re holding once you’ve found the correct hole for the belt.

It’s not easy making coffee when you’re out on an adventure, but the other team members will be your best friends if you do so, or it’ll enhance your enjoyment of a solo endeavour.

They’re not waterproof and don’t claim to be, however they handle my sweaty heads for many months without complaint.

They’re highly affordable, coming in at under £40 (especially when compared to big brand name wireless in-ear headphones) and the sound quality is superb. I particularly like listening to podcasts and audio books when I head out on the gravel bike after a long day on the computer.