Bikepacking - get the packing list and equipment for long distances

Bikepacking is about taking your bike out into the open with your gear divided into compact bags, allowing you to move easily and flexibly over longer distances. It is a form of travel where route selection, pace and equipment go hand in hand, and where small decisions about packing can quickly be felt in everyday life on the bike.

When space is limited, it makes sense to prioritize equipment that can multitask and perform reliably day after day. In practice, this often means lightweight, durable gear that is easy to pack away and doesn’t require much maintenance along the way. Textiles are a good example: They take up space, they get damp quickly, and they can start to smell if they don’t dry properly.

A quick-drying towel can therefore be a small but important part of your pack, because it supports both comfort and routine, without taking up unnecessary space.

A good bikepacking packing list is based on needs rather than “nice to haves.” The goal is to keep weight and volume down while still having what you need to be self-propelled.

It can be helpful to think in categories: sleeping gear, clothing layers, rain protection, safety, navigation and hygiene. Here a towel quickly becomes relevant because on a trip you often need to dry yourself after rain, sweat or a dip, and because it is nice to be able to maintain a simple hygiene routine.

If you want to keep your pack size down, a compact outdoor towel can be an obvious choice.

On longer trips, odors and moisture in bags can become a practical challenge. Here, textiles with antibacterial treatment can be relevant, because the treatment can help keep the towel fresher in use.

Nordifakt uses Polygiene StayFresh technology, which is a silver-based textile treatment added towards the end of the production process. The purpose is to limit bacterial growth in the textile, and thus also reduce odor. According to the information provided, the treatment prevents 99.9 percent of bacteria from growing, and tests in both real-world situations and laboratories indicate that the effect lasts throughout the product's lifetime. This is especially relevant in bikepacking, where access to washing and drying can be unpredictable, and where less washing can also mean lower water and energy consumption.

When choosing a towel for bikepacking, it's worth considering how it fits into your pack and your rhythm on the trip. A lightweight towel that dries quickly can make it easier to keep your bags organized and avoid damp textiles from sitting around for long. Instead of wringing out the water, it makes sense to hang the towel up and let air and time do the rest.

In addition, it can be an advantage to choose products with as little unnecessary packaging as possible, so you avoid unnecessary waste on the trip. If you want to supplement your setup with other practical equipment for the trip, you can get a comprehensive overview here: ALL PRODUCTS .