Bikepacking: Trip Expenses & Cost Saving Tips

Our Approach to Food Expenses

Over the years, our approach to food has shifted from relying on low-cost, high-calorie, low-quality options to prioritizing high-calorie, high-quality foods, even though they come at a higher cost.

The payoffs have been plentiful – better health, better moods, improved sleep, and enhanced performance.

That said, this is simply what works for us, and everyone’sneeds and preferences will differ.

Our Food Sourcing Strategy

1. Grocery Stores:We focus on sourcing 80% of our food from high-quality, high-calorie whole foods and minimally processed snacks.Staples include: cheese, nuts and nut butters, raw and hard-boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, jerky, rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, and bars like Larabars.
2. Eating Out:We budget for dining at restaurants about four times a week, where we allow more flexibility with food quality.Common choices include high-calorie comfort foods like pizza, poutine, burgers, or diner breakfasts.
3. Flexibility Is Key:Food availability can vary - stores may be closed, understocked, or offer limited options.Be open to adapting to what’s available, even if it means compromising on your preferred eating style.

How We Calculate Our Food Costs

Groceries:

• $50 per person for one day
• x 7 days per week
• >> totals $350 per person per week

Eating Out:

• $25 per person (including tax and tip)
• x 4 meals per week
• >> totals $100 per person per week

To estimate our total food costs, we multiply these weekly expenses by the number of weeks we’ll be on the road.

Calculation:

• $350 (groceries) + $100 (eating out)
• >> totals $450 per person per week

x 4 weeks >> totals $1800 per person per month

This method helps us plan and budget effectively for the duration of our bikepacking trips.

4 - Accommodation Expenses

Accommodation costs can vary significantly depending on your approach.

Here are some common options for bikepacking trips:

• Free/Wild Camping: Camping in natural or publicareaswithout a fee is a cost-effectivechoice. Be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles.
• Paid Lodging: For added comfort and amenities, you can stay at campgrounds, HipCamps, hostels, motels, hotels, or Airbnbs.
• Cycle Hosting Platforms: Websites like WarmShowersconnectcyclists with generoushosts offering freeaccommodations, providing a great way to meetlike-mindedindividuals and experience localhospitality.

Access to Accommodations

Your lodging approach will depend on factors like route choice, destination, comfort level, budget, gear, and available options.
For example:

• Remote Routes: Offer more opportunities for wild/free camping
• Urban Routes: Offer more access to campgrounds, hostels, motels, or WarmShowers hosts
• Destinations: Different countries will have different access to accommodations and different rules around wild camping

Cost-Saving Strategies for Accommodations

• Choose Free or Low-Cost Options: Free/wild camping, WarmShowers, or affordable campgrounds can save money.
• Share Costs: Split indoor lodging costs with fellow travelers.
• Travel Strategically: Plan trips during the off-season or focus on less tourist-heavy areas to find cheaper options.
• Mix and Match Accommodations: Combine free camping with occasional paid lodging to balance cost savings with opportunities for comfort.
• Think Outside the Box: Request permission to camp at local businesses, churches, or community centers for creative, low-cost solutions.

Our Approach to Accommodation Expenses

We use a mix of accommodation strategies tailored to our route and destination, which helps us manage costs while enriching our experience.

Here’s how we budget for lodging during a bikepacking trip in North America:

• Wild/Free Camping: Our primary strategy.
• WarmShowers/Trail Angels: We’ll often take up offers to stay with trail angels, or connect with WarmShowers hosts along route if the timing lines up – especially in major centres along the route.
• Paid Accommodation: We budget for 2 paid accommodations per week at an average cost of $150 per stay, totaling $300 per week. 

Calculation : 
$0 (free camping) + $300 (paid accommodation + buffer) = $300 per week x 4 weeks = $1200 per month

Why Build in An Accommodation Buffer?

1. Limited Camping: If you arrive in areas where free/wild or inexpensive camping options are limited or unavailable, you might want/need to stay indoors.
2. Unforeseen Circumstances: Fatigue, injuries, bad weather, or delays from bike repairs might have you spending more money on lodging or accommodations than anticipated.
3. Special Locations: You might find an amazing place where you want to stay longer to rest, recharge, and enjoy the area.

5 - Bike Maintenance & Repairs

Depending on the length of your trip, and the condition of your bike – you might not have any bike repair expenses at all. But things can pop up – so it’s best to be prepared.
One way of being prepared is having funds set aside for bike repair and maintenance.

Longer trips naturally increase the likelihood of repairs and part replacements due to accumulated wear – especially on mixed terrain routes. Bikes have many wearable parts such as chains, tires, cassettes, brakes, and bottom brackets that may need replacing as you go.

Our Approach to On-Route Maintenance

A well-prepared and maintained bike is less likely to break down, saving you time and money on repairs. That’s why we make a point of doing regularmaintenance when we’re onroute, such as cleaning and lubricating the chain and checking tire pressure.

On-Route Maintenance

1. Daily Chain Care: We clean and lube our chains every day – ideally at the end of our ride, but if not, first thing in the morning. This simple step prevents drivetrain wear, extends the life of components and makes for a more enjoyable ride.
2. On-the-Spot Maintenance: When riding through muddy or gritty sections, we stop to clean our drivetrain to prevent excessive wear and tear.
3. Essentials on Hand: We always carry chain lube, a rag, and a well-stocked tool kit for on-the-go maintenance.
4. Spare Parts: Packing essential replacement parts, such as brake pads, inner tubes, and a spare chain link, helps us quickly address common issues without needing an emergency trip to the bike shop.
5. Routine Checks: We periodically check tire pressure and ensure bolts, axles, and straps are tight and secure. This proactive approach prevents avoidable mechanical issues during the ride.We also periodically check the wear of chains, cassettes and brake pads – mainly on longer routes, so we can stay ahead of replacement instead of waiting until things are causing issues – like chains skipping, or reduced braking power

Our Bike Repair Budget

Here’s what we budget for bike repair costs for one bicycle (which has gone through a pre-trip overhaul, meaning it’s in top working condition) on a one month bikepacking trip.

• Set a Budget: We allocate $500 per month/per bike for repairs.
• Why This Amount? Repair costs can range from minor expenses, like replacing a chain, to major ones, such as replacing a drivetrain, brakes, or tires.
• Built in Buffer: While this budget may seem high, it ensures we’re prepared for unexpected repairs.

Gear Repair & Replacements

Similarly to bike repair – gear repair and replacements aren't always necessary – especially on shorter trips where there is less wear and tear, but over the years, we've learned to prepare for the unexpected. Accidents happen – items can break, malfunction, get lost, stolen or forgotten, or even fall off the back of your bike without you noticing.

We’ve decided that having a bit of a budget for gear repairs and replacements is just a wise precaution.

Pre-Trip Preventative Measures

• Pre-Trip Inspection: Ensure all your gear is in good working order before you set off. 
• Necessary Upgrades: Make any essential upgrades or maintenance to your equipment prior to departure to reduce the risk of issues on the road.
• Pack Mindfully: Make sure your items are properly secured on your bike.

Our Approach to Gear Repair Expenses

This is how we budget for gear repair expenses on a bikepacking trip:

• Set a Budget: We budget $200 per month per person for gear repairs or replacements.
• Why This Amount? This is the average cost of a gear item, so if we need to replace something, this will very likely cover the cost of replacement.

6 - Life Expenses

This might not apply to shorter trips, but when planning for a long bikepacking trip, it’s important to account for recurring life expenses that will continue while you’re on the road so you can wrap them into your trip costs.

Common expenses include:

• Phone bills, app payments
• Rent, mortgage, or car payments
• Bank fees
• Subscription services (e.g., SOS devices, streaming services, etc)
• Health insurance

Make a list of all the payments you’ll need to make while you’re on the road, and tally up the total cost so you can make sure you have enough set aside to cover your bills. If it’s available to you, consider pre-paying these bills or setting up auto-payments so you aren’t having to think about them while you travel.

7 - Travel Expenses

Travel expenses can be a significant portion of your bikepacking trip budget - if you’re traveling to/from a starting/ending point or dealing with ongoing costs like ferries, shuttles, or flights.

Traveling in developing countries can often be cheaper, making it a great way to stretch your budget. But, you’ll need to factor in the upfront expense of travel to get there (and back), as well as potential costs for visas, vaccinations, and travel insurance depending on your trip length and destination.

Common Travel Expenses

• Transportation to and from the trip location: Flights, buses, trains, ferries, or driving.
• Baggage fees: Particularly for bike transport on flights or trains.
• Ongoing transportation costs: Ferries or shuttles
• Accommodation during transit: Overnight stays while traveling to the start point or back home.
• Bike assembly/disassembly: If using a shop for boxing/unboxing your bike.

You might also consider reducing or even eliminating travel expenses altogether by planning a local route and opting for a loop instead of a point-to-point journey. Starting and finishing at the same location minimizes transportation costs while adding convenience to your trip planning.
Whatever you choose, planning ahead and implementing cost-saving strategies can help keep your bikepacking travel expenses manageable. 

Cost-Saving Strategies for Travel Expenses

• Book Early: Secure flights, trains, or buses inadvance to take advantage of lower fares.
• Use Fare Comparison Tools: Apps like Skyscanner, Google Flights, or Hopper can help you find the cheapest options.
• Travel Off-Peak: Travel during weekdays or shoulder seasons when transportation and accommodation costs are typically lower.
• Drive Instead of Fly: If your starting point is within reasonable driving distance, driving can save money – especially if you avoid parking fees by leaving your car with friends or family.
• Rideshare: Check rideshare app like Poparide to see if anyone is heading for your destination with room to carry bikes and cargo.
• DIY Assembly: Learn to assemble and disassemble your bike to save on shop fees at the start and end of your trip.

Final Thoughts on Budget

Budgeting for a bikepacking trip is about balancing preparation with flexibility. Consider your priorities, plan for known costs, and build in a buffer for the unknown. 

Whether you’re keeping it minimal or allowing for a more comfortable experience, these guidelines can help you figure out what is a realistic budget for your trip, so you can do your best to stay on track financially while still making the most of your adventure.