Bikepack Adventures Podcast

Welcome back to the Bikepack Adventures Podcast, where we dive deep into the stories behind the pedals, exploring the grit, gear, and glory of bikepacking and human-powered adventure.
I’m your host, Chris Panasky, and today’s guest is someone who has quietly reshaped how we think about moving through wild places, not just on two wheels, but across water as well. Thor Tingey is the founder of Alpacka Raft, a company that has helped pioneer modern packrafting as we know it today. What started as a personal solution to accessing remote terrain has grown into a global movement, blending biking, hiking, and paddling into a seamless, self-supported style of exploration. From Alaska’s rugged backcountry to expedition routes around the world, Thor’s work has opened up entirely new ways to experience landscapes, where rivers are no longer barriers, but invitations.
In this episode, we talk about the origins of Alpacka Raft, the philosophy behind packrafting, gear design, and how integrating water into your adventures fundamentally changes the way you move through the world. So whether you’re a die-hard bikepacker or just curious about adding a paddle to your setup, this one might just expand your definition of adventure.
And today, we’re going to explore what happens when you stop seeing rivers as obstacles and start seeing them as part of the route.
To support the Bike Tour Adventures podcast, follow the links below:
https://www.patreon.com/bikepackadventures or
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bikepackadventures
Join the RideWithGPS Bikepack Adventures Club
Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show.
Redshift Sports
Panorama Cycles
Find them at:
Instagram: @Alpacka_Raft
Facebook: alpackaraft
YouTube: @AlpackaRaft
Find me at…
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
ITUNES
Show Sponsors
Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.
Redshift Sports --> Redshift have focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.
Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been tested in every way imaginable.
Full Cycle Ottawa --> Full Cycle has been a staple in the Ottawa biking community since it opened its doors in 1994. Known for their passion for cycling, the team at Full Cycle isn’t just about selling bikes—they’re also avid riders themselves. They live by the motto "we ride what we sell and sell what we ride,".
BarYak Bikepacking --> BarYak was designed in 2012 to solve the problem of bikepacking bags and systems that interfered with braking and shifting performance. Where will Your BarYak Take You?
The Bert Shoe --> The pre and post activity shoe for bike-packers, hikers and other free spirits. Their shoe soles, crafted from recycled rubber, represent a harmonious blend of sustainability and social responsibility.
Ride With GPS --> Driven by pursuit of a better riding experience, founders Zack Ham and Cullen King set out to redefine the way cyclists create, navigate, and share routes.

Welcome back to the Bikepacking Essentials Mini-Series.
This series is all about the things that actually determine whether a bikepacking trip feels empowering… or miserable. Not the gear hype, not the highlight reels, just the fundamentals that make trips work.
In the first half of the series, Carl and I talked about some of the more macro aspects of biked, covering topics such as:
What bikepacking really is?
Routes: Choosing Where to Go
Bikes and Tires: What Actually Matters
Packing Systems and Gear Strategies

Now, we are going to be diving into some of the finer aspects of bikepacking, which can have profound effects on a successful bikepacking adventure, but which are not as immediately noticeable. In episode 5, we will be talking all things food, water and resupply, sharing our own personal journey in bikepacking so you can hopefully avoid some of the mistakes we've made along the way.
This series wouldn't have be possible without the support of Panorama Cycles. They have be such a massive supporter of all things Bikepack Adventures over the past 4 years, that I am forever grateful that they also supported this project.
Be sure to check them out on Instagram, YouTube and of course through their official webpage: www.panoramacycles.com
To support the Bike Tour Adventures podcast, follow the links below:
https://www.patreon.com/bikepackadventures or
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bikepackadventures
Join the RideWithGPS Bikepack Adventures Club
Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show.
Redshift Sports
Panorama Cycles
Find Carl at:
Instagram: @fork_sauce
Find me at…
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
ITUNES
Show Sponsors
Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.
Redshift Sports --> Redshift have focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.
Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been tested in every way imaginable.
Full Cycle Ottawa --> Full Cycle has been a staple in the Ottawa biking community since it opened its doors in 1994. Known for their passion for cycling, the team at Full Cycle isn’t just about selling bikes—they’re also avid riders themselves. They live by the motto "we ride what we sell and sell what we ride,".
BarYak Bikepacking --> BarYak was designed in 2012 to solve the problem of bikepacking bags and systems that interfered with braking and shifting performance. Where will Your BarYak Take You?
The Bert Shoe --> The pre and post activity shoe for bike-packers, hikers and other free spirits. Their shoe soles, crafted from recycled rubber, represent a harmonious blend of sustainability and social responsibility.
Ride With GPS --> Driven by pursuit of a better riding experience, founders Zack Ham and Cullen King set out to redefine the way cyclists create, navigate, and share routes.

Welcome back to the Bikepacking Essentials Mini-Series.
This series is all about the things that actually determine whether a bikepacking trip feels empowering… or miserable. Not the gear hype, not the highlight reels, just the fundamentals that make trips work.
In the first three episodes, Carl and I talked about what bikepacking really is and what it isn’t, how to choose the right route to go Bikepacking on and then dove head first into all things bikepacking bikes and tires.
This week we’re going to be talking about packing systems and how it plays such a large part in whether or not your bikepacking journey is successful. We'll discuss how the bag layout of your bike and weight distribution can greatly affect the ride quality of your bike, types of bags and strategies to use them as effectively as possible, common mistakes we've made so you hopefully won't have to, and how to adapt your setup for longer trips.
Hopefully, this episode with help you as you try to figure out your own optimal packing strategy, and make your bikepacking journey a resounding success.
Massive thanks to Panorama Cycles for sponsoring this series. Be sure to check them out on YouTube, Instagram and of course, at their own webpage at www.panoramacycles.com.
To support the Bike Tour Adventures podcast, follow the links below:
https://www.patreon.com/bikepackadventures or
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bikepackadventures
Join the RideWithGPS Bikepack Adventures Club
Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show.
Redshift Sports
Panorama Cycles
Find Carl at:
Instagram: @fork_sauce
Find me at…
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
ITUNES
Show Sponsors
Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.
Redshift Sports --> Redshift have focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.
Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been tested in every way imaginable.
Full Cycle Ottawa --> Full Cycle has been a staple in the Ottawa biking community since it opened its doors in 1994. Known for their passion for cycling, the team at Full Cycle isn’t just about selling bikes—they’re also avid riders themselves. They live by the motto "we ride what we sell and sell what we ride,".
BarYak Bikepacking --> BarYak was designed in 2012 to solve the problem of bikepacking bags and systems that interfered with braking and shifting performance. Where will Your BarYak Take You?
The Bert Shoe --> The pre and post activity shoe for bike-packers, hikers and other free spirits. Their shoe soles, crafted from recycled rubber, represent a harmonious blend of sustainability and social responsibility.
Ride With GPS --> Driven by pursuit of a better riding experience, founders Zack Ham and Cullen King set out to redefine the way cyclists create, navigate, and share routes.

Welcome back to the Bikepacking Essentials Mini-Series. This series is all about the things that actually determine whether a bikepacking trip feels empowering… or miserable. Not the gear hype, not the highlight reels, just the fundamentals that make trips work.
In the first two episodes, Carl and I talked about what bikepacking really is and what it isn’t, and how to choose the right route to go Bikepacking on. This week we’re going to be talking about one of the most popular topics of discussion in the bikepacking world—bikes and tires.
In this episode, we are going to talk about why the bike your already have, might just be good enough, and under what conditions you might want to consider an upgrade.
We couldn't have made this series a reality without the support of Panorama Cycles. Panorama Cycles is an independent bicycle company based in Canada and dedicated to backcountry cyclists who prefer gravel, snow and off-road trails. Be sure to check out their website, YouTube and Instagram.
Panorama Cycles Website
Panorama Cycles Instagram
To support the Bike Tour Adventures podcast, follow the links below:
https://www.patreon.com/bikepackadventures or
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bikepackadventures
Join the RideWithGPS Bikepack Adventures Club

Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show.
Redshift Sports
Panorama Cycles

Find Carl at:
Instagram: @fork_sauce

Find me at…
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
ITUNES
Show Sponsors
Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.
Redshift Sports --> Redshift have focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.
Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been tested in every way imaginable.
Full Cycle Ottawa --> Full Cycle has been a staple in the Ottawa biking community since it opened its doors in 1994. Known for their passion for cycling, the team at Full Cycle isn’t just about selling bikes—they’re also avid riders themselves. They live by the motto "we ride what we sell and sell what we ride,".
BarYak Bikepacking --> BarYak was designed in 2012 to solve the problem of bikepacking bags and systems that interfered with braking and shifting performance. Where will Your BarYak Take You?
The Bert Shoe --> The pre and post activity shoe for bike-packers, hikers and other free spirits. Their shoe soles, crafted from recycled rubber, represent a harmonious blend of sustainability and social responsibility.
Ride With GPS --> Driven by pursuit of a better riding experience, founders Zack Ham and Cullen King set out to redefine the way cyclists create, navigate, and share routes.

Welcome back to the Bikepacking Essentials Mini-Series. This series is all about the things that actually determine whether a bikepacking trip feels empowering… or miserable. Not the gear hype, not the highlight reels, just the fundamentals that make trips work.
In the first episode, Carl and I talked about what bikepacking really is and what it isn’t. We spent some time resetting expectations, because a lot of riders end up frustrated simply because they thought the experience would feel different than it actually does.
This week we’re moving into something that probably has an even bigger impact on your trip than your bike or your gear. The route you choose. Because the truth is, most bikepacking trips don’t go sideways because of bad equipment. They go sideways because the route didn’t match the rider, the time available, or the expectations going in. So in this episode we’re talking about how to choose where to go. How terrain, elevation, and remoteness completely change what a day on the bike feels like. When it makes sense to follow established routes, and when building your own route might actually make more sense. Most importantly, we’re going to talk about planning routes that make you want to do this again. Because the best bikepacking trips aren’t the ones that nearly break you, they’re the ones that make you start thinking about the next ride before you’ve even unpacked.
We couldn't have made this series a reality without the support of Panorama Cycles. Panorama Cycles is an independent bicycle company based in Canada and dedicated to backcountry cyclists who prefer gravel, snow and off-road trails. Be sure to check out their website, YouTube and Instagram.
Panorama Cycles Website
Panorama Cycles Instagram
To support the Bike Tour Adventures podcast, follow the links below:
https://www.patreon.com/bikepackadventures or
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bikepackadventures
Join the RideWithGPS Bikepack Adventures Club
Use these affiliate links to help cover the costs of running the show.
Redshift Sports
Find Carl at:
Instagram: @fork_sauce
Find me at…
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
ITUNES
Show Sponsors
Panorama Cycles --> They believe that cycling is a catalyst for adventures, no matter how small they can be. No need to travel across the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoors adventures.
Redshift Sports --> Redshift have focused on taking a different approach to product development - drawing on their own experiences and needs to create components that make a meaningful difference to the riding experience. Use code BPA15 to save 15% at checkout.
Tailfin Cycling --> Tailfin Cycling is a technical bikepacking equipment company that really thinks outside the box when creating new bikepacking gear. They create long-lasting products that have been tested in every way imaginable.
Full Cycle Ottawa --> Full Cycle has been a staple in the Ottawa biking community since it opened its doors in 1994. Known for their passion for cycling, the team at Full Cycle isn’t just about selling bikes—they’re also avid riders themselves. They live by the motto "we ride what we sell and sell what we ride,".
BarYak Bikepacking --> BarYak was designed in 2012 to solve the problem of bikepacking bags and systems that interfered with braking and shifting performance. Where will Your BarYak Take You?
The Bert Shoe --> The pre and post activity shoe for bike-packers, hikers and other free spirits. Their shoe soles, crafted from recycled rubber, represent a harmonious blend of sustainability and social responsibility.
Ride With GPS --> Driven by pursuit of a better riding experience, founders Zack Ham and Cullen King set out to redefine the way cyclists create, navigate, and share routes.