The Minimal Gear Team's Best Gear Hacks for Backpacking, Bikepacking, and More

Our newest brand Cowboy Camping is born of gear DIYs - we love a gear hack that adds value to existing gear or creates new gear for cheap. Ultralight outdoor gear - for bikepacking, backpacking, and everything in between - is wildly expensive, so a cheap do-it-yourself idea should be shared, not gatekept. 

It’s with that spirit that the Minimal Gear team has shared their best DIY outdoor gear hacks! Read on for tips, inspiration, or a rewarding project! 

Kyle:

I'm not a fan of tying my trail runners, especially when it's cold and wet.  So whenever I purchase new trail runners, I swap the stock laces out with a set of speed laces I made myself with a length of microcord and a fastener.  Works great and is an extremely cheap upgrade to your favorite trail shoes. 

Ben:

Frame bags have become a bikepacking essential, but over time the Velcro straps can wear away your frame's paint and finish. A great DIY hack is self-fusing silicone grip tape ($10 at your local hardware store), which wraps around your frame to create a protective barrier against the bag straps. It protects your bike from abrasion, removes cleanly without leaving residue, and costs around $50 less than dedicated frame tape. 

Sadie:

I sew my own bikepacking gear while partnering with PolyCore Solutions to utilize their water-borne material solutions to provide a more eco-conscious waterproof coating. I also love to pack fun snacks while bikepacking, like Nerds Gummy Clusters or the coveted meat stick/beef jerky stick! I am also interested in exploring new areas of bikepacking that work more with a back rack vs a saddle bag. 

Gilad:

As a father of 2 kids that have been living the UL life all their life, finding backpacks is hard: child-sized packs are either very expensive or way too heavy. To solve this, I have leaned heavily to the MYOG world and made them backpacks based on the 40L Mountain Flyer. To make those work I adjusted sizes (60%, 75% or 85% sizing) and we are now at round two of packs. Best part: the kids get to pick their colors!

Nick: 

You don’t need the perfect bike to go bikepacking. Squeeze the most out of your current ride before buying a new one!  I take out my daily commuter (a 2016 Trek 520) with the widest tires I can fit. 

And last:

Our brand Cowboy Camping was designed to take one of the most common ultralight gear DIY materials, HDPE flashspun fabric (often sold as Tyvek), and taking out any needed sewing or cutting. Looking for quality buy inexpensive ultralight gear that won’t force you to purchase a sewing machine? Check out what we’ve got! 

Got a great gear hack or DIY? Share it below - we’d love to hear it! Happy DIYing.