"Bikepacking," coined by
Noel Grove, a National Geographic staff writer, was first used to describe the Hemistour Bicycling Expedition in NG's
May 1973 issue. "Bikepacking Across
Alaska and Canada," described a long-distance bicycle tour, partly on gravel and partly on pavement. No weight was carried on the rider's backs--it was all hauled via panniers and handlebar bags, or strapped across the luggage racks. Weight carried varied from 35-60 pounds per rider, depending on the quantity of food and
water carried. Hemistour, comprised of 30 riders who rode varying distances, traveled from Alaska to
Argentina, and was the first north to south bicycle tour of the Western Hemisphere. The term "bikepacking" has nothing to do with the age of the rider, nor the pace of the rider, nor the number of
miles ridden per
day. It has more to do with the intention of riding long distance (touring), and being self-sufficient. No rules dictate what bikepacking is, but on Hemistour no motorized support was utilized, most overnights were camping out, and quite a
bit of the cooking was done over a camp stove.
--June J. Siple, Hemistour rider
No
rules dictate what bikepacking is, but on the Hemistour Bicycling Expedition no motorized support was utilized, most overnights were camping out, and most of the
cooking was done over a camp
stove.
