Bikepacking food and water: how much to carry and where to resupply
Work out how much food and water to carry between refills, plan resupply on remote routes, and make wild water safe.
The short answer
Carry enough bikepacking food and water to reach the next reliable shop or tap, plus a margin. Sports-nutrition bodies suggest 30–60 g (1–2 oz) of carbohydrate an hour on rides of 1–2.5 hours, and up to 90 g (3 oz) on longer ones. Sweat losses run 0.3–2.4 litres (10–81 fl oz) an hour, so heat and effort change everything.
Key takeaways
- Mark every reliable refill first. The longest gap decides how much you carry.
- Sports-nutrition guidance is 30–60 g of carbohydrate an hour, up to 90 g on very long rides.
- Heat, climbing and headwinds all raise your needs. A headwind also adds hours.
- Boil wild water, or filter it and then disinfect it.
- Fat holds 9 kcal a gram; carbohydrate and protein hold 4.
Definitions
- Resupply
- A stop where you can buy food and refill water, such as a shop, café, tap or staffed campsite.
- Sweat rate
- How much fluid your body loses as sweat in an hour, which varies with effort, heat, fitness and the person.
- MET
- A metabolic equivalent, the energy cost of an activity compared with sitting quietly, about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour.
How much food and water do you need while bikepacking?
Bikepacking food and water needs depend on how long, how hard and how hot you ride, so experts give hourly ranges. This page is part of our guide to bikepacking for beginners.
These figures come from the 2016 joint position of Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):
| What | Per hour | Over 6 riding hours |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate, rides of 1–2.5 hours | 30–60 g (1–2 oz) | 180–360 g (6–13 oz) |
| Carbohydrate, rides over 2.5–3 hours | Up to 90 g (3 oz) | Up to 540 g (19 oz) |
| Fluid plan suiting most athletes | 0.4–0.8 litres (14–27 fl oz) | 2.4–4.8 litres (0.6–1.3 US gallons) |
| Sweat losses | 0.3–2.4 litres (10–81 fl oz) | 1.8–14.4 litres (0.5–3.8 US gallons) |
For energy, the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities rates moderate dirt-road riding at 5.8 METs. The World Health Organization puts one MET at about 1 kcal per kilogram per hour. So a 70 kg (154 lb) rider uses about 2,400 kcal (10,200 kJ) in six riding hours.
These are guides for healthy adults, not medical advice. Your needs vary with heat, effort and your body.
How do heat, climbing and headwinds change the numbers?
They all raise them. Heat adds sweat, climbs add effort, and headwinds add hours.
- Heat. At Mojave National Preserve, California, the US National Park Service tells cyclists to carry two US gallons (7.6 litres) a person a day. See cycling in the heat.
- Climbing. The Compendium rates vigorous uphill mountain biking at 14 METs: about 980 kcal (4,100 kJ) an hour for that 70 kg (154 lb) rider.
- Headwinds. A 20 km/h (12 mph) headwind can turn a four-hour ride into 6 hours 40 minutes, as our headwind numbers show. Each extra hour needs food and water.
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How do you plan resupply on a remote route?
Mark every reliable shop, tap, staffed campsite and spring first. The longest gap between them decides how much you carry.
Turn each gap into riding hours with a loaded pace from how far to bikepack in a day, then multiply by your hourly needs.
| Route or region | What the route body or land manager says |
|---|---|
| Great Divide, Canada and US | Towns every two to three days, with limited services. Carry 11–15 litres (3–4 US gallons) a person from Pinedale towards Rawlins, Wyoming. |
| Munda Biddi Trail, Western Australia | Shelters with water tanks every 40–60 km (25–37 miles). Carry at least 2–3 litres (0.5–0.8 US gallons) a day. |
| Icelandic highlands | True wilderness, with no services. |
| Outback New South Wales, Australia | At least 4 litres (1 US gallon) a person a day, plus 20 litres (5.3 US gallons) for emergencies, for vehicle travellers. |
Our Great Divide guide covers that route's gaps in full.
How much should you carry across a two-day dry stretch?
Work it out leg by leg from riding hours. Take an illustrative 140 km (87 mile) gap between towns, with one campground tap at 80 km (50 miles), on a hot day.
You ride loaded at 12 km/h (7.5 mph), inside the Adventure Cycling Association's off-road range, and plan on 0.8 litres (27 fl oz) and 60 g (2 oz) of carbohydrate an hour.
| Leg | Distance, km (miles) | Riding time | Water, litres (US gallons) | Carbohydrate, g (oz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town to tap | 80 (50) | 6 h 40 min | 5.3 (1.4) | 400 (14) |
| Tap to town | 60 (37) | 5 h | 4 (1.1) | 300 (11) |
Add a third for heat and headwind, and you leave town with about 7 litres (1.8 US gallons). That's 7 kg (15 lb), so carry it low, as bikepacking bags explained shows. If the tap might be dry, you'd need 9.3 litres (2.5 US gallons) before any margin, so ring ahead.
How should you treat water from streams and tanks?
Boil it, or filter it and then disinfect it. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains why:
- Boiling kills all germs: 1 minute at a rolling boil, or 3 minutes above about 2,000 m (6,500 ft).
- Filters of 1 micron or smaller remove parasites, but not bacteria or viruses.
- Chlorine and iodine kill bacteria and viruses, but not parasites well.
- UV light needs small amounts of clear water.
Adventure Cycling calls a high-quality filter mandatory on the Great Divide, one per rider.
What food packs well for bikepacking?
Dense food that survives squashing. Fat carries the most energy per gram.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's general factors give fat 37 kJ (9 kcal) a gram, and carbohydrate and protein 17 kJ (4 kcal). Nuts, nut butter, cheese and oil pack the most. Carbohydrate fuels the riding, so add oats, tortillas, rice and dried fruit, tested on training rides first. In bear country, store food away from your tent.
How do you know your plan is working?
Check your weight, urine and energy, then adjust.
The position paper says 1 kg (2.2 lb) lost on a ride is about 1 litre (34 fl oz) of sweat, and that losses above 2% of body weight can hurt endurance. The NHS suggests aiming for clear, pale yellow urine. Don't overdrink, and eat earlier if you fade every afternoon. Then read bikepacking weather and our bikepacking gear list.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do you burn bikepacking?
Roughly 2,400–3,600 kcal (10,200–14,900 kJ) in six riding hours for a 70 kg (154 lb) rider. That's from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which rates moderate riding on dirt roads at 5.8 METs and general mountain biking at 8.5. Heavier riders, steep climbs and fast paces burn more. Camp, sleep and the rest of the day come on top.
Do you need electrolytes on a bikepacking trip?
Sometimes. The 2016 sports-nutrition position from Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the ACSM says sodium should be taken during exercise when sweat sodium losses are large: high sweat rates above 1.2 litres (41 fl oz) an hour, salty sweat, or exercise over 2 hours. Salty food counts. It doesn't give a dose for everyone, so test what suits you at home.
Can you drink too much water on a long ride?
Yes. The same position paper says drinking more than you lose in sweat and urine is the main cause of hyponatraemia, a low blood sodium level that can be dangerous. Recreational athletes, and women in particular, appear more at risk. Drink to replace what you're losing, not as much as you can, and get prompt medical help for confusion, vomiting or headache.
How much food should you carry between resupply points?
Enough for every riding hour and every camp meal until the next shop, plus a spare day. Small-town shops can be shut, sold out or poorly stocked: on the Great Divide, Adventure Cycling warns that food often comes from convenience stores and campground groceries with limited supplies. Plan the spare day as food you'd happily eat cold, because it may be dinner.
Is water from campsite tanks safe to drink?
Treat it unless a sign says it's drinking water. The Munda Biddi Trail Foundation in Western Australia, whose campsites each have rainwater tanks, advises riders to treat that water with a filter or purification tablets. Filtering and then disinfecting, or boiling, covers the most germs. Always carry enough to reach the next source in case a tank is empty.
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Make a free ride page →Sources and method
- Dietitians of Canada, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American College of Sports Medicine (2016). Nutrition and athletic performance: joint position paper (revised December 2016)
- Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (2024). 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: bicycling
- World Health Organization (2013). Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) analysis guide
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2003). Food energy: methods of analysis and conversion factors, chapter 3
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). About water treatment options when hiking, camping, or traveling
- NHS (2023). Water, drinks and your health
- US National Park Service, Mojave National Preserve (2026). Safety
- Adventure Cycling Association (2026). Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
- Adventure Cycling Association (2024). How far can I ride in a day? (pace chart)
- Munda Biddi Trail Foundation (2026). How much water to pack for the Munda Biddi Trail?
- Munda Biddi Trail Foundation (2026). About the trail
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2026). Six tips for surviving in the outback (updated September 2026)
- Safetravel (ICE-SAR, Iceland) (2026). Biking in Iceland
Energy: MET values are from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (bicycling on dirt or farm road, moderate pace, 5.8; mountain biking, general, 8.5; mountain biking, uphill, vigorous, 14.0). The WHO GPAQ analysis guide defines 1 MET as about 1 kcal per kg per hour. So a 70 kg (154 lb) rider for 6 hours: 5.8 × 70 × 6 = 2,436 kcal, given as about 2,400 kcal; 8.5 × 70 × 6 = 3,570 kcal, about 3,600 kcal. Per hour: 5.8 × 70 = 406 kcal, about 410; 14 × 70 = 980 kcal. The 70 kg rider is an illustration, not a typical or target weight. kJ = kcal × 4.184, rounded. Carbohydrate and fluid per 6 hours are the position paper's hourly figures × 6. Worked example: the route is illustrative, not a real one. The 12 km/h (7.5 mph) pace sits inside the Adventure Cycling Association pace chart's off-road range of 5–10 mph (8–16 km/h). Riding time = distance ÷ 12 km/h: 80 km = 6 h 40 min; 60 km = 5 h; 140 km = 11 h 40 min. Water = hours × 0.8 litres, the top of the position paper's typical 0.4–0.8 litres an hour: 6.67 × 0.8 = 5.3 litres; 5 × 0.8 = 4 litres; 11.67 × 0.8 = 9.3 litres. Carbohydrate = hours × 60 g: 400 g and 300 g. The one-third margin for heat and headwind is our planning rule of thumb, not a sourced figure: 5.3 × 4/3 = 7.1 litres, given as about 7 litres; 4 × 4/3 = 5.3 litres. A litre of water weighs 1 kg. Conversions: 1 litre = 33.8 US fl oz = 0.264 US gallons; 1 US gallon = 3.785 litres; 1 oz = 28.35 g; 1 kg = 2.205 lb; 1 mile = 1.609 km; 6,500 ft = 1,981 m, given as about 2,000 m. Great Divide water: 3–4 US gallons = 11–15 litres. Munda Biddi shelters: 40–60 km = 25–37 miles. All intake figures are general guidance from the named bodies, not medical advice.
About the author
Wes Thomson, Founder, Windline. Wes Thomson builds Windline, live wind and weather forecasts timed to when riders reach each stretch of road. He built it for his own 2,093 km tour from Pont Drift to Cape Town, and writes these guides with the same focus: what the wind will do to your ride, and how to plan around it.