Bear Necessities Bikepacking
Location: Starts in Epping, NH
Route: Bikepacking, mixed terrain, quite a lot of dirt under your tires
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain
Date & Time: Saturday & Sunday September 19-20, 2026
Distance: 70 miles total over 2 days
Price: $75 per person for bikepacking. $25 for the day gravel ride (no bikepacking included).
Must be a NEER member to participate (this keeps the price down for everyone since we don’t have to buy extra insurance; become a member!) The bikepacking option is likely to fill up. No charge for those who come for the day of riding.
Non-Riding family/friend option! See details below.
Description: Bear Necessities is a great day ride and it’s combined with bikepacking for those who want to camp, test their gear, enjoy spending time with other cyclists of similar interests at camp.
This is a 100% new route that we just developed! We’ve never run this route before and it’s in an area where other rides/events aren’t common so it’s very likely to be almost all new terrain to you, even if you live near this area in NH. It’s an impressive percent gravel/dirt vs pavement.
This is a great way to test your bikepacking setup, enjoy camping with others of similar cycling interests, and share the experience with your friends. Get into bikepacking before the warm season is over!
Enjoy ~32 miles of mixed terrain riding on Saturday, ~38 miles Sunday
This is not a catered trip, we’re not bringing stuff to camp for anyone but we do have the basics for fire starting and boiling water which you’re welcome to use.
We’re buying all of the firewood and keeping the fire warm while we’re enjoying time at camp together.
We’re providing knowledge and ideas, ask questions and we’ll get you answers.
Self-sufficiency is important! You are expected to be able to fix mechanical issues or ride with friends who can help each other out.
We’re providing a comprehensive packing list so you know what to bring and are prepared for this and any bikepacking trip.
Photo from a warm bikepacking trip fire and post-ride feasting/post-ride food coma Saturday night.
Route Information
Distance: 70 miles total over two days for bikepackers, 70 miles in one day for the day-gravel riders.
Territory: Southern NH - Epping, NH start/end
Gear Packing Options: You must bring your stuff on your bike BUT there is parking at the campground if you want someone to drive and bring your camp gear to you.
When:
19 & 20 September 2026. Saturday and Sunday.
Where we start & Where we Camp:
The ride start is in Epping, NH. There’s a commuter parking lot for your car to stay overnight. The parking lot is free and overnight parking is fine.
9am Saturday - Grand Depart - Full group rollout from the parking lot
9am Sunday - Depart from Camp for the second leg of the journey
Why:
Organized bikepacking trips are hard to find and it’s nice to have the opportunity to test your equipment, figure out how to pack your bike, etc.
Registration:
For the bikepacking trip, please Register at the NEER store!
Questions?Email us at connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com
Who can do the Bear Necessities Ride?
Any fit and competent cyclist with equipment that meets our minimum requirements and who is willing to abide by basic riding safety rules may participate. There are no time cut offs, you’re welcome to take your time. As much as possible, we want people to ride together. However, when everyone has a loaded bike, people tend to get spread out on the route. Come prepared to ride alone and if it turns out that you get to ride with people, great! If you prefer to ride alone, no one will take it personally.
All who register to participate in this ride will receive the following pre-ride:
Equipment Checklist: This is a comprehensive list of what NEER recommends for participants to have on bike and body. It also includes a list of items we find useful on self-supported multi-day rides for your knowledge and you’re welcome to add whatever you wish for this ride.
Logistics, Route & Route Notes by 7pm Thursday, September 17: You’ll understand where you’re headed, where to be when, where camping is happening, and more.
Waiver: This ride is being insured by NEER’s insurance. Your NEER waiver covers your participation on this ride.
All details subject to change, all who register will receive every communication by email.
Ride with Your Friend Group or with the NEER Super Domestique
We’re happy if you and your friends want to ride together. There’s no need to ride with anyone specifically.
Slower Riders
NEER has a Super Domestique who will ride with anyone who wants a more mellow pace as the Super Domestique is loading a fat bike with fat tires on it. This means that if you’re a less fast rider, someone will very likely be behind you sweeping the route and you are unlikely to be the last rider.
Solo Riders
Solo riders must have their own GPS navigation device with backup battery to charge the unit if necessary.
Ride as fast or slow as you wish, it’s a little nicer if you’re a solo rider to head out earlier before everyone else so that you see others during the day and it’s a .
Display your location
We will have ALL riders display their location on the route via Life360 (not necessary to pay for an account for this), it helps us know where everyone is throughout the day for the safety and convenience this offers. This will take a little more battery life from your cell phone, so a backup battery is essential.
Non-Riding Significant Other Camping Option / Bringing your Family
Please let us know if you’ll have someone meeting you at camp. That person should register like a rider, but mention in registration that they won’t be riding. This is the (only) way to get your camp stuff to camp without being a bikepacker.
Spacers are not unlimited, thus we have to charge a non-riding significant other the same as a bikepacker.
Contact Information - Call 413-461-7433 if it’s urgent
Email us with questions at connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.
CALL US if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433.
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes. Ring our phone please with urgent anything!!!
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by these Rules. Registering for this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Proper Bike & Equipment
There are quite a few bikes and setups that work great for bikepacking and gravel riding on terrain you’ll find on this ride. Your choices will potentially impact your speed relative to others. We don’t care how fast/slow you ride, this is up to you, as long as you are on a safe bike with minimum basics and arrive before sunset on both Saturday and Sunday.
Required: A bike with 40mm tires or wider. Mountain, gravel, fat, CX bikes are all acceptable. Ideally, the bike will have 40mm knobby tires or bigger.
Required: Flat pedals or mountain-style pedals should be used, no road pedals/shoes.
Required: A GPS computer with the route loaded ahead of time if you’re riding solo. If you’re riding with a friend group, the group must have 2 GPS computers among members.
Required: Backup battery to charge GPS computer and phone during the ride. (There is no electricity to recharge things at camp.)
Required: Sign-on to Life360 or other service that you share with us so we can see your location you when you’re riding. We’ll share connection info with you in the pre-ride information email.
Required: A bike that’s in safe working order that has been recently tuned and is free of creaking and squeaking. The chain should be lubed just prior to the ride. Squeaky chains and noisy bikes are unacceptable because it means there is something wrong with your bike and more might be wrong.
Required: All of the tools for typical mechanicals. These are on the Gear Checklist you’ll receive when you register. Lots of extra “nice to haves” are on the Checklist too!
Required: Cell phone and a plan to get back to your car in case your bike or body stops working - we cannot offer rides to anyone (per insurance requirements) and there won’t be a vehicle on the route.
Required: Two full water bottles/other vessel with at least this much water at the start of the ride
Required: Front and rear lights (do not need to be turned on if visibility is good but available), reflector on ankle or pedal. Visibility is always a good thing for safety regardless of weather or time of day. Lights are important at camp too!
Nice to have: Extra calories in your pockets to get you to stores where you can buy more.
Change of clothes to wear after the ride at camp and for sleeping so you’re comfy!