A new challenge kicks off next month, and the idea is simple: take one bikepacking trip every month for a year. The Bikepack Every Month Challenge is the brainchild of Kurt Refsnider, who recently became the first to ride the entire 5,000-mile Orogenesis trail last year. He also completed his own 12-month bikepacking challenge for the first time in 2025.
“I’ve been bikepacking and traveling by bike for nearly 20 years, and I can’t believe it took this whole time to finally get out 12 months in a row, or how rewarding it was,” Kurt says. “I really wish I had made the effort to do this years ago. And I’m excited to do it again as part of this challenge!”
So what counts as a bikepacking trip? Basically, it’s any overnighter that involves some off-road travel by bike. For some riders, that means hauling camping and cooking gear for a totally self-supported trip, while for others it could involve riding hut-to-hut, staying in motels, or crashing at a friend’s place along the way. With 12 trips to accomplish during the year, most riders will probably end up doing all of the above.
The experience is a gift, and there are prizes too
As anyone who has bikepacked or completed a similar challenge knows, the experience is a reward unto itself. But if that’s not enough, the Bikepack Every Month Challenge has prizes, too. Sponsors, including Old Man Mountain, Wolf Tooth, Revelate, Industry Nine, Fenix, Pivot, and Ergon, have donated prizes to be awarded via random drawing. Riders can submit details about their rides online to be entered to win.
Erik Fenner of Old Man Mountain tells Singletracks he built the online mapping and ride-share tool, and he hopes the routes help connect and inspire others. “I think this will be a really great tool for the bikepacking community to find each other in the real world and celebrate all bikepacking rides.”
The challenge begins in April, which gives northern hemisphere riders a good six or seven months before it starts getting cold again. Hopefully, by then, bikepacking will become a habit, which should make getting out the door a little easier.
Are you in? Sound off in the comments below. 👇
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