Please use this as a jumping-off point for your own safety learning, this is in no means a full comprehensive guide to staying safe while bikepacking.
It can become very difficult to turn around and re-route a trip when you are 60KM down a logging road and think you just need to hike-a-bike another hour to get over the mountain pass just in view. Unfortunately there could be 20KM of sandy FSR with creek crossings and washed out bridges before you reach your next camp/resupply point.
Be aware of the sunk cost fallacy.
Many routes shown on this map are incredibly remote and unmaintained. Combined with our rough winters, blowdowns, floods etc. it’s necessary to be prepared for anything even if there’s a positive trip report from just a few months back. A 40 KM stretch of backroads can vary from a easy 2 hour ride to an 20+ hour hike-a-bike.
While we have SAR available to save use in emergencies it’s important that we do everything we can ahead of time to avoid situations that lead to having to use SAR.
Taking a First Aid or Wilderness specific course is highly recommended, in the event of a crash some of that knowledge may just lead you to saving a life. Similarly, with the extra first aid info you will be able to more easily identify life threatening situations. That being said, if you are ever unsure if something may be life threatening always contact SAR.
The further you travel on the backroads the more prepared you will need to be for a mechanical. 40KM by bike is a few hours but a day and a half hike.
Here’s a few important techniques to be well versed in: