There’s a lot of chatter on cycling specific webpages, bike shop banter, trailhead discussions and wandering daydreams about bikepacking but what exactly is it? Wikipedia has a few entries, but the tried-and-true Merriam Webster Dictionary hasn’t even recognized this term in its lexicon yet. We’ll peel back the layers on this bikepacking thing and share tips on how you can get started but know that this sport is simply another amazing way to get outside and move from point A to point B in a new way.

We’re on the doorsteps of the holiday gift giving season which means different things to different people. I’m stereotyping, but adults perpetually cringe at getting another uninspiring pair of undies or a regifted candle while kids absolutely lose their marbles to tear open whatever new toy or gizmo has recently hit the market.

I freshly celebrated my 40th BDay so I’m squarely in the camp of “I don’t want any more chintzy crap for Christmas this year”. What I do want, is more gear … and I want lots of it. I want more bikes for paved tarmac, fresh gravel, and tacky singletrack. I want more boats to paddle flatwater and rapid laced rivers. I want the latest running shoes for casual neighborhood jogs, long-distance trail sessions, and scrambling up peaked ridgelines.
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2022 was a banner year for me when it comes to adding more outdoor gear to my arsenal. I feel like a footie-pajama wearing, snot nosed kid, on Christmas morning and I can't wait to show and tell.

It didn't take long before we were hiding in the bushes. Heavy machinery and watchful eyes lumbered down the rocky road below us. I suppose that's what we deserve for attempting to ride a closed road. But to our credit, we were on bikes and obviously, traffic rules don't apply. My brother, laying horizontal behind a log on an exposed hillside, couldn’t stop smiling. He was able to briefly escape the turmoil of medical school at the University of Washington to join me in Idaho for an annual get-together. This year’s objective was to ski the Devil’s Bedstead, a prominent peak in the Pioneer mountains of Central Idaho. 

I’ll be honest; this Journal Entry is self-fulfilling. I’ll be honest again, explaining our deeper approach to Human Powered Movement merch and business in general is wildly more important than making a few extra bucks on swag. It’s no surprise to anyone that follows HPM that we are outspoken and unashamed tree hugging eco-lovers. Here’s why it’s so important to us.