And always apply a protective glass screen, like those from Zagg. Loksaks are cheap and work very well too, if you’re on a budget. Watch out for dust and rain though, unless you use a Lifeproof case with their Life Active Bike Mount. Gossamer Gear does a nice shoulder strap pocket, or there are mounts that attach to the handlebars.

If you’re keeping it on your body, smaller phones can be more travel-friendly than the ‘phablets’, even if the latter have enticingly large screens.

Stowing it in a Bedrock Tapeats, for quick and easy one-handed access, is a favourite method. There are various ways to carry your phone. But given that there are plenty of places in the world where quality maps are hard to come by, delving into the world of GPS, smartphones and apps will open up a great deal of potential in your bikepacking explorations. Of course, paper maps are a valuable resource too, and we’d always recommending carrying one as a backup when you can. This means that as long as you’ve pre-downloaded basemaps or even just gpx file – via wifi at home – you’ll still be able to locate yourself and navigate even the most complex bikepacking routes. Although the combined efforts of both – Assisted GPS – is a faster and a more accurate way of figuring out exactly where you are, the smart phone’s GPS works perfectly well when your adventures take you into the wonderful world that lies beyond the range of cell towers. Modern day smartphones incorporate both a cell antenna and GPS antenna. The best GPS could be the one you already own…Ĭhances are, you don’t need to buy a GPS.

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