The most notorious beginning of bikepacking was the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps Unit in 1896, commanded by Lt. James A. Moss. The unit was formed to test the combat ability of soldiers mounted on bicycles. They traveled 1,900 miles from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri in June 1897 in the grueling summer heat, facing contaminated water sources, mixed terrain, and harsh weather all while carrying their belongings, nutrition, and equipment. Their bikes were equipped with frame bags and handlebar bags, much like you see today.
They realized fighting a war on bikes wasn’t sustainable. Then the automobile was invented.
Fast forward to the summer of 1976. Greg and June Siple, organized a mass cross-country bike ride called “Bikecentennial” to celebrate the bicentennial founding of the United States. Around 1,750 cyclists signed up to ride across the United States on the TransAmerican Bicycle Trail, starting in Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia, a total of 4,250 miles. From the success of the Bikecentennial summer, the founders began creating long-distance bike routes throughout the United States. The organization is now known as the Adventure Cycling Association.
People started using Adventure Cycling Association’s routes to do their own cycle touring. Most stuck to paved roads until the mountain bike was invented.
Joe Breeze is credited for bringing the first mountain bike to the market in 1978 after taking pieces of different bikes and putting them together. As mountain biking’s popularity grew, the Adventure Cycling Association published The Great Divide Mountain bike Route in 1998. The first Tour Divide race was in 2009 and bikepacking has grown in popularity ever since.