I have started the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route with only 3 days / 2 nights of bikepacking experience. And that was mainly for testing some bags, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and the tent I bought. I based my decision on reading a lot of experiences from others and thinking about what might work for me. Nevertheless, I am still happy with the decision in bike & gear I made. I had no issues during my ride and would not mind using the same setup again. However, I am making some changes compared to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route setup. Mainly because of convenience and luxury.
Bags
During the GDMBR ride I used a typical bikepacking saddlebag mounted to my seat-post and saddle. I provided lots of space and I had no issue with any wiggling of the bag. My bike companion used panniers. I did not like to two bags at the side and lots of the weight on the back side of the bike only. But I was a bit envy on the accessibility of the content of the bags. My saddlebag was great, as long as you did not need to open it during a ride. Unroll, add/get something, roll-up, let air out, tighten straps. A really great combination of both methods, is the Tailfin rack & bag. They have various combinations and I like the alloy rack (because of the triple bosses) and the AP20 Trunk bag, which can be removed from the rack in a few seconds. Access is from the top, so very convenient.
I will also change my top tube bag. The previous one is also not bad, but the one from Tailfin is more waterproof (flip-top), more sturdy, and can be opened really well single-handed. The change is expensive, and has a slight weight penalty, but it brings convenience.
This time I will leave the Accessory Bag at home. Normally it is placed on top of the handlebar roll. I found the bag a bit cumbersome and it could not contain that much if you still want to have it closed properly. I think the new Tailfin bag(s) will make up for the ‘lost’ space.
Tools
I have replaced my regular chain breaker tool with a Lezyne Multi Chain Pliers. This great little tool is slight lighter, and has more functions. Besides a chain breaker, it also has a chain pliers (for opening and closing quick-links), a valve core tool, bottle opener, rotor aligner, and magnetic holders for up to two spare quick links.
For fixing tubeless tires I had a simple tool for inserting beacon strips into punctures. However, I’ve read about the Dynaplug tools, and saw someone use it on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. This made me decide to get a Dynaplug Racer Pro myself. I’ve never had to use such a tool at all, but once I have to, I want it to be as easy as possible.
Another change I made to my tools is that I will replace my knife with a lightweight multi-tool that includes pliers, knife, bit holder, etc. Since I will be even more remote, I want to be a little more flexible with my tooling when required.
Electronics
This time I will not bring a tablet and camera. I will use my phone for that. This is an incredible weight saver (about 1.5kg). Updating the website via a phone is a little cumbersome, but I have created a telegram bot which hopefully makes my life a lot easier (creating and updating content via a private telegram chat). I will take a second (old) phone as a spare, just in case. This second phone can also be used to backup photos from the primary phone.
I took two power-banks with me on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and I used only one. I re-considered but since the Western Wildlands Route is even more remote, I opt for taking two again.
Miscellaneous
Since the Western Wildlands Route is more remote, and also going through desert(-like) environments, I need more capacity for carrying water. On the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route I used: 2x bottle (750ml) and 2x water blatter (2l). Sometimes combined with an extra bottle Gatorade. This time I will add 2x 1.5l Nalgene bottles, and a 1l bottle on the down-tube which I already own.
I will bring again my Jetboil stove to be able to quickly cook water. I will not bring a bowl anymore. I maybe have used it once on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride. So far, I have been able to warm up the food in the packaging in came in (noodle meals / soups, rise, etc.).
I also did not use a can opener, so I will leave that one at home as well. Now that I bring a multi-tool I probably can use that one in case it is required.