INTRODUCTION: After six years of life as a couple and great adventures of bikepacking lived with her partner, our ambassador Louise Philipovitch shares her experience to make bikepacking for two a little more fluid... and above all more pleasant!
Sharing a small narrow tent, sometimes spending several days without washing, being together 24 hours a day: bikepacking as a couple can represent many challenges, and there are many moments that could make the true love falter!
For Justin and me, bikepacking came very early in our relationship. From our fourth date, we are off for four days of micro-adventure in wild camping. Suffice to say that it was quite an introduction, and a great way to get to know each other... and quickly find out if things clicked between us!
Our budding relationship having survived this little test, our love has been confirmed and deepened over the years. We very quickly understood that the outdoors and cycling adventures would be an integral part of our life together.
In 2022, we cycled for six months through various European mountain ranges: the Picos de Europa, the Pyrenees, the Alps, before continuing to the Moroccan Atlas. Then, in 2024, we crossed the Caucasus mountains, in Georgia and in Armenia. Finally, in 2025, we experienced the most intense and demanding cycling trip of our lives: three months in the West and the Canadian North, through particularly isolated regions, notably with an expedition on the Canol Heritage Trail, an old road abandoned since the Second World War and today almost impassable.
All these adventures have been absolutely exceptional to live as a couple, and I realize how lucky I am to have a partner who is attracted by the same type of trip as me: remote, committed, involving a lot of hike-a-bike and sometimes serious doubts about what we are doing here! But each trip also brought its share of misunderstandings, arguments and compromises. Because that’s also what life as a couple is about.
Here are some things I remember from all these years of traveling together.
Clarify the expectations before departure
What kind of travel do we want to experience?
The best is for each person to take stock on their own with what they really expect from the trip. Are we mainly looking for a physical challenge and to surpass ourselves? Or rather a quiet trip, where we take the time to stop regularly to take pictures, talk with people met along the way and enjoy the moment?
Do we prefer an already fully planned itinerary, with well-established bookings and logistics, or on the contrary leave room for improvisation and last-minute changes?
Clarifying these elements in advance avoids a lot of frustration once on the road.
Know your expectations regarding comfort
Comfort can mean a lot of different things for different people. Where do we want to sleep? How often do we want to wash? What type of food really makes us feel good after several days outside? How often do we want to wash our clothes?
If one of the couple is menstruating, it may also be relevant to occasionally provide a room or a place with access to more comfortable facilities.
And when I talk about comfort, I also talk about safety. Some places seemed quite correct to set up the tent for one of us, while the other did not feel comfortable there. The same goes for some technical terrains or more challenging sections.
Clarifying these boundaries and needs is essential to avoid situations of stress, discomfort or fear.
Learn to manage different rhythms
This is probably one of the biggest challenges of cycling as a couple: finding a common rhythm.
Especially when there is a difference in altitude. I hardly know any couple where the two people drive at exactly the same speed, both uphill and downhill. And when you cross mountain ranges with several passes a day, it can quickly become a challenge!
So I would recommend to drive together before the trip in order to identify the moments when the rhythms differ the most, but also to discuss the daily mileage and elevation gain that remain pleasant for everyone.
It is also important to discuss the moments when we ride together versus those when everyone can move forward at their own pace.
For example, Justin is faster than me when climbing, and we agreed that he would wait for me at the top of the hill.
For me, it is also essential to clearly define how often we expect and how long we are comfortable losing sight of ourselves, especially on technical terrain or in remote places. A fall, a mechanical problem, or simply an error in the path can happen very quickly. If one of the two partners is far ahead, it is necessary to know from when this person returns on his tracks to check that everything is going well.
Communicate regularly
Take stock of the difficult moments, of course, but also take the time to savor together the beautiful moments of the day.
Justin and I have developed a little evening ritual: we wonder what our favorite moments of the day were. It helps us to really enjoy the journey, even when we are tired or absorbed in the routine of camping, supping or setting up the tent.
Often, we barely speak for several hours when we are cycling. Yet, everyone experiences a lot of things inwardly during the day. The evening then becomes a privileged moment to share all that.
It can be something particular seen in the landscape, a podcast that has marked us, a creative idea that emerged while driving, or simply a funny anecdote experienced on the bike.
Dare to take the plunge!
In the end, I think that couples bikepacking is a great test of communication, listening and compromise. But it’s also an incredible way to build shared memories and grow together through adventure.
A golden rule that has saved us from many arguments over the years: never start a sensitive discussion when you are hungry! It’s always better to eat a good meal before tackling the frustrations or tensions accumulated during the day ;)
In conclusion, two-person bikepacking can pose many challenges, especially in remote areas where access to comfort is limited. Yet, in my opinion, it remains one of the most beautiful experiences to live as a couple. Sharing an adventure of this intensity is a very special way to grow a relationship and create a deep complicity.
Being outdoors as a couple also means building a shared memory. There is probably no one with whom I share as many memories as with Justin. Years later, he is still able to recall me with precision a forgotten anecdote, an improbable bivouac or a completely absurd moment lived somewhere in the middle of the mountains. And I think it’s one of the most beautiful gifts from all these shared adventures.
