Ep. 212 ~ Live From the Bikepacking Campout at Sea Otter

Something new came to Sea Otter this year, and I went to get the scoop.

Sea Otter is widely regarded as the largest bike expo in the world, but calling it a "bike expo" doesn't quite cover it. With over 70,000 attendees, 1,000+ brands and exhibitors, and 10,000+ athletes competing across a huge variety of races, it's… a lot.

And with all of that, it's hard to imagine anything was missing.

Enter Old Man Mountain.

Five years ago, Erik Fenner, OMM's Marketing Manager, attended Sea Otter for the first time. That night, he organically invited a few folks to join his campsite hangout. Nearly 30 people showed up.

An idea was born.

This year, that idea became reality with the inaugural OMM Bikepacking Campout and After Party at Sea Otter.

OMM and their partners staked out a beautiful campsite about a mile from the main expo, tucked into a serene setting that felt worlds away from the chaos. People came from far and wide. Some rode their bikes. Some drove. Some flew. Some may have crawled. However they got there, everyone seemed to find what bikepackers tend to gravitate toward: a little dirt, a little community, and some grassroots vibes.

It turns out, in the sea of Sea Otter, something was missing.

Bikepacking is still a small but mighty corner of cycling, but it's clearly on the rise. You could see it in the growing number of adventure cycling booths, the people stopping by to ask questions, and the strong turnout for the first-ever OMM Bikepacking Campout.

In today's episode, I take you into Sea Otter as a first-time attendee. But I wasn't there to see how many grams I could save if I sold a kidney. I was there to see what my friends at OMM were cooking up.

Spoiler alert: it was really damn good.

This episode is made up of five conversations with sponsors, vendors, and attendees of the OMM Bikepacking Campout. You'll hear from:

Chris Kratsch — Co-Owner of Old Man Mountain Carley Boyce — Campout attendee who attempted the Great Divide with her dog Rowdy, then went back the next year to attempt the Tour Divide Noelle Battle — Executive Director of Bikepacking Roots Wade Green — Managing Partner for Tout Terrain in the U.S. Erik Fenner — Marketing Manager at Old Man Mountain

I had an incredible time at this inaugural event. It was so good to be far from home, but still feel like I had a built-in community of "my people."

Big thanks to everyone who took a little time to chat with me about their experience at Sea Otter.

Let's do it again next year!