Sites and Apps:
Adventure Cycling Association – A great resource for finding long tours around North America.
Bikepacking.com – One of the best sites to find bikepacking routes around the world.
CalTopo – Good collection of available maps to show terrain, ownership, or other geo-political info.
Epic Ride Weather – Mobile app that you can sync with Ride with GPS to see projected wind patterns, temperature, and precipitation specific to your route on any given day and time.
Gaia GPS – My go-to app for maps and GPS features, backup navigation.
MTB Project – Epic mountain bike rides all over North America.
OpenStreetMaps.org – Anyone in the world can add and edit information about public infrastructure.
Ride with GPS – I do most of my planning and research here, especially on their Ambassadors page. The apps and site are constantly being updated and improved to meet the needs of riders all over the world. Full Disclosure: I currently work QA at Ride with GPS, but even before my employment I used the site extensively for tour planning.
Trailforks – Great for finding all sorts of trails.
Windy – My favorite site for visualizing wind and weather patterns. Great mobile app.
Hardware:
Garmin eTrex 20x – Bomb-proof GPS that runs forever on a set of AA batteries. It’s my primary navigation on my handlebars during tours or bikepacking trips where I don’t want to expose my phone to the elements. Not the best maps, but it has yet to fail me.
SpotTracker – The SpotTracker 3rd Gen is what I used to call for help in July, 2019. I use it any time I’m out in the back-country to check-in for the night and let my partner know what I’m staying each night. A little expensive on the initial buy-in but you only need to use it once to save a life.
Quad Lock handlebar mounts for smart phones. I have the classic and out-front mount. My phone has never fallen off even after some extremely bumpy downhill rides and a few crashes. Highly recommended.
Map and Compass – You won’t have to worry about batteries dying or a lack of cellular network reception when you learn how to use a map and compass. I highly recommend learning how to properly read a map and use a compass. Check our your local Orienteering group or get a good book, you’ll have a new skill in a day.