BIKEPACKING BAJA CALIFORNIA – BAJA DIVIDE – BIKEPACKING GEAR

Packing up for the Baja Divide? Take a few minutes to read this other episode of the BAJA-PROOF series with some bum-saving tips and the review of the ultimate jacket.

(Full list of all BAJA-PROOF products tested so far here )

Terms of use: The tips and modifications suggested in this section of the site are to be considered as potential ideas only and should be followed at your own risk. Bikepackingbaja.com, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individual riders who decide to implement these suggestions.

product:

PATAGONIA R2 TECH FACE HODDIE

Indeed, my all-time favorite piece of clothing. 100% BAJA-PROOF.

In many years of life in Baja, I’ve tried numerous hoodies and jackets from various brands, and none have ever performed as well as this one. It’s lightweight, warm, and offers just the right amount of water and wind resistance. You could almost call it a four-season hoodie/jacket for Baja, and you could practically survive with just this.

Except for rare occasions, the Patagonia R2 techface fleece hoody has kept my temperature at the perfect level throughout all my camping nights—right up until getting into my sleeping bag—and on all those cold mornings while packing up gear and during the first kilometers on the bike.

The price of this item is high like all Patagonia products but the quality is unmatched and also there’s a good warranty service and also a high chance of finding second hand occasions.

The key factors behind the effectiveness of this garment are threefold.

First, the internal fuzzy grid fleece, which acts as a pleasant thermal insulator, even at temperatures where any other second layer would already be shivering.

Second, the extremely effective TechFace outer layer, which provides the perfect balance of wind resistance against Baja’s cold desert air and just the right amount of water repellency. Patagonia has nailed the compromise between protection and breathability in this fabric something no other brand has achieved as well.

Third, the elastic hood, which seals the head and protects it from any drafts.

In addition to these three key features, there are also other important characteristics:

• The overall elasticity of the garment, which makes it highly adaptable, easy, and comfortable to wear.

• The presence of multiple zippered pockets on the outside and two large internal pockets.

• The quality of the zippers, all of which are made of highly durable Plastic Molded material.

I just need to make a small note for Patagonia regarding the new version of this hoodie.

I bought my first one in 2019, and it’s still the one I use on every trip. Then, in 2024, I saw a sale and purchased two more in different colors as backups. I immediately noticed some differences. Nothing major, but they’re worth mentioning.

The older version has one extra chest pocket, and the internal pockets are slightly narrower, but it’s 50 grams lighter than the new one. Most importantly, the hood in the older version fits perfectly around the face, preventing even the slightest draft (even strong winds) from getting through. In contrast, the hood design in the new version has been slightly modified, with a more pronounced brim over the forehead. This causes a gap along the edge, meaning it no longer fits as snugly around the face ( as you can see in the photos – both jackets are S size, the all blue one is the old version, the blue and red is the new version ).

While this new design is more accommodating for wearing a beanie under the hood, for people like me who don’t like using beanies, it forces a choice: either fold back the protruding brim to make it fit snugly against the head and fully seal the elastic edge, or wear a beanie to fill the space.

Despite this small design change—which can easily be worked around—this Patagonia second layer remains an unbeatable and essential piece of gear for traveling in Baja California. You can check out this jacket here.

tip:

MAIZENA CORN STARCH RASH HEALER

This could be an on the field life-saver one. Did you know that regular corn starch can literally save your b….?? Indeed cornstarch is considered beneficial for rashes because it effectively absorbs excess moisture, creating a protective barrier on the skin that helps reduce friction and irritation. Its primary benefit is moisture absorption, preventing the dampness that can worsen rashes. By forming a dry layer, cornstarch also minimizes skin-to-skin friction, reducing irritation on sensitive areas. Additionally, it has mild soothing properties that help calm inflammation and alleviate itchiness. Being generally hypoallergenic, cornstarch is gentle on sensitive skin, making it a suitable option even for delicate baby skin – that’s why some baby powders contain corn starch – and that is actually how I found out about the healing effect of it, I’m at baby n.3 now and Maizena has not failed once! Maizena is the most common brand cornstarch in all Mexico, used to thicken soups, make puddings or bread coating and……as an emergency rash treatment. It is sold up in the most remote family store in the deepest canyon out there and it can really dissipate rash pain in minutes, permitting to keep on riding the rest of the day or to go to bed not feeling terrible and to wake up with brand new shiny buttocks.

Make sure you get the “ORIGINAL” flavor and not the strawberry, vanilla or chocolate ones that may contain extra chemicals, flavorings and colors that may compromise the effectiveness of this method.

It is a very powerful remedy to a very annoying common issue that can be caused by either saddle abuse or digestion failure. Maizena is accessible anywhere and is definitely a BAJA-PROOF remedy that I personally tested and that i can confirm it works!

Maizena is sold also in the States and you can get a small pack before heading south ( you can find it here ).

product:

CORKY CYCLES PRESTA TUBELESS VALVES WITH CORE REMOVER TOOL CAP

A very small package with a lot useful things inside! I love when companies pit a bunch of little things inside their product package to make it suitable for all types of situations. This 14-16$ tubeless valve kit is one good example. 

First of all you have some nice appealing colors options to pick and many different valve lengths.

Second, these are core-removable valves…..essential feature! I don’t even know why people are still using valves with fixed cores out there…. maybe they did not read yet my BAJA-PROOF #3 where i talk about the syringe sealant injection tip?! But also cores do get clogged with sealant, bent with pumps…..often they need to get changed, and having to change the all valve for that doesn’t make sense to me.

Third, the optional caps that are also core removers tools that come in the package are so useful that one cannot believe. I find myself using them a so many times either on my valves or to help others that now i can’t immagine having valves without those caps on. They are simply right there, exactly where you ganna need them, always.

Forth, other little things like the o-rings for the valve nuts, the two adhesive gaskets for extra sealing and and the two spare cores that come in the package make this product very worth to buy. 

I switched the same pair of valve over different rims, i unscrewed and screwed the cores many times, I took them on long trips on every kind of terrain and tire pressure, never had an issue or leak ( you can find this item here ).

tip:

BRING A TRASH CANISTER

I have a great load capacity on my rig and my carbon fork can mount two cargo cages on each side. I decided to dedicate one all cage to just one empty lightweight canister that can be opened and closed without removing the container from the cage that work as my trash bin.

No more squeezing all day bars and burritos wrappings into my pants or bike pockets.

Carrying an actual trash bin means keeping everything much more clean and organized. It also encourage people in eating a little more healthy by buying less processed foods that sometimes are packed in harder more bulky containers and that one normally would not get to not deal with the empty dirty package storage later.

A good capable size for the canister that is not too big is between 48oz and 64 oz ( 1.5 – 2 L ). I found this to be good enough to squeeze any sort of trash for 3-5 days after which there is normally a place to dump it.

Old protein containers or family size peanut butters, as well as  Costco nuts or candies jars work very good for this task.