The WCS Beacon from Ritchey is aimed at gravel or adventure riding with a crazy 36 degree flare. It looks mad but provides a very comfortable riding position, both on the tops and drops.

The Cloud Base sleeping mat from British company Alpkit can be packed down to a small size, making it a good choice for bikepacking – although it's not the lightest. It blows up thin but is still comfortable, and it's well made.

The Rimpact CX foam inserts provide an additional layer of protection when running at lower pressures, and also seem to really improve the ride quality – although they're not cheap.

The Effetto Mariposa Shelter Tape Off-Road gives excellent protection thanks to its 1.2mm thickness, and is easy to apply with a very sticky backing. It's excellent stuff, though did cause some darkening on one fluorescent paintjob we tested it on.

The Drift gravel wheels from Dutch company FFWD combine lightweight carbon rims with excellent, well proven hubs to create a stiff, high performance wheelset – but this level of performance comes at a price.

The Passport Lug-Kage is a three-bolt bikepacking fork rack a fork that's light, simple and very handy. The velcro straps might not be the best, but at this price its hard to grumble.​

The Continental Terra Trail is an expensive but high performing gravel tyre with confidence inspiring grip on typical British forest tracks and byways, but head onto muddier paths and it struggles.

The Rondo RUUT AL1 is a gravel bike that offers adjustable geometry via a TwinTip system built into the fork. The adjustments are subtle, but whatever the setting the RUUT is masses of fun to ride – though it doesn't stack up for spec against its competition.

These might look like something pulled from a sci-fi convention wardrobe, but the Spatz GravlR overshoes provide quite possibly the best winter protection going. The price might make you wince, though, and I wouldn't recommend them if you do a lot of walking on rides.

The Trunk bag from Italian bikepacking aficionados Miss Grape is a 4.5 litre stuff sack that can be fitted to a number of areas on the bike. It is strong, waterproof and versatile, but it is quite expensive.