Friends Thomas Manfe and Antoine Collet, who together form The Lost Road, head to Oman in search of gravelly adventure. They discover a land of incredibly friendly locals, green turtles, natural swimming holes and brutal headwinds. Read on to see their stunning image gallery and the film of their amazing bikepacking trip.

What to pack? Where should I sleep? How do I go to the loo? Will I be safe? How do I get the perfect crema on the top of my morning camp coffee? All of these, plus more are the kind of questions that first time bikepackers might face. Luckily Bikepacking Buds are here to help. We invited co-founder Saoirse Pottie on the Gravel Union Talks podcast this month and got all her top tips on starting out in bikepacking.

Our resident expert gravelly bikepacker Emma gives us the low down on what to think about if you would like to try gravel bikepacking for the first time.