Touring - VT Bikepacking - pave, dirt, forest road, single track, etc.

Short <2day trip from Burlington down to some lovely terrain.

http://littlecirclesvt.com/2012/08/bikepacking-silver-lake-and-gmnf/

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8435/7825714326_63eaf92dd2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7825714326/)
silverlake (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7825714326/#) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7819292880_b5f0c053ff_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819292880/)
almost time to turn in... (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819292880/#) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7819303914_def267700c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819303914/)
IMG_7694 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819303914/#) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7819570172_b5594d200e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819570172/)
IMG_7824 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819570172/#) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/7819605490_3355f75aba_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819605490/)
IMG_7794 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819605490/#) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr

Excellent!

Very nice. 60 miles per day on dirt with gear is tough. I just road the backroads of PA for 65 miles w/out gear and felt every mile. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice. 60 miles per day on dirt with gear is tough. I just road the backroads of PA for 65 miles w/out gear and felt every mile. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks... yeah, I felt it afterwards, for sure.

Especially when I got home and saw this:
268997

A Fargo in it's native habitat.... Mine is jealous.

heres a question, how do you keep on track and not waste time humming and hawing at trail junctions and such? It would seem to me that a lot of time would be wasted either figuring out which goat path is the right one, and or messing up and having to back track....just curious as there arent street signs etc like we have on the road.
looks really fun though. I could really see going as wide a tire as possible just for the comfort factor of all day trail riding.

was out yesterday in the Montgomery area (N Vermont) and boy its pretty riding.

heres a question, how do you keep on track and not waste time humming and hawing at trail junctions and such? It would seem to me that a lot of time would be wasted either figuring out which goat path is the right one, and or messing up and having to back track....just curious as there arent street signs etc like we have on the road.
looks really fun though. I could really see going as wide a tire as possible just for the comfort factor of all day trail riding.

was out yesterday in the Montgomery area (N Vermont) and boy its pretty riding.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7819370606_2ff5a67db9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819370606/)
IMG_7633 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31827372@N00/7819370606/) by mbeganyi (http://www.flickr.com/people/31827372@N00/), on Flickr

GPS helps. Maps. Research before hand.
This was pretty simple in terms of navigation. Only a few places I had to double check direction.

Very nice...looks like a great time.

guess that shows how much of a gps luddite I am, I have hardly ever used them in a car, so just shows my inexperience with them.
Makes sense if these were hiking trails, then you could follow hiking maps that would show these clearly and (I presume, again my total inexperience) plot them into the gps device.

No off road stuff for me, just an afternoon ride to Pearl Hill State Park. I ditched the saddlebag for a compression sack. Passing the straps of the sack through the saddlebag loops and around the Bagman make for a very solid attachment. I've included a Marmot Driclime jacket, balaclava, and smartwool long johns as insulating layers in addition to what I took around MA recently.

http://wheelsofchance.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120824-165121.jpg


Home sweet home, and having some afternoon tea

http://wheelsofchance.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120824-1651401.jpg

Nice and simple Nun. Nice contrail.

Nice and simple Nun. Nice contrail.

I have one of the older Contrails so the back struts are a pain to adjust, but it's a good tent for 3 season camping.

I saved about 1.5 lbs by using the Sea-to-Summit bag in place of the Carradice Camper. It's not quite as easy to get at stuff or keep things as
organized, but it works surprisingly well. The compression straps, saddle loops and Bagman make for a very solid attachment system. I miss the Camper's side pockets though as they gave quick and easy access to tools, tubes and food.

269948269949269950i just finished a similar trip from Astoria down the west coast.

similar set up. Hunter 29er shod in Nano's.

It's interesting to see how ultralight backpacking, bikepacking and bicycle touring are being combined and developed. With new materials and gear there are lots of possibilities!

It's interesting to see how ultralight backpacking, bikepacking and bicycle touring are being combined and developed. With new materials and gear there are lots of possibilities!
its amazing to think people want to actually hang bags off of racks any more.