Wow, thanks for all the replies! Here's the background on my biking. I've put about 8k on my bike last year and another 500 on my mt bike. My typical ride is about 20-30 miles 3-4x/week. So, I'm used to slightly longer rides and working with the tools neccessary to fix things. Since I don't know if I'm going touring some more after I get to Seattle, I'd really like to use my backpack instead of panniers. Also, I'll be going to at least half a dozen friends' places along the way with backpacking trips. A Bob looks like the best thing for me. I'd imagine I will want a handlebar bag for quick grab things, so I'll be getting one of those. Also, I have two lights from my previous bike. I have the blaze 1(http://tinyurl.com/6s7ayp7) and blinky 3 for the rear. I can see a good amount ahead of myself, but I wonder if it'll be enough. I plan on strapping one of those reflective vests onto the backpack, too.