wow, i made it through.
some good stuff, and funny stuff.
2 of my pics are in the first post.
i'm not ultralight yet. i have a few things i need to swap out in order to make a better go of it, but i can get my kit to ~18-20 or ~20-24 depending on weather and what i'm carrying. certainly need to add in food and water. includes a mini first aid kit, canon g12 camera (heavy, compared to an S100 or none at all), spare batteries for SPOT, GPS, and batteries and lights for running at night (dinotte with 4 swappable AAs and a Fenix LD20 for camp / helmet), and some stuff that will get pared down once again next time out. been overnight temps down into the 20s in a lean to, could likely go colder in a tent, to get a bit of microclimate around me, and keep the wind that was blowing through the floor boards off of me.
here's my dirt road / paved road setup:
IMG_9474 by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
add a Jandd frame bag or revelate tangle to it for its current setup.
wingnut gear hyper, pretty much empty on the back - but holding wallet, phone, etc. can stash layers in it as needed - use it for a Patagonia down sweater for cold weather camping. used for cameling up as needed - food, water, etc.
here's my current bike of choice for dirt road, paved, single track, rough stuff (east coast), etc. salsa fargo, bike weighs more than my kit, depending on how i pack - but i can't think of going to a ti fargo frame until i lose 20 pounds off my body, and even then i'm not sure that its the right move to make:
start, intervale, btv by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
one thing i will be doing when i save up some $$ is getting a dyno wheel built up for the fargo and adding a supernova to the mix. ditching the dinotte will be huge in terms of mentally being able to ride until after dark, generating my own power, potentially charging batteries for my GPS during the day, and only relying on swapping out my SPOT and headlamp batteries, if / as needed.
and from last years through ride of the ADKs and the Moose River Plains: (should have put on the fork bottle cages, but hindsight is 20/20 or so they say)
Salsa Fargo by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
a late fall trip trying out some anything cages (jury is out on these... didn't need em, but filled em up to try em...)
IMG_0089 by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
waiting, hoping that i can pick up a full frame bag this fall for the fargo. cook kit, tools, and water bladder will go in there. wingnut hyper will likely still go along as its become so damned convenient and is quite comfortable. yeah, i know some of you hate the idea of a back pack, and so did i, but it kind of grows on you. wallet, phone, in zippered left pouch, accessible on the move. spot tracker in mesh outside pocket, back right. empty bladder inside, for use as needed. knife that can be opened one handed in left shoulder strap mesh. room for all sorts of stuff... if needed. and i never need to think about having my primary items at hand when i get off the bike.
why? why not a rack and panniers? they work fine. i had a trek 520 i used with front and rear ortliebs and h-bar bag. matching set. worked well. but i carried so much stuff. and it isn't conducive to fast and light travel. and i hated (the very few times i did it) pushing a bike with panniers. and i really like the idea of limits. and i'm getting more and more into rough stuff (for the east) touring. tour divide is on my list. and i have some trips in mind where i'll hopefully be modding my gear so that the bike can go on my back as needed to get through / over wilderness areas. making use of soft bags for this is huge...
IMG_7759 by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
IMG_7794 by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
IMG_7776 by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
dirt road, pavement, single track, forest road, etc. etc.
all good with my current setup. last trip out i carried enough food / water testing out a 100 mile resupply range. need to move to the larger convenience store water bottles on the forks, and add the bottle to the downtube. keeping a spare bladder in pack as needed, depending on the trip.
hennessy hammock or tarptent contrail for shelter. i like both. my hammock setup is actually heavier than my contrail.
(or e-bivy and finding some coverage, if needed, but i've only done that on overnights with a lean to potential of good weather)
fargo, contrail by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
cook kit is a homemade alky stove or trangia, but i'm likely moving to esbit for longer / colder trips. going to experiment with cold coffee next time out. and no stove (before it gets too cool here), snow peak ti mug, homemade windscreen, bicycle spoke pot stand, etc. includes bag, micro biner, and 50' dyneema for bear bagging.
Proto v4, double wall, slightly wider, no wick by
mbeganyi, on Flickr
rain gear - sucks. i have a showers pass that i love - but its heavy and packs large. i have worn it with wool base layers down into the teens and freezing rain... so i can't complain - but its a bit overkill for general summer riding.
clothing is tough. bulky in some cases.
wool is awesome - makes great rain gear too, when the temps are high.
jersey, shorts or bibs or knickers, ibex thin baselayer, defeet arm warmers, etc.
lots to learn. more weight to shed - my sleeping pad is next. awesome for the late october / november trip that i will end up taking - but too heavy for most use - insulated air core from big agnes. my bag can use a diet too - big agnes down 30df bag.
for me, this is where i'm at. its been working and being refined for me.
tour divide and colorado trail racers have much tighter, lighter kit.
i've seen some folks carrying more stuff to work, or for an overnight trip.
to each their own.