Did a quick overnight with a friend.
Testing out my new Epic bags and a new sleep system.
I'm awaiting a new frame to set up a xc bikepacking rig - debated riding the fixed cross bike - but had a wingman for the first half of the ride and wanted to keep pace so I took off on my rando rig - a geared indy fab club racer set up for brevets and dirt exploring. With the new gear I'm hoping to push into the fast light dirt / paved touring on the IF as well as taking to the woods whenever I can on the new rig. I've been scheming for the past few years for quick tours through NE and the ADKs...
Pretty flat route for VT to get to a closed state park... where we set up in a lean to beside a reservoir. Quick and dirty, the core of the S24O. Get out, make it happen. Figure out what works. Repeat. Expand.
I over packed some clothes, and spoiled myself by carrying a Thermarest pillow (as I figued with the temps dropping I'd be wearing all my clothing for sleep).
Temps in the 40's throughout the day. 46 miles to the campsite. Met a friend in the nearest town. Downed some coffee at a cafe, climbed to the reservoir and we were setup before dark.
Fire, alky stove cooking, tea. Catching up. Perfect.
Temps dropped into the high 20s overnight.
Stayed comfortable, but wouldn't have wanted it to get much colder.
New Big Agnes Fish Hawk 30 degree worked well... along with the insulated air core mattress.
I'm usually a hammock sleeper - so I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I was on the ground.
I'm still playing with how to load up the bags.
On the trip out I had the bag and sleep pad in the front harness, along with some food and personal items in the pouch.
I changed this up for the trip home - and had a better distribution.
Next time out the pillow will stay home.
Clothing range will get dialed in better during a summer / late summer trip.
Jandd frame bag will go on the bike to carry cook kit and bike tools.
There may be a bivy in my future.
If I wasn't rushing to make my meet time I would have more pics of the blue sky and fall color... it was overcast this morning on the way home.
Can't wait to link up our plentiful dirt roads with trails... and start exploring the woods.
New frame should be in this week, and I'll be building up my first mtb since '02.
Glad to have found this site... seems a great fit for the type of 'road' (dirt, brevets, etc.) riding that I've been doing... and expands it out into the woods.
