Throw him some burrito $$$!!! Inspirational!

http://highesthundred.com/the-burrito-fund/

FWIW, while i do think traditional frame design offers more frame pack space, for gravel that would be OK, but anyone who has spent anytime on a rough stuff with a loaded bike will appreciate stand over.

PDW Bindle doesn't help with a dropper. Its still mounted to the seatpost, so the dropper needs to be strong enough to push back the bag and load in it.

Lots of people have done the 29 and 29+ fat old conversion. Local here runs 27.5 and 29+ in a fatbike frame in the summer.

I've bikepacked VT and ADK terrain on both rigid and front suspension 29+, as well as traditional fatbike (Pugsley), as well as rigid 29r (Fargo, with drops and with Jones bars).

I think it depends on terrain, trip objectives, etc.

Full squish for rocky rooty fast trail. Although I don't have one, and never have had one, barely ridden one.
Hardtail for lots of the single track that VT has to offer.
29+ with rigid for gravel, dirt road, forest service road, and some single track (classic mixed terrain).

I don't think heat will help. If you are bending tubing you can get a small tube bender from lowes or Home Depot or horrible freight for pretty cheap.

If you use tubing you will need to deal with the ends where they bolt. You'll want to make them solid somehow.

Order these:

https://ortliebusa.com/product/240mm-black-roundstay-ea/



Bend and bolt. Depending on your design you may need a splice piece to join 2 of them together.

There is a KMZ on here:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleEarth.html

Look down, you can import KMZ into Garmin Basecamp and then transfer the files you want to the device.
There are lots of tracks in that file - Umbra is the one I think you want...

https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/770

Email and PM sent. If you haven't received please try to PM me back. At the lake, limited phone / wifi.

IMG_4639 by Mike, on Flickr

IF Rolling so Nicely by Mike, on Flickr

I run a PR bag now on my road / gravel / brevet bike. Hydro bladder with in-line filter (as needed) and hose to handlebar. Cross wind? Haven't noticed. Maybe if I were riding down the coast and had inconsistent but powerful gusts all day long... but its never been an issue.

FWIW, as a long time dyno user - since back in the days of dual e6 halogens, where you had to turn off the secondary lamp while climbing, and the bulbs would always seem to die in the cold or rain (or both!) during a brevet, dyno power / lights are fantastic and great - especially for someone who also uses the bike for errands / commutes / general life / etc. 

That said - the LuxosU wouldn't be my first choice for a bikepacking / adventure bike. Mine has been solid on gravel and dirt roads, but I have read of too many issues. It's a good light, had been reliable for me - but I prefer the Exposure Revo for gravel / dirt road mixed use riding. I even prefer my original edeluxe over the luxos and they both have 'shaped' beams.

For battery packs - I found a limefuel that supports pass through charging. I've not needed to use it - but it's a good feature to have.

This might work, but when I was researching charging AAs from dyno I remember that folks who had done it weren't happy with how long it took...

http://www.goalzero.com/mobile/p/133/guide-10-plus-recharger

Fwiw, I'm running SON on the road machine. Shimano on the bikepacking rig. Exposure Revo on the bikepacking rig with a switch to divert power to the USBwerk. On the road rig in have a luxosU with built in USB converter / cache.

I think it's a bad idea to run the spot from the dyno. The garmin can work. You can't charge it but you can delay the draw down depending on the kit you have. Same goes for a GoPro.

You should be able to top off the Nao from the dynamo with the right interface. I use a USBwerk and I've run the etrex, kept a gorpo topped off, and charged my exposure diablo (not all at once).


FWIW, I'd run the SPOT and etrex off AAs, and I'd top off the Nao (I really love mine, awesome kit!), phone, etc. from the dyno. You are a beast though - so charging other lights / batteries might work well for you. Otherwise I'd just top off a limefuel or similar to keep the phone topped off or to run the etrex / etc. As required.

Unlikley unless you are moving at a good clip. I can charge and have the LuxosU on (during daylight hours) only when moving 16-18mph and up. Once I drop below that the charge cuts out when the cache battery drains.

I built a switch for mine so I can toggle between charge / lights.

I've bought raw materials from http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm to make custom pole for my TarpTent Contrail.

PM Sent

You can do the beer can stove and beer can pot and go all ultralight. I did that for awhile. Got tired of waiting for hot water / finicky homemade stoves and went at first to a snow peak stove (like the MSR pocket rocket) and eventually to the heavier but super convenient MSR Windburner integrated setup.

If I was racing / competitive or even trying to beat a personal achievement I'd probably forgo the stove but that means no hot coffee...

But a backpackers freeze dried chili with crushed Fritos over the top....

👍