Nice job. Happy ending!

mtnbound's clothing list above is very good, and in line with my experience on the trail last year.  I just want to highlight that there is definitely a lot of HAB, as others have mentioned.  Don't wear typical hard-soled mountain bike SPD shoes--you need the HAB-friendly SPD shoes that you can walk in.  That'll save your feet and Achilles tendons.  I also brought a pair of cheap, simple, light flip-flops for camp and that was a great decision.  You'll notice lots of people run a flip flop on each side of the exterior tensioning straps on a seatbag.

Just FYI:   This appears to be the best route through this area: 

https://goo.gl/maps/5W2as

The map shows a connector from the AZT northern trailhead to Moab.  From Moab to the CT, there is the San Juan Huts route.  This connector from AZT to Moab has already been ridden by a few, such as the fellow from this cool blog:
http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/lockhart-basin-road-utah/

I believe it's totally doable in summer. 

I've been using the typical latex/nitrile gloves used for medical exams, cleaning, etc.  I used the powder-less ones in the slightly thicker material in a big size, and they work fine and are waterproof and surprisingly durable.  They're cheaper than anything else and pack down tiny.  I bring three and the third is a backup or for greasy repairs.

Thanks very much for the info, all.  Looks like I'll be changing to a new route that avoids southern AZ and the reservation.

The route described by Smo sounds interesting--I'll look into that and see if it works for us logistically.  The Kaibab area sounds great. If not, we may end up driving or hitchhiking to connect different trails.

In the future, I'll post up more info on what we found for a route.  In the meantime, if anybody has additional info to share, please do.

A friend and I have several weeks off to do a big trip starting in mid to late June.  We are looking at the Arizona/Utah/Colorado area, where I have no experience.  I have several big questions relating to the Arizona end of the trip for which online research has not supplied answers.  I've also tried calling the Arizona Trail Association and leaving friendly messages multiple times, but they won't respond and their website hasn't helped.

1.  Are there sections of the AZT that are not advisable or possible to ride during late June?  I am under the impression that much of the trail is at some elevation and should be OK, but I'm concerned whether there are specific sections that are so hot and dry as to be dangerous or no fun at all.
2.  What might be the best way to connect the AZT to Durango so we could ride the Colorado Trail?  We had considered riding as far as the Grand Canyon and then heading NE to Durango to ride the Colorado Trail.  That basically takes us through Navajo land and the Four Corners area.  Is this area OK for bikepacking in late June, or is there another route that is substantially better?  This route also would mean we skipped the very northern end of the AZT--is that some classic section that we shouldn't miss on our way to Durango?

Details about us:  We both are traveling relatively light with bikepacking-style bags on mountain bikes.  We are going at a medium touring pace, not race pace.  Our priority is having a great time and seeing some cool new places--so nothing crazy hardcore, and having a perfect "thru-ride" of the AZT is less important that having a good trip.  At the same time, if a thru-ride is possible then great, and we are both mountain bikers and so would like to maximize time off-pavement.  We are not interested in hiking our bikes through the Canyon.  My friend toured the Divide route last summer, if that helps provide a reference point.

Thanks for any help you can give! 
 

I have an entrepreneurial background and just outfitted myself with a bikepacking setup, so I do have some feedback for you.  The survey didn't submit properly so I'll write it here.  I mean this completely constructively and respectfully.

It's great you're doing this research.  Obviously, in order to proceed with this business, you'd need to be able to answer this big question:  What substantially differentiates you from all the other sources of bikepacking gear--and why should we care?

I'm guessing you would respond with one of these two statements:  1.  Mine would be a one-stop shop; or 2.  Mine would have bikepacking experts on staff and therefore would have more credibility.

Honestly, I don't see how you are going to actually convince people of #2.  The makers of bikepacking gear (such as Revelate) sell direct and they'll always have more cred than you.  They've earned it through the rides, trips, time, trials and errors it took to envision and create the products in the first place.  And the fact that I can get a great return policy and great customer service from one of the manufacturers or a LBS or even the other online sellers like bigbagshop.com means that buying gear is a low-risk decision, so knowledgeable sales staff isn't even as important as it might be otherwise.  Sure, if you have a shop with staff who have done the Divide or AZT or whatever, then that won't hurt--but it won't substantially matter unless you have a relatively "big name" like Matthew Lee on staff making super specific recommendations to your customers. 

As far as #1, I'm not sure that is realistic, either.  I can already buy a full setup of bags from any of the places mentioned above.  All of those already have great customer service and very similar prices, along with good information on gear, so I don't see your competitive advantage.  When it comes to the clothing and camping gear, there are huge amounts of choices, and honestly most of us buy primarily based on price because there are so many options that already have good service, good info, etc.  If I have a question about a piece of gear, I either call them up and ask them, or I look online at this website or another forum/site. 

--The main "pain point" I've encountered with buying bikepacking gear is that sometimes I simply don't know whether the gear recommended on forums or in stores will actually keep me warm, dry, comfortable, etc. without being overly heavy or bulky.  I don't know whether a piece of gear designed in Colorado will work well for me in Georgia.  I don't know whether I need more warm shirts than the guy that won the Divide last year.  Many people run into this situation and get all worked up about it, saying lots of "what if..." statements and generally worrying.  But what people need to do is just scrape together some gear and then actually go on a bikepacking trip instead of sitting on the internet worrying about every detail and trying to buy their way out of any problems before those problems even occur.  In this age of internet shopping, people just feel like they should be able to make 10,000 mouse clicks and then complete the Divide without any discomfort, which is obviously ridiculous.  That "pain point" isn't real. 

Then again, maybe it is real if people actually worry about it and actually will spend money as a result.  If that were the case, I think the best way for you to have a "one-stop shop" and differentiate yourself might be to sell a few different complete bikepacking setups specifically marketed to different trails/locales/seasons.  They should include pretty much everything--bags, shelter, camp gear, etc.  That way, if a newbie wants to try a bikepacking trip and has some money to spend but not much time to devote to perfecting a setup (let alone field-testing it), then they can come to you and buy the kit that hypothetically matches their specific situation.  You'd provide a level of simplicity nobody else does, and you'd address their pain point by comforting them that this kit is the "correct" starter kit for what they're actually doing.  You wouldn't have experienced bikepackers as customers, but I don't think that is your realistic market, anyway.

Hopefully this is useful.  Again, I am just trying to help, not to be negative.  Good luck.

Really nice instructions, thanks!

Mike, thanks for posting that.  I'm currently training for the Divide by riding increasingly long days on my mountain bike, and every ride I find myself wondering whether temporarily swapping my knobbies for other tires would let me go faster and save money.  --To the OP, this does seem like your best bet (or Amtrak, I have done that before and it works great).

By the way, Mike, I recently read your journal on crazyguy--thanks for doing it, it was both inspiring and informative. 

They're essentially the same, and both will do all the things you listed.  They even come in the same colors.  This is one of those situations where you can just get whichever one is easiest to buy, or whichever one you think is cooler for some reason. 

The Viscacha actually works as advertised. I'm very impressed with mine, and it's obvious when using the thing that a large amount of time and real-world testing went into the design.  My friend has the Coconino and likes it just the same.

Good to know.  I'm looking forward to the openness of the land (and the ability to camp wherever) on the Divide--it is a radically different situation from where I live.  When I bike tour here in FL, I am quite often in areas that are either overdeveloped and don't have anywhere to camp, or somewhat-populated rural areas with plenty of loose (sometimes dangerous dogs) during the day and drunk redneck party people at night.  I'm under the impression the Divide won't be like that.

Long Ranger, I remember my buddy telling me about Guffey from his TransAm ride--he met some characters there.  Maybe I'll try to pass through there on the alternate you describe.

Thanks, Long Ranger.  That's great info.

Hi,
I'm planning to ride the Great Divide route (probably northbound) in June and I'd like to hear from experienced folks about the camping options along the route.  Were you usually stealth (AKA wild, or dispersed) camping with no facilities whatsoever, or were there lots of established campgrounds along the route that you stayed in?  

If there were a lot of established campsites, how were they?  Lots of glorified RV parking lots disguised as "campgrounds" or were they nice?  Lots of party people, or mostly empty?  Were prices reasonable?  Etc.

Just trying to get a feel for how remote the route is and how often I'll be showering, etc.  This will influence what I bring.  Thanks!

--I'm not racing, just touring at an estimated pace of 60-ish miles per day.

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=1940.20

Dupont is nice, as mentioned.  There's also lots of good stuff in Pisgah.  I've explored a lot of the Davidson River area near Brevard and can attest that there are tons of fantastic trails and forest roads there that lead to great backcountry camping.  Pisgah has steep climbs but they're all doable using the gravel forest roads.  Check out the cool video in that link posted by Chunt.

 

That SQLab looks interesting. 

For the last month, I've been using a Kontact saddle.  I have found it to deliver on their claims of really putting your weight on your sit bones (and somewhat more on the big muscles of your legs, too).  So far, I like it.  It definitely feels like you're sitting on the saddle, not *in* the saddle like with many others.  This is nice, and the angles of the side cutouts allow my legs to move more freely, too.   

In about a month, I'll be starting to ride a lot more in training for big summer tours, so we'll see how it fares on rides longer than the 20-milers I've been doing.

For those who aren't on a tight timetable, what about going from Antelope Wells to Douglas, AZ via the Geronimo Trail?  And then on to Tucson to catch a way home, etc.  I saw this idea floated here:  https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=310078&v=3M    I don't believe anyone has tried it yet, but looking at Google Maps this seems like a possibility of riding more dirt roads most of the way back to Tucson.

There is a lot of experience and information related to panniers and how to set them up over at CrazyGuyOnABike.  Maybe this could help you out:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/search/?query=weight+distribution&main_type=all

Great video!  Inspiring.

Just giving you a heads up, but I found the Speed 32 to be a tight fit and so I went with the roomier (but still ultralight) Phantom 32.  The Speed 32 seemed great otherwise, though.  Never tried a Highlite but it sounds similar.  Hopefully you've been able to try out at least one of these bags in a store. 

For reference, my Phantom 32 is a long (6'6") model that is a year or two old.  It allows me to sleep on my side with one leg bent and my knee forward.  I'm 6'2", 155 lbs.  I believe actual weight is 1 lb, 9 oz and it packs down small.  I don't have specific measurements but could get them if you ended up interested in a long MH bag.

Looks amazing, and so empty (of other people).