Very nice Mario! 

Went out this weekend and it was right at freezing. I love riding in this weather. Anything down to about 20-25F is a pleasure and there is no one else around! Colder than that and I start needing some more specialized gear. But this weekend I just wore two polypro long sleeve tops, a shirt, fleece vest, cap and long fingered biking gloves. On my legs I wear knicker biking pants and a pair of cotton Gramici climbing pants. I was plenty warm.

My toes did get cold, but if you take sections of plastic shopping bags and line the toes of your shoes with them, it works great!

[12wheels]

I have been using an 8X10 tarp of late. I like the versatility and the light weight. I've only experimented with two setups so far. I'm liking 12wheels' setup especially. Is that a standard tarp or is it created for this purpose (meaning, is it a flat tarp or scalloped to accept the wheels?).

Anyway, this is my more common setup:




And as a bivvy for a colder night:

[Radtron]

Bumping this thread.

Thanks for the report Radtron. I love the idea of looping straight from home and this trip looks great. Any chance you took some pics of the GET through the Manzanos? It looks pretty stunning and I found this great ride report that includes the section you rode: http://www.topofusion.com/diary/2008/10/23/grand-enchantment-trail-to-duke-city/

Were you not able to pick up the GET from the southern end of the Manzanos? It looks like you pick up the Manzano Crest Trail (which is the same as the GET here) but from the ride report above, sounds to be a little hard to find (and it peters out in places). Sounds like you more or less traveled the route, just maybe not on the singletrack (if it really exists).

Still up for a spring trip and I've been upgrading some equipment. Do you think you could have done this as an overnighter if you had take the train straight to Belen, or is it really a two-night excursion?

Any other Albuquerque bikepackers out there?

Pics from my Chain of Craters excursion in mid-October: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,4721.msg39932.html#msg39932

I have an MSR Whisperlite Internationale which I use as a white gas stove, though it also can be used with kerosene, jet fuel and "automotive fuel" (not sure what they mean by that - gasoline? diesel?). Stove itself is pretty light and durable and I've been using it for backpacking and canoeing for more than 20 years. So, definitely durable. But not as light as it could be between the fuel bottle and the stove.

So, when I am bikepacking I have either used no stove and eaten cold meals or taken my little homemade alcohol stove (your typical beer can assembly). It packs inside a little windscreen made from a coffee can that is also the pot stand. I have one lidded pot and one cup and it all fits inside itself, much like others' examples. I carry the fuel in a contact lens solution container which is leakproof and cheap (and write "warning" on it, of course)

The challenges with the alcohol stove is determining how much fuel you need. Not enough and you will need to refill/relight partway through cooking. Too much and you waste the fuel as it evaporates fairly quickly after turning off the stove. So, I generally use this option where I just need to boil water for coffee (also a Via fan) or cook a quick and easy dinner (ramen, for example). Anything more involved and I would bring the Whisperlite.

[TobyGadd]

I think TobyGadd's comments apply well to casual or race-oriented bikepacking. Its very sound advice! Its amazing, for example, how being even moderately dehydrated can drain you, especially waking up that way. I keep a close eye on my pee (not just to avoid getting it on me...) to gauge my hydration level. I'm surprised how even if I think I have had plenty to drink that I really haven't. I think about it as my blood getting thicker and therefore less able to bring energy to my muscles and remove the waste buildup.

And the calories are SO important. Its not just to keep going, but for recovery during the night.

I often tell people that are not familiar with bikepacking that I essentially "plod along like a little turtle." I think this analogy also applies to the idea of "slow and steady" which conserves energy for endurance distances tremendously.

[CCB]

I don't have a strong opinion as to whether we use stickies, Q&A's or a FAQ/FDT but overall I agree with CCB that at this point, with as many posts as there are in this forum, it would be nice to organize and parse out particular topics for ease of access. I think the point that we are trying to make this information accessible to folks just exploring bikepacking is a good one. The gear reviews are nice and useful, but seeing how people actually use equipment in the field and sharing specific techniques also communicates some really useful information.

I thought the Dirt Bag thread (or whatever you want to call it) where people discuss their low cost/re-purposed strategies is a great one. It helps lower the financial obstacles to getting out there for the first time.

[Radtron]

Hey Radtron, I replied to you via e-mail. I don't see having time to get out again before spring but would like to hear more about your ideas. I've tooled around the Plains of San Augustin a little, though not by bike. Copper Canyon, Water Canyon and the Magdalena Mountains are really nice to explore with great camping in both developed areas (which are still not all that developed) and just in the forest. Some nice singletrack trails in there and I think at least some of the developed campgrounds in that area have potable water as well, but don't quote me on that.

Keep us posted on your doings!

Take a look at the Dirt Bag thread, too. Has some related stuff.

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,11.0.html

[Murf]

Just don't reach for the wrong bottle in the morning when you go to put in your contacts!

Indeed! Fortunately, I don't wear contacts and I also wrote all over the bottle "alcohol fuel DANGER! Do not drink!"

This thread is just begging for some examples of dirtbag bikepacking ideas. I have a few but there are some far more ingenius people than me out there.
________________________________________________________________
A few other cheapo things I have done include using small stuff sacks strapped under my seat instead of a seatbag. The bottoms of the sacks have little handles and I used velcro straps (bought a big roll of 2 inch wide double sided velcro at a hardware store and used it for lots of applications - you can cut into thinner strips, too) to attach them to the seatpost. Only used this setup once so far but worked great. You could also sew the velcro straps to the bag if you were worried the handles wouldn't hold.




I also used a small seatbag as a "feedbag" by attaching to the stem and top tube For the top tube, I just used more of the velcro strap material, wrapped it around the bag and the top tube and then used thin cut strips of the same material to cinch up the big strap and tighten the space between the top tube and the bag. Hard to see in this pic (I'm talking about the black bag attached to the stem), but it worked great.




Last trip I brought a small round LED light - the kind you can stick under your cabinets to light a counter. You toggle it on and off by pressing the lens. Anyway, this with a bike bottle on top of it makes a great lantern with good diffuse light. This was my 12 year old son's idea!




Lastly, I have been sleeping with a tarp I bought at Lowe's. Here its set up as a bivvy, knowing it would be cold. The other setup I have used also incorporates the tarp as both groundcloth and shelter.







What dirtbag approaches do you all use? I've seen some great ideas posted in other threads. Would be cool to bring them together in one thread. I'm thinking of things like the homemade camp shoes from in-soles posted here. Its the post by "Murf" http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,3231.msg31697.html#msg31697

Great stuff and amazing colors - especially in the link! I have fond memories of hiking and subsequently getting lost in the Pine Barrens as a youth. Also, I covet your saddle...

Ride on

Great site! This is right up my alley. To add to the turkey bag concept, for years I have used trash compactor bags to line my non-waterproof packs (for canoeing or hiking). They are super tough plastic that resists punctures with ease. I still have one from my honeymoon in Alaska - 15 years ago! And I used my homemade alcohol stove for the first time 2 weekends ago (and kept my fuel in a contact lens fluid bottle)

Dirt bags, unite!  

Great stuff! I was just reminiscing with my wife about our honeymoon in Denali NP. We were backpacking, not bikepacking, but it was still tremendous. Those enormous sandbars and braided rivers sure bring back some memories of slogging through. Congrats on completing such an ambitious trek!

[Because, even if a bear gets your stuff and doesn't bother you, once it has a taste of human food, it will seek out more and eventually, may have to be killed by authorities. And that ain't no good...]

I have been meaning to get some bear spray but so far have not. It’s a good idea, though, and is apparently very effective. I camp regularly in bear country though I have never had an encounter while camping. I cook far from my tent, clean dishes away from that and hang a bag in yet another location. I also don’t use conventional toothpaste, but rather one drop of Dr. Bronner’s. Toothpaste is evidently very attractive to bears.

I make it a point to camp among some trees specifically for hanging a bag. My last outing, two weekends ago, was in some pretty desolate territory and by the time I reached a treed area, it was getting pretty late. Still, I slept better knowing I would most likely have food in the morning (as opposed to BEING food in the morning). I had seen LOTS of bear evidence (tracks, scat, and a host of anthills dug out by bears – their prints were all over them…)

This is a tricky time here as the weather is turning and bears are looking to fatten up before the winter. In some of the areas I ride/camp there have also been regional wildfires in recent years that displaced bears who wandered around looking for food and were pretty desperate (ie.  more volatile).

So, always be careful in bear country! When in doubt, if there is an item (like deodorant, power bar, whatever) you are unsure about, better to err on the side of caution and DO NOT bring it in your tent!! Ever since I spent my honeymoon in Denali NP, I have been extra vigilant about bear encounters. Because, even if a bear gets your stuff and doesn't bother you, once it has a taste of human food, it will seek out more and eventually, may have to be killed by authorities. And that ain't no good...

Got out this past weekend to the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway in western New Mexico. This is also along the Continental Divide Trail and where the Trail Divide folks come through. Didn't see anyone this weekend but saw one cyclist's tracks. This is some very remote territory (I saw not another soul in two long days of biking) so my guess is it was a Trail Divide rider.

Anyway, a few pics. My original plan had been to connect with the CDT and ride a 19 mile section through the volcanic cones. Easier said than done. The trail was distinct and traversable at first, but after about two hours, the trail disappeared and I was left going overland and following cairns (which were pretty immense and very well made). As the terrain turned from grasslands to fields of watermelon-sized volcanic boulders, I decided to return to the Byway to finish out the ride. This required some backtracking, but I still had a blast. Although flat, it was very windy the first day and covering 90 miles from 1:30pm Saturday to 3:00pm Sunday left me pretty pooped.

A few shots:


Sandstone bluffs along SR117 on my way to the Byway entrance






Continental Divide Trail




Sunset


Starting to lose the trail...


Even sketchier...


Coming out the other side

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

I would focus on the McGaffey/Twin Springs area which has some excellent singletrack riding, ample camping opportunities and good access from Gallup. There is also a labyrinth of old logging roads that are fun to explore and fairly hard to get lost on.

This will take you to more info on that area (though not bikepacking specific): http://www.galluptrails2010.com/gallup-area-trail-info

Even car camping at Hillso (QuakingAspen) or Twin Springs, riding the single track and exploring the logging roads by bike would be a great trip and a good intro to camping/biking.

I've explored the Zunis more to the southeast of that area - north of El Morro National Monument. This weekend I'm doing an overnighter south of there along the Chain of Crater Scenic Byway. The Continental Divide Trail passes through here and meanders among volcanic cinder cones.

Some images from a Zuni overnighter earlier this summer: http://highaltitudehomestead.blogspot.com/

Yes, I use a 3/4 length thermarest. The slightly thicker variety (which is still smaller than the full length but thinner version). My aging bones have had it with the hard ground and a good night's sleep is well worth the extra effort for me. When I was a young lad a closed cell ridgerest was just fine. But those days are behind me...

I use an 8X10 tarp which serves as both a ground cloth and the shelter. Here's a photo:



The tarp is great because it can be set up many different ways, some of which require a groundcloth, some of which don't. And even this setup can be adjusted a bit depending on weather.

This site gives some interesting info on the many ways one can set up a tarp. Some make more sense than others and frankly the diagrams can be a little confusing. But I have used two different setups to great effect.

http://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

The best setup is a 10X10 or 12X12 but its hard to find pre-made tarps in square format (with grommets for tie-downs). Have been looking at using Tyvek though its hard to find in 10 feet widths let alone 12. 9 is the more common dimension. But there is an ebay seller who has reasonably priced "kits" including custom cut Tyvek and various tie-down options. Just search "camping tarps."

I find that when I am out on the trail, I have LOTS of time to play with how to setup my shelter (though where I live I am rarely in danger of being rained on unexpectedly) so I haven't worried too much about figuring it all out in advance. Though certainly you should have at least one go-to arrangement you can pitch quickly just in case. I practice in my yard...

Ride on!