After a TON of research I broke down and bought a TarpTent Moment a couple months ago.  I wanted something more than a bivy, because while weight is an issue for me, I still wanted something that I could sit up in, get into during a downpour without completely bringing the storm in with me, and spend more than a few hours in if necessary without going stir-crazy.  Also, I couldn't justify buying something for ultralight bikepacking alone, when the reality is that I'll use the tent for various outdoor pursuits.  Finally, the poled bivys out there - if I DID use a bivy, it needed to have headspace - ended up weighing close to or as much as the Moment.  I guess you could say I'm a #2 on Marshall's list above.

All that said, I'm going to anti-climatically tell you that since I bought the tent, it's been freezing and snowy here in Durango and I haven't had a chance to actually use it outside.

Initial thoughts, however:
1.  Light - for a tent.  Also light compared to some friends' bivys.
2.  Quality construction, super-easy setup.
3.  Silicone seam-sealing was easy.
4.  I'm 6'2" and the seated headroom is fine.  It is also plenty long.  I'm impressed.
5.  Silnylon is crazy stuff - super strong, but don't abrade.  Be careful, when packing the tent, of the metal ends of the pole segments - I made a small, light GoreTex/bubble-wrap/elastic pole-end cap deal so that I didn't have to worry about punching through the tent or the bag.
6.  Packs small in every dimension but length.  The girth can be smushed in pretty tiny if you use some homemade straps or put it in a compressible pack bag.  The pole segments are about 20" long, the carbon struts in the tent ends are 18" long, and the only way I could figure to pack it was A) in my backpack (barely), or B) in my homemade saddle bag, which I built specifically to accommodate such long cargo.  As yet I've still to see how my homemade saddle bag works out on the trail (once again, snow).  Perhaps if you had a full-front-triangle frame bag (no water bottles) and your downtube was long enough the tent could rest along said tube inside the bag - I thought of going this route but prefer water bottles, and the tent was a tight fit even on my 21" frame.

I'll post more specific thoughts on real-world performance once I've used it a few times.  Might be a couple-few months, though, unless I can get down to AZ for a while.

TruthRider - one of my maps (DeLorme's 2007 Colorado Gazetteer) also shows the CT tracking to the south of the Stony Creek Pass.  However, the 7th edition of the CT Guidebook shows the trail along the ridge, as Stefan describes on the site.  I'm assuming that the trail used to run lower at some point in the recent past and that they've rerouted it, as they did near Hope Pass and Swan Creek/Breck (both of which are marked incorrectly on the 2007 Gazetteer).

As for GPS - never used one, never needed one - but I'm considering it for the CTR.  Haven't yet decided!

I have a Shimano Alfine dynamo hub with a Busch & Muller LED light on my commuter and love it.  I've been seriously considering trying the same setup on my MTB, especially for multi-day events where battery capacity (and extra-battery-carrying-capacity) are limited.  From my experience on the road and bike path, at least, this setup seems like a plenty-bright option.  The light begins putting out serious lumens at very low speeds, which is a necessity for MTB (technical climbing, etc.).  Anyone have first-hand experience with this particular setup?

In any case, I'm very interested in what you find out, trebor.  Keep us all posted!

Full Sus=complicated.  Hardtail=simple.  When you're in the backcountry for days at a time you want to simplify as much as you can to get rid of any potential problems.  Plus, if you bikepack with a fully, you're adding a lot of suspended weight.  You can compensate somewhat by adding pressure/spring preload, but the bike still isn't going to ride the same.

All that said, if the NRS is all you've got, then by all means use it to get out there.  Make sure you get here early enough to do a little acclimatizing before heading up to the really high country!

XT.  I've had a lot of experience with both XTR and XT (personally and as a shop and team mechanic) and while XTR is light and nice, it's finicky.  Have NOT tried the 2011 XTR as of yet, but honestly I'm not really interested.  Went through three XTR calipers in 1.5 years before talking Shimano into trading me my XTR brakes for XTs - been a year since and zero problems.  Also, for bikepacking-specific use, things like carbon derailleur cages (XTR and SRAM X.0) are pretty frail and a great way to find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere.  One of the 2010 CTR racers had an XTR carbon cage snap on him and spent the last day into Durango walking/coasting.

Finally, for half or two-thirds the price of XTR, what's not to like about XT?  Durable, solid, and a paltry few grams heavier.  For 2011's geared outings, I'll be using XT for shifting/braking.  XTR cranks are really nice, light, and bombproof, however - I still love these.  Zero issues ever, had three different cranks on four different bikes.

Hope that opinion helps you out.  Good luck!

Ginger Kid is indeed considering it.  "Considering" is also what I'd say I'm technically doing - I'd love to race the CTR, but August is a long way off and there's a lot of riding to be done between now and then.  That said, my first ride after a few weeks off the bike yesterday felt awesome, even though it was 10 degrees and icy.  Studded tires are great!  A Pugs would be even nicer.

How about you, JC?  Are you in for 2011 or still thinking about last year's rain and destroyed feet?

Oh, and sorry to disappoint, but I may be running 1x9 part-time this year... we'll see how it all shakes out.  For sure I want to do Ring The Peak and the Don Ride with you again!  RTP is on the CO Endurance Series list!

Tony, I've never before heard of anyone using a CO2 for shock purposes.  Obviously, as you said, very real potential for damage if you overdo it.  That aside, however, I'm curious - any faster-than-normal pressure loss when you've used the CO2?  In tires CO2 leaks out much faster than air, which is why it's only a temporary fix.  Not sure about fork seals and their relative imperviousness, but in most forks the pressures are certainly higher than in MTB tires.

Any first-hand experience one way or another?

Actually Steve Fassbinder (aka Dr. Doom) makes some killer leather rifle scabbards.  He has one on his Pugs, made another one for Russell at Durango Cyclery, and I believe there are a few others lurking about... they are really nice.  Riveted leather with understated tooling and secure attachment points.

You probably like to make your own stuff.  But if you'd like some ideas, try Googling "Republic of Doom", which is Steve's clothing/accessories business.  Not sure if he still has a website or not.

Toby, you can look into a dual shock/tire pump.  I haven't done it yet but am really considering it.  A blown fork would be bad news, although if it's really blown a pump won't help anyway.  However even a hefty change in temperature can make riding an air-sprung fork less than ideal.

I believe Buzzy's (QBP house brand) makes a dual-purpose pump.  I'll probably be getting one soon.

It's really weird to stumble upon feature articles about friends.  The written word and sepia-toned photography can sure bring out the romanticized version of whatever an author is writing about... I wasn't on the Canyonlands Pugs trip, but I was on the subsequent one in the La Platas this last October.  Plenty of drugs, beer, and guns, to be sure, but we did precious little bicycle riding and nothing in the way of survival, unless you consider eating and sleeping survival.  Fun (even though I only partook of the guns segment of the above three), but to say we were preparing for apocalypse or transcending anything (besides common sense) during our sojourn is to bypass simple exaggeration and land squarely in gross hyperbole.  Hell, it was just a slow bike ride in the woods, complete with some of the better and worse aspects of our culture.  (Better: Friends.  .22 tracer rounds.  Bicycles. Homemade titanium slingshots.  Worse: PBR. Oh, and freeze-dried backpacking food.)

I guess one of the following is true:  1. The author must lead a really boring life, or 2. We here in Durango (and the rest of the Mountain West) must lead crazy, romantic, existentially satisfying lives of transcendence and really have no idea that we do, or 3. Making things seem way cooler/deeper/different than they really are sells magazines.

Mostly I write this for those who may read the article and feel disappointed in their own day-to-day, who may buy the romanticized version as reality.  Your own life is probably badass too.  Go out and enjoy it!  In any case, I still enjoyed the article.  Thanks for the link!

BMike,

I'd think twice about the Alfine if I were you.  I have an 8-speed Alfine on my commuter and I absolutely love it, but its one flaw is cold-weather performance.  Shifting becomes progressively worse as the temperature drops, until, when cold enough, the hub pretty much doesn't shift.  Haven't yet tried pulling the hub apart and using a less-viscous lube - not that big of a deal for my town rides - but I've heard that may make a difference.  I don't have a Pugs of my own yet, but if I did I would want an IGH rather than a derailleur setup.  Unfortunately my experience with the Alfine (my hub as well as customers' hubs) would make me pursue other options.  I'm quite curious about the 11-speed version, but Shimano's booth at Interbike was too busy to ask questions...

I'm more or less planning on it.  If 2011 shakes out to be a terrible year, fitness-wise, then no, but otherwise I've watched my friend Doug Johnson do it too many times to sit out again.  Get dropped in Denver and ride home as fast as I can - sounds pretty rad!

Scott, that's sweet.  Wishing I could do that just about now - but Durango's winters aren't as nice as Tucson's, even with the mild one we've been having.

Thanks for keeping us non-skier high country folks supplied with motivation to make it through the winter!

$18 Dickies and a WTB Devo saddle does it for me... tried the chamois for a couple years but really all that extra material is chafe central.  In the long run, though, what works for you will be what works for you - you'll just have to try a few things out.

Dude, just sayin', but that's a road bike on your home page.

Didn't you know?  We're a RAAM team, complete with seven minivans for each rider, RV's to sleep in, etc.  Seriously though, good call - maybe sometime soon we can get a different background photo.  I'll have to break out the camera and the bike gear and try to find a good local trail to photograph before the snow really flies here...

Hey all,

Thanks for the input.  I ended up going for the Mountain Hardware Ultralamina 32 bag.  Haven't used it yet but I think it will do well, considering my criteria.  FYI, if anyone else is considering this bag, I bought the regular length and I'm 6'2".  It fits like it was tailored for me.  I'm pretty skinny.  I tried the long but it was not only too long, but much larger in girth.  I'll let you all know how it does as far as temperature rating, etc.

Guess I've been lurking around here anonymously for long enough.  I'm Joey, and I live in Durango, Colorado (hence the screen name).  Lived in Colorado Springs and rode with the crew out there for a few years (DJ, Csakany, Boyer, etc.), but moved out of the big city early this year.  I love long MTB rides and I love backpacking, and combining the two makes sense, but up until now I just haven't been willing to pull the trigger on even basic gear.  At this point I'm making my own as much as possible, will post pix when finished.

Been a bicycle mechanic almost as long as I can remember... everything from a shop rat to an international race team wrench.  I've enjoyed and will continue enjoying all the fine info on this site!  Thanks Scott for starting this and everyone else for posting such helpful and fun stuff.

Thanks for the info guys.  I pretty much figured the whole "cheap, light, warm: pick two" argument applied but was hoping against common sense anyway.  Been looking around even more and I'm reaching a few conclusions:

1. Need a mummy-style bag, something over my head is a major factor in how warm I feel (doesn't seem to matter for some folks);
2. Don't want down insulation, as I'm pretty positive I'll end up with a soaked sleeping bag at some point out there and it's really expensive besides;
3. Would like it to be (once again) warm, light, and as reasonably-priced as possible.

That said, I've been intrigued by the Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 bag.  Packs small, is only 2lbs, seems like they have good reviews, and costs just under $200.  Anyone on here with real-world experience with this bag?  I hate being a gear geek but sometimes you have to be, I suppose.

They're apparently light, small, and relatively cheap.  As a full-time wrench, I don't have the cash for the Feathered Friends/Western Mountaineering/etc. bags out there.  Curious about these European bags but can't find much info.  Anyone?