I feel like there was a brief discussion either here or on MTBR in the bikepacking section about riding with dogs. Anyway, I also have a dog I would like to take bikepacking. I have backpacked with her once last fall with my son and everyone had a great time. A bonus in chilly weather is that they are a portable heat source...

My only concern is about stamina and being careful not to overexert her. Planning to take her on a long day ride out in the mountains and see how things go.

Another Jones Bar fan here. I have them on an El Mar with a Reba fork and couldn't be happier. Handling is great. Yes they are tight in constricted areas but the same goes for any extra wide bars. Steep climbs can be a challenge if you are trying to lean forward but still have brake access but it is manageable. As noted, they are fantastic on technical descents. Move your hands to the ends of the bars and you automatically shift your weight back. And the control! I have never worried about going otb with these bars and have tackled sections that previously stymied me. I love them for regular xc riding as much as for bikepacking. Highly recommended!


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It is easy to just strap a stuff sack/dry bag to the handlebars so I don't think a sling is a big priority. I have done that many times without incident. Personally, I think the frame bag may be your best investment when you factor in the water. I live in NM and also often have to carry large amounts of water. I have been using an MSR bladder that I stash in the frame bag. I can carry about 4l down there (I only have two bottle mounts on the frame, so otherwise I could only get 2l on there. Three if I added one under the down tube). You can then stuff a good deal of smaller items in and around the bladder. You would be surprised how much a frame bag can hold.

All that being said, a seat pack can also be very useful, but not for carrying water (just not the right place for something that heavy). If you use the rack, I recommend strapping a stuff sack/dry bag to the top of it rather than using a single pannier (which may put you off-balance). That will hold as much as a large seatpack, though won't be as light. I have a seatpack now but bikepacked the previous two years with a rack and bag strapped to the top with no issues. I assume your rack is pretty solid. Check the bolt-on points regularly as things can shake loose. A little loc-tite before you head out doesn't hurt.

You will also need to get creative around where you are going to store all that water. My setup covers 7 liters as described above. If I need more, I can put two on the fork and I have another bottle mount that I can strap to my bars. I have also put a 1 liter bottle in my rear bag on top of the rack. Important thing is to spread the weight around for a balanced ride. And as you progress on the journey, you will get lighter...

And FTR, I have a pair of ZTR Crests laced to I9 hubs. I do agree that they can be a bit flexy under a lot of weight. I love them for regular riding (fast, light and very strong) but am swapping them out with a set of Velocity P35 rims for bikepacking use. I weigh in the 190's dressed.

I have used these tires bikepacking a bit though nothing on the scale of the TD. They wear quickly and I am not sure they are appropriate for all the conditions you will encounter.

That being said, I am a big fan of these tires for regular riding where I live. They are great on dry hardpack and slickrock. Very fast and you can run the rear in a traction or speed setup. I have not really ridden them in mud and might worry about how they would perform. I still run one on the rear of a 69er and love the way they feel tubeless.

Some bikepacking pics on the AKA's:
http://highaltitudehomestead.blogspot.com/2013/07/bikepacking-chain-of-craters-again-hole.html

Well done!

The two complaints I have read about this product are that it does not breathe (so you can end up with quite a bit of condensation inside the bag, depending on conditions) and that the material is noisy when you move around at night. Oh, and also that it comes vacuum packed so you can never actually get it back to its original “VHS cassette” size (whatever that is…). Still even twice that size is pretty small and light.

Otherwise, its used by military personnel and to treat those injured and/or in shock, so I feel confident it fulfills certain demanding standards. I would imagine its a high performer for emergencies but to have as your main sleeping bag might get a bit uncomfortable. I don't like being clammy, even if I am warm.

Well done!

I had a similarly positive experience with my North Face sleeping bag some years ago. Zipper broke and I sent it in under their lifetime warranty. Not only did they fix the zipper, but after failing to adequately clean the down (the bag was already 20 years old at this point and quite soiled) they replaced ALL the down and returned it to me, only charging me for the failed cleaning fee - about $20. Now I have a brand new bag. Well, that was 10 years ago - but it is still in great shape!

I *almost* bought an older model used OR bivy recently but the weirdness of the netting and difficulty of keeping the storm flap part open (while closing the netting) turned me off. But it is a highly rated product. Sticking with my tarp for now since I do not have bugs to contend with here.

[evdog]

Thanks for posting all of that information evdog. Clear and well written, too. This is a topic of emerging interest to me as I have been following the planning process for the Zuni Mountains (part of Cibola Na’tl Forest) that is currently entertaining possible designations of Recommended Wilderness Areas near where I own some land (and regularly ride and bikepack). It’s a bit cumbersome to try and understand the process and untangle the government text that accompanies these land designations, so I appreciate you laying out so well (and I’m a Planner!)

At the same time, I am also very interested in exploring more of the CDT through the WSA’s Scott mentioned which I now understand is a BLM issue. Learning!

Congrats Scott - that's very cool!

Thanks for chiming in with that info Scott. Its actually the file of your CDT adventure that made me realize how close it passed to Cabezon Peak. Now I am trying to link to it from Albuquerque and ride it out to the Zuni Mountains. I have been reading your trip on the CDT as well as the GET adventure. Such great stuff. You can actually combine portions of these two routes to make a giant 700 mile loop starting and ending in Albuquerque if you can link to Cabezon. Someday.

And I actually do know someone who works at BLM and he happens to be a lawyer there, so I may hit him up with some questions about this.

I rode some CDT singletrack in the Chain of Craters area as we talked about a while back. At the time I was unaware that it was closed to bikes and I saw no signs saying as much. I am not really sure the rationale for this. The trail needs to be traveled more and these areas are not in Wilderness Areas.

For anyone interested in the Chain Craters area there is write-up here: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=4721.msg39932#msg39932

It was some fun riding, but the trail there disappears after not to long and from there its overland. Which is not without its charm. Unless there is a headwind. Which there was...

And photos from another trip here: http://www.highaltitudehomestead.blogspot.com/2013/07/bikepacking-chain-of-craters-again-hole.html

Looks like a nice winter ride and great weather. BTW I never made it to ride the Jemez route but I did take my son up to San Pedro Parks for a 3 day backpack in Oct. So lovely up there and so much water! I also usually carry about 7 liters for an overnighter when there are no sources. I felt so light and free! Excited to explore more up that way.

Dadana, I'm curious about how you intend to get to Cabezon from ABQ. I have been looking to connect to the CDT near Cabezon and then head to Mt. Taylor and the Zunis where we have some land. I see that there is a road called Encino that cuts through the undeveloped portion of RR but can't tell if you can legally access it on the ground. I live in the NV as well.


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Hit me up when you are near Mt. Taylor/Grants. Good luck out there and stay warm!


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Great stuff! Will be looking forward your NM leg. We have some land near El Malpais which the TD passes near. If you need a break at that point, let me know and we can set you up.

Ride on!

If there is any chance of rain I always bring the tarp. But especially if it's cold or getting cold at night. Cold and wet stinks. I am a recreational bikepacker and not a racer so the very minimal extra weight is not an issue for me. Plus my kit is already very light. Occasionally I have left it at home if I am positive it won't rain but I like the security.

Pics from a recent backpacking (not bikepacking) trip with my son. We got rained on both nights and snow and sleet the second morning. But we stayed cozy, dry and warm! We also had a dog with us which helped a lot...

This is a Guide Gear 8.5ft X 8.5ft polyurethane coated nylon tarp (not silnylon). I don't recall what I paid but it was about $30 or $40 so pretty affordable. Seams were not sealed so I had to do that myself. All in all I am plenty happy with it. I prefer it to a tent for many reasons. No bug issues here, but even with that, there are nets you can use in conjunction with the tarp. The Ray Way site is great for cataloguing the advantages of a tarp. And its a great product! Henry Shires is another good one.

Never done the AZT but live and ride and camp in NM which has some similar conditions. I sleep out and have a tarp for shelter when needed. Never had a problem with critters. I have found tarantulas under my ground cloth in the AM but the ones here don't bite - they eject little hairs that are an irritant. But like the snakes, they move very slowly in the cold which is why they sought me out (to get warm).

Tyvek ground cloth and a light tarp I can set up in multiple configurations makes for a versatile sleep kit. I'm good even in driving rain or sleet and snow like I had a few weekends ago.

[Big Jim Mac]

Freeload and Pack n Pedal are the same product. It was originally designed by a New Zealand company (called Freeload) who operated for a number of years. Then Thule bought it and incorporated it into their line. The version I have is a Thule, but I think they are identical and parts should work with either.

Big Jim Mac, it looks like you mounted that right over your shifter cable. Is that correct? I guess it didn't impact anything negatively from your report. What I was trying to describe in my earlier post (which was hard without a picture) was cutting the attachment points for that cable (and the brake cable or hydro line on the other side) and routing it around the rack after securing it to the frame. But glad this did not cause problems. I tend to cinch mine down pretty hard and I worry about it causing issues, so I have been reroutiong it around the rack.

I looked into the blizzard bag when I was searching for something to augment my 45 degree summer bag. But because it does not breathe, I shied away from it as a regular use item. Reviews I read largely said "warm but clammy." In an emergency situation this is certainly a lifesaver. But if you are actually planning for the cold I think you can do better.

I'll make another plug for the SOL adventure bivy. Use it alone down to the 50s or add 10 degrees to an existing bag. Breathes pretty well and is waterproof. When I sleep out it also protects against abrasions on my bag.

I use the SOL Adventure Bivy which is a better performer than a straight up emergency blanket as it does breathe reasonably well. Its super light and pretty affordable at ~$50 (cheaper mail ordered). I have used it a handful of times and I am not sure how much abuse it will ultimately stand up to. Material does not seem that durable. But it adds about 10 degrees to an existing bag (it goes outside your bag, not as a liner) and can be used alone down to about 55 degrees. It is supposedly waterproof as well, but I would not want to try it out alone in a downpour. I use it together with my 45 degree down bag in the late summer/early fall and spring. I have a winter bag that goes down to 20 degrees otherwise. But this and the 45 degree bag are still smaller and lighter than the 20 degree bag.

Two years ago I had an unpleasant cold weather sleeping experience which taught me some stuff about the emergency blankets. I was using the 45 degree bag and the temps got down to freezing, which I was not expecting. I had a good deal of extra layers, but I was still uncomfortably cold and so broke out the little plastic/metallic emergency blanket. At first I put it over top of me and the bag, but condensation collected on the blanket and dripped back onto the (down) bag, making me damp and now even colder. The better solution I figured out was to wrap my body in the blanket inside the bag. Yes, I was clammy, but I was warm(er). Better than being cold. I expect, as others have noted, that trash bags would have accomplished the same thing.

Another solution I had considered was a silk liner.

I camp with a tarp and so I was also attracted to the SOL’s (apparent) waterproofness in the event of driving rains.

I don’t have a handy pic of my rack mounted up unfortunately. I have a Salsa El Mariachi (hard tail) and I only have to contend with the brake hydro line on one of the seat stays. My shifter cable runs along the chain stay and so is not impacted.

To mount, I have to remove (just to pull away from the frame – I’m not removing the entire line or anything) the hydro cable from the braze-ons on the seat stay to get the rack to mount far enough back on the stays. I then re-attach the line with zip-ties where I can so it stays snug against the frame. I have run it both inside and outside the rack.

My challenge with this bike is that Salsa’s Alternator Dropout prevents you from mounting the rack too far back. As a result, the rack sits a bit higher than I would like. But I have not had issues.

Hope that is helpful. This rack should fit most any bike. You just need to find a way to work around the cables and sometimes this means cutting their attachment to the braze-ons while running the rack (and as I did, possibly reattaching where convenient). Unless you are really bending the cables significantly, you shouldn’t have any performance issues.