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First try making a frame bag with heat welded PVC tent fabric.  Quite the learning curve, but all the welds are good and it looks water tight.  Super small, but what the hey.  It will fit a 2.5L Platypus and a few other small, dense items.  Pretty rad little project made with scrap materials and tools from work.  Made in Greenland at Summit Station!

Hey all,

  The gf just ordered a new 27.5+ KM in XS and we were wondering if anybody has laid eyes on one of these.    If so, we would love to get some framebag dimensions. She won't be able to pick it up until late August, so we want to make one before that. I know it will be really small, but we have a bunch of PVC tent fabric and access to a plastic welding heat gun, so why not!  Thanks!

Thanks for the info Rooster.  Yep definitely going to bring a 10 degree bag. 

I'm guessing with this El Nino that there might be quite a bit of snow north of Payson.  Anybody in northern Arizona have any idea of what it might look like up there in about a month from now?  I'm prepared to get shut down by snow/unridable mud, but since this is the only window I have to do it, I'm just going to have to go for it!

Hey all,
  I'm considering getting the 'Printed Detailed Topo Maps' set from the aztrail.org online store.  Has anybody used these on a bike trip?  Do they have mtb alternate routes?  Or are they more aimed at backpackers?  Thanks!

Hey all,
  I'll be starting the AZT on March 7th.  Looks like solo right now.  Anybody else going to be on trail then.  I'm definitely going touring pace, cherry picking the best singletrack sections and possibly bypassing some of the longer HAB sections.  Just going to the South Rim.  However romantic carrying the bike across the Canyon sounds, I don't think I need to do that.  I've hiked and rafted GC enough.  I'm thinking 21 days total.  Psyched!  Cheers, Stevan

Although not strictly bikepacking, almost everything this dude lists applies in one way or another.  A good read from a well-pedaled cyclist.

https://de.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/comments/3h7yh6/20_things_i_learned_from_touring_a_lot/

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z2YF3GxAcd3o.kp-IT4Mgrhiw

This shows the spill from the source at the mine, all the way down to Lake Foul.

Hey all,

   I was wondering if anybody out there has made a down tube mounted, smallish pack.  I was thinking of using the water bottle cage braze-ons to mount it, using some sort of plastic stiffener plate sewn inside the bag.  I'm not too keen on keeping a water bottle down there 'cus of mud, dust and poops.  So I was thinking this bag would be a good place for tools and replacement parts that are heavy (keep it down low), not frequently needed, but are still easily accessible on the trail.  Maybe with a big Velcro flap or fastex buckle instead of a zipper since it gets so much dirt up in there. Pics and patterns would be awesome.

Thanks,
Stevan

I posted this over in 'question and answer', but seems applicable here too:

IMO - Chaco's: way too heavy for bikepacking, Croc's: too bulky and don't fare well in the water, normal/running/tennis/trail shoes: too heavy and dry slowly.

 Out of the barefoot running craze, came some pretty cool huarache style sandals.  They're really light, packable, do fine for steam crossings, and let your feet dry out after riding.   Here's some links to a few companies making them, some with DIY kits:

 http://xeroshoes.com/shop/

http://lunasandals.com/

http://bedrocksandals.com/

Hope that helps!

Hey all,

  Planning on a tour mode sobo GDMBR next August/Sept and was wondering if anybody has a good route from Antelope Wells up to Tucson?  Maybe going through the Chiricahuas and Dragoons?  Of course maximizing dirt roads, single track, cool/historic places and minimizing pavement.

Thanks 'erbody!

IMO - Chaco's: way too heavy for bikepacking, Croc's: too bulky and don't fare well in the water, normal/running/tennis/trail shoes: too heavy and dry slowly.

 Out of the barefoot running craze, came some pretty cool huarache style sandals.  They're really light, packable, do fine for steam crossings, and let your feet dry out after riding.   Here's some links to a few companies making them, some with DIY kits:

 http://xeroshoes.com/shop/

http://lunasandals.com/

http://bedrocksandals.com/

Hope that helps!

Well, now that the Salsa Pony Rustler is out, I'll have to sell the Nomad and get the PR for the CT!  Looks like a fun bike, and I know some bag builders can make a frame bag for it...

Google things like solar cell phone charger, or cell phone auxiliary battery.  I have the goal zero stuff, which I like, but I know that there have been tons more things like this put out on the market in the last few years.  If you have an iphone, one of the snow lizard waterproof cases has a built in auxiliary battery and solar charger.  On Josh Kato's article on bikepacking.com regarding the gear he carried on his recent Tour Divide win, he had a Nexcon 5000mAh solar panel portable power supply.  So, if it worked for him...

Hope that helps.

Yep,
  I think I can fit everything on the Nomad with just handlebar sling, seat bag, feed bags and gas tank - with a small 16 L backpack.  I'm going to be taking the ECR on the AZT in late March, so that will be a great shakedown to see if I want full squish on the CT.  Thanks!

MSR Dromlite 6 liter in the frame bag.

Early Times Whiskey - cheap, effective.

Blasting Die Antwoord on the last few miles to camp on a Goal Zero portable speaker strapped to the handlebar.

Voile ski straps - for everything from repair, to first aid, to making sure your 2 liter soda bottle doesn't fly off the down tube.

Alpacka pack rafts - to cross rivers with the bike on the bow.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Packs - for overflow food and water, and to carry a bike.

5.10 guide tennies - gonna upgrade to bike specific ones, but these are really good for stumblef**king your bike around.  Mmm sticky.

On One Mary Bars.

Jiva Coffee Cubes - actually really good instant coffee - in a cube.  Better that SB Via's.

Trail Designs Sidewinder Tri-Ti Inferno (what a name!) - Alcohol/Wood/Esbit ultralight stove system w/ Evernew 1.9L Ti Pot.  Wicked!

Pack It Gourmet Jump Start Fruit Smoothies - kind of expensive at $4.99 each, but a delicious, just add water, 500 calorie, 44gr of protein breakfast!

Luke's Ultralight Clothing - custom, handmade UL clothing. Gore-Tex, eVent, Pertex, down.  Good stuff and reasonably priced.

So, I had a Garmin Etrex 20 and found it similarly hard to use, not to mention the extra costs of garmin maps.  While researching how to find free uploadable maps, I found this article:

http://blog.hyperlitemountaingear.com/the-best-gps-device-you-already-own-it/?utm_source=Hyperlite+Mountain+Gear+Newsletter&utm_campaign=98061f1dd7-2015_Thru_Hike_2_6_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_34926e808c-98061f1dd7-300805045&ct=t(Stripped_Down_44_11_2015)&mc_cid=98061f1dd7&mc_eid=7b820e030c#more-3304

This was quite the kick in the pants after spending so much $$$ on a Garmin, when I already have a phone that can do the same.

So, while the Garmin was still newish, I sold it and got the Gaia GPS app for the iphone 5 and am really happy with it.  Much easier to use and free topo maps off Google Earth.

As for the durability, water proofing and extended battery life, I got one of these:
http://www.snowlizardproducts.com/collections/cases/products/slxtreme_5?variant=749212631

As of yet Snow Lizard doesn't have a handlebar mount, so I got the belt clip and sewed a small webbing tab on my Revelate Gas Tank to clip the phone on and a little bit of cordage to keep it tight on there to the phone case's lower clip in hole.  That coupled with a Schmidt dynamo hub and I'm feeling pretty golden.

Interesting explanation in that article about why GPS devices still exist.

I realize this isn't an answer to the questions you asked, but I thought it might be worth sharing.

OK y'all,

  I'm planning on doing the Colorado Trail and am trying to figure out which bike in the quiver will get to come along with me.  Here's what I've got to choose from:

Surly ECR - rigid, Rohloff belt drive
Surly Karate Monkey - rigid, 1x9
Santa Cruz Nomad - squish squish, 2x10
907 fat bike - with Bluto, 2x10, 3.8" Surly Knards

I realize all of these bike could do it, but I'm wanting to hear from the folks that have done the CT which bike they would take.  With the ECR, I'm worried the BB height is too low for rocky single track.  I kind of want to take the fat bike just for the pure ridiculousness of it.

Thanks 'erbody!