I also have a Domane that i do some bikepacking on. The cable routing is a real challenge for a front bag. I too like the looks of the salsa cradle. If you get one let us know how it works out.

Hey there, well I have an update. The Salsa EXP Anything Cradle is a go. Totally worth the money! I can fit my sleeping bag in the supplied dry bag. Plus the front bag is nice too. But totally worth it.

I had the straps rearranged on my Warbird frame bag. Fits much better!

"Am I missing something?" Fixed above .

LOL! So true!

sXeXBMXer, yep that's the place that I work at! Good link btw! Two of us at my shop are the bikepackers. We all love camping and riding regularly. I may want to do this ride again, as I have another friend who wants to go. So let me know when you do. It's super expensive though!! I just returned my sleeping bag from Amazon and went to REI and snagged an UL down filled bag that actually compresses small as a honey dew melon. Was originally $300 but it has the old logo so it's reduced to $170 ($190 with taxes). Plus the bags, I'll be at $500. Hurts the bank a bit lol

Hey! I plan to do this ride either in the first week of April, or in the early summer depending on funds falling into the right place. Be sure to post a trip summary!! I plan on using my Surly Krampus, and am in the process of getting a gear list going. Wil be interested to see how your trip turns out!!

Will do! If you need gear btw, come to the Trek store off 76! That's where I'm at

Sorry for the giant image size... Lol

Hey guys,

So I have my bags in order but I'm still in the air on the front bag. First of all, I have the Revelate Designs Seat Bag and also their Salsa Warbird 53/55 on my Trek Domane (fits well but straps don't all fit well). I'm thinking of switching it out for their Ripio bag if anyone knows or used one.

Right now I am debating weather or not to use the EXP Series Harness Kit on my bike to hold all my sleeping gear in-between the drops of my handlebar. What do you guys think? Or should I just use straps to hold it on in a drybag? I wouldn't mind saving the $100, but it looks sturdy since it clamps to the handlebar. Plus it keeps the bags off the cable and hydraulic housing.

I have to be able to eek out a last XX miles and throw down a slealth bivy wherever I end up. I can't see that happening if my bivy depends on two trees of a given dia., a given distance apart. Am I missing something?

Sleeping pad, definitely. Closed-cell foam or bust here, trimmed to shoulder-hip length. I like my old, smashed-down ones unless it's cold.

Along the route I'm taking, its all woods for 300 miles. I talked to a guy who came in my shop the other day and he talked about using a hammock for the trip. I'll use the hammock a lot at home anyways. I may purchase a 1P tent for other trips but not for this one right now.

My next trip will probably be Crush the Commonwealth, so I wont even need and sleeping gear as I'll just lay on the floor in a hotel with random people for 4 hours or something... lol

Myself and 2 friends are doing this ride in May 28 - June 2. Spending extra night in Ohiopyle to ride single track.

We found this site has a lot of info for planning:
http://www.bikecando.com/

Thats awesome! I wish my friend and I could go around then but he will be preparing for the great divide. If this trip goes well I will be participating in Crush the Commonwealth and I will probably to Pitt to DC again the opposite way.

Thanks guys for all the assistance! I think I have the whole setup dialed in now.

I am going for the sleeping bag in the hammock method. I was able to score a lightweight hammock and sleeping bag both with compression bags that will make them both pretty small so they can fit on the bike well. I do have a thin thermal pad that I'll have under the sleeping bag so that should help with the temps. I think I'll be fairly warm. The bag I bought is rated for 0F. I also bought tree straps and a rain fly.

Looking forward to this trip. My buddy and I are ready to take the hard road route around Big Savage Tunnel and check out DC for the first time!

Blacklab and sdr, I looked into 1P tents a lot. I have a Nemo 3P tent but its too large to carry with me. Plus I want to be light as possible. I am looking into an under-quilt possibly for the hammock as long as its a light one. I'm very used to the cold so I could probably do without the under-quilt. The sleeping bag I am using is rated for much colder temps too which helps.

Big Savage Tunnel is closed until sometime in April. The detour around is not easy.

I actually wasn't aware of that, that makes the adventure even more exciting then. At least the detour is only 2 miles longer with a nice long decent. I am used to biking in the city of Pittsburgh on busy roads, so the main road traffic should be fine. I wish we were able to bike in April though! Much nicer weather... http://linkup.shaw-weil.com/detoursavage.htm

Thanks fellas for all the great tips!

Harry, I figured I'd be stuck in crappy weather, unfortunately its the best time for me to take time to ride. The Garmin was just so I could record the ride (LOL) and the battery pack I may need for my phone.

Offroute, the one person tent is sounding really ideal. The more I have searched on bivys, the less I like them. Currently I am debating between a small compact-able tent or a hammock with a rain tarp (since they take up barely any space and take you off the ground.

I want to keep this trip somewhat inexpensive, so tents I know can be costly. Hammocks seem very cheap and a rain tarp is definitely cheap. Suggestions on those options?


By the way, I am ordering a Revelate Designs Salsa Warbird 9 53/55 frame bag (since it fits slightly smaller than the interior of the frame), Revelate Designs Viscacha Seat Bag, and a Revelate Designs Gas Tank Top. Luckily I work for a big shop so the pricing for those is reduced to make it worth buying. 

The one thing that I see missing from your list, for an early March ride, is cold weather riding gloves.

This may help answer some of your questions. https://youtu.be/keOBaeFrwxY It's a video I made to show my non-riding friends just what I take and how it's packed. 

I forgot to mention those haha! Great video by the way!

Would you recommend a fully enclosed bivy or doing an open bivy with a tarp to tie overtop?

Hey everyone,

I'm planning my first "bikepacking" trip starting the first weekend of March (just around the corner). A friend and I will be riding from Pittsburgh to D.C. He has a Salsa Deadwood which he bought and is building to do the great divide in July. I however, am planing to use my Trek Domane SL 6 Disc. The ride is hard pack trail and some pavement so my bike should be fine. Im changing out my tires to LT2 tires instead of my smooth road performance tires. Overall distance is ~325mi and we hope to leave Friday and arrive by Sunday/Monday then take the Amtrak train back.

I was planning on buying a frame bag, large rear seat bag, and a handlebar bag that fits in between the drops. I will also have my Camelbak (its a mule so it has cargo storage too).

Item wise, I was planning to bring:

• Sleeping bag
• Bivy
• Repair kit + extra tubes
• Small first aid kit
• Lights
• Garmin Edge 520
• Battery pack
• lightweight raincoat + pants (they fit into small bags that they came in)
• Spare t-shit, socks and underwear
• thermal skull cap
• thermal leg and arm warmers
• energy sups and snacks (food along the way)

What I plan to wear:

• Pearl Izumi knickers
• Bontrager B2 Baselayer (50% blend, 50& merino wool
• Cycling zip-up jersey
• Bontrager RXL 180 Softshell jacket
• high socks

What do you guys think? Too much? Any suggestions on how to carry everything? I was thinking I could place the sleeping bag in the bivy and roll it up in between the drops instead of a handlebar bag.

Thanks! (p.s. here is a pic of my bike in the attachments)