It's not a complete route but perhaps this will give you a start on a historic route

http://remembertheremoval.cherokee.org/MAP.aspx

You could also make your way down to Anniston Alabama and pick up the Chief Ladiga Trail / Silver Comet Rail Trail which would bring you straight into Atlanta.  It's a very nice ride.

Looks like a neat ride

http://www.crossvermont.org/images/page_maps/brochure/bayleyhazen-intro.pdf

I use LG arm warmers and have be very satisfied with them.  They have a brushed interior to trap more warm air inside, almost fleece like.  I've never used coolers, but I'd assume they are much thinner without the brushed interior.  Functionally I believe the cooling is also achieved by the warm sweat being wicked away from the body and evaporated by wind, so warmers could serve as coolers but would require more saturation with moisture before the cooling kicks in.  Dousing the warmers with water could jump start that.

Stumbled onto this ride mapping resource.  Easy to map routes, and prints cue sheets.

http://ridewithgps.com/

I put the camelback bladder in the top of my frame bag and ran the hose up to the handle bar bag and really liked that setup.  I need to lengthen the hose to drink in a more upright position while riding and it made me think that sewing a loop into the top of my frame bag would be a nice feature for hooking the bladder to and keep it at a slight incline.  Possibly even a dedicated velcro shelf at the top to support the bladder above the other contents.

Hamilton Threadworks did my seat bags and Sara was great to work with on my custom design.

http://hamiltonthreadworks.blogspot.com/

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks has also done a real nice top tube bag for me.

I plan to do business with both again.

Yeah, the dimensions and angles of the seatpost and seat rails are the big variables in the equation but that just means the seat bag has to be that much more adjustable, or custom fitted.  I think if you moved the lower attachement point up towards the opening of the dry bag (maybe 4"), that would give you the flater angle.  It would probably mean the wide area it's attached at now would have to move up the same distance, but that shouldn't hurt the overall design.

I think you can see the difference in angle in this pic of my seat bag made by Hamilton Threadworks and how flat It hangs, and how I ue the bungee on top.



I'm seeing very few with the tie downs on the bottom.  I see that actually as a problem since I'm not going to carry my thin windbreaker on the side of the bag that could impact the wheel or get mud kicked up on it.  Placing it on top, even if it means a reshaping of the top would provide a much more secure and protected platform for straping things to the outside of the bag.

I'm by all means a novice to the bikepacking scene so hopefully others will chime in to privde you some better views.  All in all a very cool project.

My first reaction was that it looked like 10-12 oz leather and had a Harley Davidson saddle bag look to it.  I like the "stealth", "Black Ops" look of it.  Are there 3 Cobra buckles on this?  

The only issues I think there is in the design is that the bag projects up so high behind the saddle that in a down hill single track situation you would not be able to push your body weight back over the rear tire.  Not as much an issue if used on a road bike.  Repositioning the MOLLE system to the top of the "sheath" would provide protection for the items attached externally also.

I highly recommend Hamilton Threadworks.  http://hamiltonthreadworks.blogspot.com

Sara did a pair of seat bags that are great!

Most of your questions will be answered when you make the template of your bike.  From that template you will be able to actually measure the size zipper, length of the gusset, as well as actually seeing where your zipper will be placed and where your velcro attachment points need to be.  I wouldn't bother buying anything until you make the template and have your design worked out, unless you find a great deal on fabric like I did in the group buy here on the forum.  This is one project where planning is very important in order to not end up with a bag that doesn't fit or work as well as you would like.

In general though, I'd get at least 2 yards since the gusset will likely be about 50" - 60" long and ideally that would be one continuous piece if you are making one large bag.   Plus, if all goes well, you'll probably want to make some other stuff later.

Great post!  Thanks!

Finally had the chance to take an overnight Trip with the bike bags.  The Frame bag was very well made by my wife and the seat bag is by Hamilton Threadworks and is very well made as well.  Both served perfectly.


First off the Frame Bag.  Picked up the VX21 in the group buy earlier this year.  I misplaced the upper front Velcro slightly which touches the brazon but I can fix that.  Other than that I think it turned out really well for a couple of beginners.  The biggest thing we learned was, DO NOT use adhesive backed Velcro.  It gums up the needle while sewing.  We ended up coating the needle with vegetable oil to prevent the glue from sticking.  I had the adhesive Velcro leftover from some other endeavors so I was trying to use it up.  The consensus is, just buy more Velcro next time.


You can get a general idea of the size of the Hamilton Threadworks seat bag from this shot.  It has loads of space and Sara added a bungee cargo area on top which adds a bit more capacity and convenience.


The loaded bags




For the trip I incorporated a small "fanny pack" as a handle bar bag which worked fine until I can arrange a more functional setup  But it gave me somewhere to keep snacks and items I might want quick access to while riding.

Cool product.  Another searcher for the "Holy Grail" of hammocking.  I'm curious how they are handling the build up of moisture inside when it's all zipped up as well as water pooling on the outside.  If they haven't addressed those issues, it seems you will still need to carry a tarp to shed rain and allow moisture to evaporate out of the shell.

outstanding!  Nice job!

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Is this the same version that's on Netflix or did they remake it? 

I've used 1" polyester webbing to tow my youngest up some grades just too big for his legs.

If I'm comparing the correct two hammocks, you're really only looking at a 3 - 5 oz difference so I'd put more emphasis on comfort and go with the longer hammock.

I weighed much the same options when I bought my hammock (SkeeterBeeter Pro).  The skeeterbeeter just fit me at 5'10".  The Pro was several inches longer.  I opted for the Pro to allow me a flatter lay.  My son has the skeeterbeeter and I can really feel the difference when I use it compared to my Pro. 

The SBPro is not asymetrical so I don't know if Asym hammocks accommodate a flatter lay in a shorter hammock

Saw this video with what I thought was a handy way to re-purpose reflector mounts.  This guy uses them to mount his gps but there's  probably many others...  It's about 1:40 into the video

May 6th - Gear Review

I was planning on using VX21 for the spine, but don't want to build in a weakness.  Is a heavier cordura better suited, or what about a 2" wide polypro webbing?

I figure the storm flap on the hose port is overkill but might do it just to be a little different.