Yeah I rode it back in March from DC to Cumberland.  Trail conditions were pretty good. some sections have washout/construction warning signs but are completely rideable with 28 or 32mm tires. We only hit rain once so the trail was pretty dry I have no idea how it is taking all the rain the area has been getting in the past few weeks.

Yo Konaunit that is awesome! I'm from DE but I've backpacked that region before - The grand canyon of PA or something.  I also just went on my first overnight bike trip with my roommate, we did the C&O out and back.  Its a good trail for us noobs since established campsites are right on the trail every 5-6 mi and they have fresh H20 as well (though bring a filter for it).  If you want to log mad miles you could do GAP and then C&O both ways or you could take a train back.

also quite crisp audio might i add

Thanks for the tips guys we had tons of fun! I'll get around to posting a trip report so all of you can laugh at our terrible bad luck (snapped carbon seat post, ruptured tire side walls, and worst of all my rear derailleur was ripped off the frame and into the wheel by a 4cm stick)

Hey Yall,
     My roomie and I plan on biking the canal from DC to Cumberland and back over our the majority of our spring break (3/18-3/23).  We have pretty much everything in order, but would love to get some feedback since this is our first long distance bike trip. Albeit not necessarily bike packing, we will rock seat and handlebar bags to get weight off our backs.  So yea what are some key things to look out for and remember on a long trip?

You should add in giardiasis (water purification), heat stroke (avoided by night riding), dysentery, starvation, drowning, hunting, river fording (with lost cycles), and deaths of other people in your crew.
 

I've decided to simply collect rainwater with an inverted umbrella mounted to my helmet.

Only if its ultralight silnylon I can only spare .1 oz in my kit lolol.

The chemicals are not dangerous, at least not any worse than what you find in tap water.

This is my point exactly. Unless you run a reverse osmosis filter on your home faucet you are being exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals (birth control hormones, benzene, trace antibiotics, and other organic molecules) in minute doses.  If you are concerned about viruses, the only filters I've been able to find that deal with them are Sawyer.

They make a filter that goes down to .02 micron pore size which catches viruses.

http://www.sawyer.com/products.htm

Don't know if yall are into chemistry, so here's some info on chlorine dioxide.  Keep in mind that few chemical reactions run to 100% completion in reality and that some of the toxic reactants are likely to be in the final product in minute quantities. Whether that bother's you or not is your decision.

the MSDS
http://www.haloxtech.com/pdf/MSDS-Chlorinedioxide(ClO2)-540ppm.pdf

wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide

does anyone have experience/opinions of the Sawyer in line filters? Their site says that they are good for 1 million gallons with adequate care and backwashing, but are they a good choice for bikepacking?

Maybe I'm asking, has anyone removed their 9 speed cassette and replaced it with a 10 speed cassette?
Instead of making a guess, ( sometimes I guess correct, sometimes incorrect).

Or, when I replace the LX 12 - 36 some time soon, what is the new and improved does not weigh a pound or more option, with a 36?

I think that depends on what rear derailleur/shifters you have. they are designed for either 9 or 10 speed i think

Another spammer

theqiaoshi

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,1827.msg16595.html#new

ok cool thanks for the info. so does the larger waistbelt on the 22 provide significantly more stability? I have a camelbak mule which has a belt similar to the newt, and i've never had any problems with it. The reason I was considering the newt is because of how similar it is to the mule in its general shape, but with a larger capacity.

I want to get people's opinions on this pack.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=153

How applicable would it be to bikepacking with regards to-
capacity, shoulder straps/waistbelt, weight, durability, etc.?

30 miles ain't bikepacking. If that's all you want, just ride out to your local park at 10pm, ride 15 miles, camp, then finish the loop in the morning and ride back. The rail trails on the east side of PA open up some really big routes. You could the Perkiomen from Green Lane to Valley Forge, The Schyukil from VF to to Wissahickon, ride wissahickon, then get back on the path and ride to/ride Belmont, Back on the path, 'bushwack' through North Philly(bring bear spray), and up to Pennypack, ride that, and then ride up/over a few miles to the Delaware canal trail, up to Easton, hang a left on the Lehigh Canal, over to Allentown, work your way over to whre the trail continues up to Jim Thorpe, ride there, get back on the LCT and ride to it's northern terminus at White Haven. Then Head up to Eckley and explore the coal mining ruins and museum and call it a trip.

hahahaha dude such a good post!!

sick. thanks for that site I might just have to get some custom poles now.

to the people who posted setups - how much weight do you carry on your back? I am thinking about using my camelback and carrying 3L of water on my back with most everything else packed on the bike

Sweet dude, but where do you get a small quantity of fiberglass like that? home depot?  I think I'll be using Busch light or Natty because I only drink the highest quality cheap beer...

cool man! Was talking to dudes at the LBS today who did the C & O in spring of 07 and 08 and said that march is usually a really wet month and that the rain muds up the trail more so in PA than MD because of the difference in surfaces.  They did it on 28mm tires and were sinking into the trail a bit but they still did it without too many problems

This is what i'll be using in the future.

Mini Stove

This is my dream backpack. not necessarily the best for bikepacking if you don't want to carry much on your back.

https://kifaru.net/KU2200.html