In general, I think May and October are the best times to bike/camp in Utah.  I'm not from there but have visited and ridden there (southern Utah).  May and October are typically warm but not too hot.  More chance of rain in October, but maybe people from there can offer more detail.

I'm getting 2 kits.  Was enlightening to look at the backpackinglight link and one that links from there.  Some cool pix of other earlier iterations of Tyvek bivies.  Thanks for setting this up for us, David!

Fastmtbr33w, can you email me some pix of your setup and your address, then I'll mail you payment for a bivy kit. 

For some reason, I am not able to view some photos on bikepacking.net anymore.  Would like to see how your design worked out.

Thanks,
Joe

jkidd143 at gee mail dot com

I don't see any pix.  Are they there and my phone is not letting me view them?  Would like to see the finished product.

I am interested in an experimental bivy kit.  Any updates?

7 liters per day (yes, I am a drinker/sweater), and highs in the mid- to high 80s.

Yeah, I have only had the Mukluk for a couple months, and I'm happy to have quickly figured out several options for carrying stuff -- more or less food, water and gear as the trek determines. 

This is via racks front and back, or Revelate seat bag, and/or frame bag, numerous water bottle mounts, Feed Bags, etc.  I could also put on a homemade top-tube bag, but enough is enough. 

The Mukluk strikes me as a do-it-all bike that handles most riding surfaces (from sand to buff singletrack to snow) and is superbly designed for hauling what you need.

And I should say:  A big thanks to Eric at Revelate for the frame bag (bought via Modern Bike) for my Mukluk.  Fits great, holds a ton of stuff, is well designed and built.  Perfect for bikepacking.

I posted this on MTBR, but figured I would put it here for those who don't check the other site:

A couple friends and I had backcountry permits to ride the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands.  We planned a 3-day trip will full water/food on our bikes.  But a day before the trek, Washington DC went into a tizzy and our national parks suddenly closed.

We talked with some Moab folks and settled on riding on the other side of the Colorado River, in the Lockhart Basin.  Similar views, terrain and riding surfaces (maybe more sand) as the White Rim, but very few people.

I really enjoyed the outing.  I was on my Mukluk 3, which sailed through the sandy river washes and gullies.  It was much tougher riding for my friends, who were on a Soma Analog and a Salsa El Mariachi.

I was impressed at how versatile the Mukluk was for riding on such varied surfaces -- hardpack, large rubble, sand, silt -- and how well it was suited for carrying provisions. 

The weather was warm and windy.  I slept under the stars, and my friends were in 1-man tents.

We brought all the water, food and gear we had planned to use on the White Rim, which proved to be much more than we needed on our Lockhart Basin ride.

For me, it was a good experiment in how much food and water I would need per day in a desert environment.  (I estimated the water correctly but brought way too much food.)

The sights were beautiful and the riding enjoyable (on a fat bike!).  It was a great experience.

I really appreciate the ACA, too, and all their efforts to promote what we enjoy doing. Lately, I have enjoyed their photos on Instagram, etc.  Nice way to get inspired about the next trek.

I also really appreciate dried mash potatoes.  On a trip last weekend, I mixed salt and cold water with some in a ziplock bag, mixed it by squeezing, then ate it by squishing it out an open corner of the bag, as if it were a cake frosting pastry bag.  Dried mash potatoes are always flavorful and easy to mix and eat.

I posted this in the bikepacking forum on MTBR but thought I might get better/different responses here:

I plan on carrying 4-liter MSR DromLite bladders on racks and in panniers this fall. I am worried about the potential abrasion & wear and tear on the rack-mounted bladders.

Thinking about sewing up some type of fabric "sock" to slip them in before bungee-ing them on to the racks. Or maybe there is something off-the-shelf I could buy?

Looking for ideas, and I know others have already done this in some way.

Thanks for any help!

Joe

I enjoyed your report.  Great job!

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/08/09/cogburn-outdoors-fatbikes-for-hunters-and-foragers/

Any suggestions on a winter MTB riding boot with a wide footbed/toe box?

I had a mid-weight pair of Lake boots that I wore out.  I don't think that type (neoprene uppers) is being made anymore. 

Just beginning to look again for a winter riding boot and would appreciate the advice.

Rode 3 days on the North Umpqua Trail and used the top tube bag.  It holds a lot of stuff and is very stable (does not sway).  But the top, which tapers to 4" wide, is too wide.  My legs rubbed it slightly when climbing.

I will probably use it in certain applications, but I am considering this a prototype.  A better one is in the horizon.

Joeydurango -- how about for wide feet?  Would you recommend the Shimano shoes or something else?

Well, this was pretty tricky -- especially with the tight corners I designed into the lower/back corners of the back.

Sewed in a plastic stiffener on the front end, where the Velcro loop reaches toward the stem.

The bag seems pretty stable while riding, but it looks rumpley and oversized on the top tube.  Offers lots of dry storage though! 

Next one will be better....

And while we're on the topic of Revelate products, I got one of Eric's Visachia seat bags.  It is FANTASTIC!  Very stable. Surprising amount of stowage space.  Very well made.  I am real happy with it.