Compatible with most full-suspension bicycles and bicycles that have solid-axle hubs. Attaches quickly and easily using the BOB Quick Release (included). Three inches of adjustable suspension. Trailer tracks rear wheel of bicycle. Includes, BOB Dry Sak, bungie, and flag. This BOB was used for a trip one summer and has been stored in a basement since then. Will ship, buyer pays, in original shipping box. There are some cosmetic marks in a few places on the frame due to rubbing of the sak while riding. No holes, and other than a few rub marks, the Dry Sak is in excellent condition. Very little wear on the tires. I have two of these, both purchased at the same time and in the same condition. The second one is missing the bungie. This set-up currently sells for $439 MSRP. Asking $325 OBO.

Yesterday I received my camera bag, custom made by Jason Snell from Barking Bear Bagworks. I couldn't be more satisfied with the results, good craftsmanship, solid attachment points, and well designed. My camera, along with the MatadorUp camera base layer, fit snugly inside. I'm looking forward to taking it out for a test ride within the next couple of days.

Thanks for the suggestions, but none of the stem bags I've seen are large enough. Initially I thought that would be the solution. And as for weather protection, aside from the camera's weather sealed body, I bought a down carrying bag from Matadorup that has a built in rain fly. My new camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC GH4. Dimensions, with the included 14-140 mm lens, are W: 5.5", H: 4", L: 7.5". I went with a mirrorless micro 4/3 because of it's compactness, but the size is "compact" only if you compare it to a regular DSLR. I have a possibility from a local Michigan bag maker, Barking Bear Bags, to make something for me. Until he commits to this project I'd still like to have a decent backup plan.

Over the years I have become disappointed with the quality of photos and video from my point and shoot. On a typical bikepacking trip I take a POV (GoPro) and point and shoot. My point and shoot fit nicely in a gas tank for easy access. But recently I purchased a high quality micro 4/3 camera. It's much bigger and the only storage solution that I've seen is a Porcelain Rocket Slinger. Unfortunately they are not taking any new orders and I've got a backcountry mountain bike trip coming up at the end of the summer. So I am looking for other options, preferably ones that allow access from the cockpit. I've done a lot of reading on this, in fact Dirt Rag just published an article about camera bags and backpacks for cycling. Just not interested in keeping it on my back. If you have have some ideas I'd like to hear them.  

BigCog,

How far you can, or want, to go depends on primarily on fitness, road surface, and elevation.  What I do when estimating a new route is I figure out how far I can comfortably ride with a load on an average dirt road and how much climbing I can do before it stops being fun.  For me on dirt roads at the start of a tour I aim for 40 miles and 3000 feet of climbing.  If it will be only 2000 feet of climbing then I add 5 miles of distance.  conversely, if the day has 4000 feet of climbing I subtract 5 miles of distance.  Keep in mind that my experience with ACA elevation profiles is that they underestimate the total climbing by about 25%.

Another method you could use is the 'Average Speed' method.  Figure out your average speed on a dirt road with a similar amount of time and climbing.  For example, if you can average 10 MPH with a loaded bike on dirt then figure out how much time you want to spend rolling.  Keep in mind that navigation, lunch, breaks, ect don't count.  So for me, a tourist in no hurry, at an average speed of 10MPH 40 miles is 4 hours rolling or 7-8 hours of traversing the landscape.  Your fitness, age, and desire to tour or hammer will influence your decision on milage.  I hope this helps.

That answers one of my questions. The other has to do with "fire season". My wife is a teacher and we generally don't start getting decent miles in until after the beginning of June. A month and a half of training would get us to mid-July, which has been described as the beginning of fire season. How much consideration should we give to finishing our ride by fire season? A typical bikepack or camping trip, for us, would be after August 1, which gives us plenty of time to train and still finish projects around the house.

Have you looked at the new Garmin Edge Touring (https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/cycling/edge-touring/prod134596.html) ?

Michigan has a huge network of ORV trails (http://michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-38330--,00.html). They're perfect for fat bikes. You can string together and out and back by connecting several routes, or create a loop by using seasonal roads. Many of the maps also have links to download a gps file.

Looking forward to it, Chad. Checked out your Spot a few times. Great ride.

Ken

Tried to keep, when possible, on ORV trails. Many became quite soft and sandy but we managed (made me think about doing some of it again on my fat bike). For sections that were too soft we jumped off on the nearest parallel roads that we could find.

We didn't see much in the way of wildlife, if you exclude scat on the trails, of which there was a lot (does a bear shit in the woods? nope- usually on the trail). Hoping for at least some wolf howls, but didn't hear any. What we did see is much of the same you'd see frequently around northern Michigan. No, to backwoods Yoopers. Would have preferred those encounters to the campers and RVs in the campgrounds we stayed at.

Good luck. In 2011 three of us used a network of ORV trails, forest roads, and paved roads to ride a loop through the western U.P. We started in Land O'Lakes (WI) traveled west to Bessemer, north to Black River Harbor on Lake Superior, east to the Porcupine Wilderness State Park, angled over to Houghton, up to Copper Harbor, and worked our way back south to Land O'Lakes, around 500 miles. Our goal was to view at as many waterfalls along the way as we could. It's a great place to string together a bikepacking route.

Olympus Stylus850 sw- a perfect adventure camera, great condition. 8.0-megapixel, 3x-optical zoom; Face Detection, 2.5-inch LCD; Waterproof 10 feet; shockproof 5',charger, 2 batteries, 2 GB XD card included. More detailed info @http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Stylus-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B0011EAA0O $80 OBO. Buyer pays shipping.

Thanks, MattL. Yes I mean normal seat bag, tools and tubes. Those cause quarter size abrasions on my (lycra) shorts near the backs of my thighs. I guess my options are to borrow a seat bag, if I can find one, and try it. If it doesn't work out for me then I need to consider using a rack with a dry bag.

I've bicycle toured for many years, panniers on road bikes and a B.O.B. with a mountain bike. I'm thinking about outfitting my Mukluk and my mountain bike with bike packs, but I'm unsure about leg clearance for seat packs. I no longer use a seat bag to carry tools because they have a tendency to wear holes in the back of my shorts from repetitive contact between the back of my legs and the front of the bag. A seat bag for bikepacking is going to be much larger. How much clearance do you have with the seat bags? Any issues with them contacting your legs?

Still available?

Still available? Interested for my wife's Mukluk.