I've been backpacking several years now, but I just got a mountain bike and I knew I couldn't be the only person to think of this combo, so here I am.

Any suggestion on where to go this time of year in CA? I'm in the Kern County area.

Thanks, stumpyfsr! That makes sense! I knew there had to be a reason why I saw all these hardtails on here. What do you mean by high volume tires? Like bigger ones?

I have ALL the backpacking gear, I have a bike (tire pump, extra tubes, bike tools, etc), I just got a Bikefisherman, which I highly recommend if you fish. I see a lot of bikepacking type of accessories on here. Any other suggestions on what I'd need for the bike?

Cool, thanks!

I've been backpacking for several years and have gone on numerous trips and know a lot about lightweight backpacking, but I'm new to mountain biking. I ended up getting a Marlin Bobcat a few weeks ago and haven't done much more than ride it around town. I know it's not a top-notch bike necessarily, but it seems pretty decent. Would it suffice, or should I get a full suspension bike?