1x8 ideas?

[asatrur]

I am currently looking at getting rid of the 3x8 on my Stumpie in place of going with a 1x8, since I really never find myself in my big ring and I am guess with all the 1xs I see out there, there is some magic number for the front ring with regards to terrain. I live in CO and will be doing bigger climbs, etc., so what do the experienced folks here say would be a decent 1x combo?
TIA
Asa

[mattyp]

I've been riding a 1x9 with a 32 front ring.  My rear cassette is 11-32 and I usually don't have many issues riding with that spread for single track.  It does get spun out easy on long fire road descents and occasional up hills will be walkable, but usually ones that would have been hard with a fully loaded bike even with the granny gear. I should also mention that I rides 29er as that will gear it up slightly.

[eingb]

i modified my 3x8 to 1x8 gearing installing a 34t chainring in front. I feel quite fine with that but i use this bike merely for commuting on flat terrain. for more climbs i'd definitely install a 32t chainring.

bodo

[Smo]

I run my 29er as a 2x8 and I really like it.  My 24t front chainring is pretty much all I ever need for singletrack, and I go up to the 34 for roads.  I would need a pretty epic tailwind, downhill, to need more than the 34.  That said, I run a higher cadence than most.  For some reason my bike has a really direct chain line from most of the cassette in first gear, there are only 2 that I really can't use.   Not sure why that happened in this particular case.

I replaced the third chainring with this bashguard:

http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Mountain-Bike-Bashguard-110MM/dp/B004UMEFA0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398804292&sr=8-2&keywords=nashbar+bash+guard

Not the lightest, but cheap.  Bought it with a new second chainring after I busted it in two rides.

[asatrur]

I just checked and my I am running a 11-32 with a 32t middle up front, so I have a nice long ride at lunch today of mixed terrain, so I am going to try and see how running just that feels and make the decision there.
Thanks for all the feedback!

[SVO]

I have been running DIY 1x8 for a long time on my 29er.  Can't find good cassettes any longer so 1x9.  But that is for regular riding and not bikepacking.  I live in CO too.  Big difference between regular riding and bikepacking.  I put the granny ring/shifter/derailleur back on for that.  I'm a torque style rider and a run a custom 38t ring and 11-32 cassette and that works for me.  Most folks I'd say a 32 or 34x32 low gear 29er.  I go to 24-32 rings for bikepacking.