2016 Tour Divide Preparation

[Rob Colliver]

Hey, I'm still filling in details on the gps.... is there really a convenience store in Ferndale Montana? I've google-earthed it, checked yellow pages etc. and can't spot it...
Should I fill up with food at the Swan River/83 crossing instead?

Thanks

Rob

[metalartgate]

Shows up on Google maps ~1 mile East off route
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ferndale+Market/@48.0519717,-113.9850003,230m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x0affa37071485ff1!6m1!1e1

[Rob Colliver]

Thank you Mr Meyer.
I'll give the G maps a good looking over.

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Hi All,

I've put down step-by-step instructions for hacking your Spot 2 to run off a USB/dynamo at:

https://triduffer.wordpress.com/2016/02/11/powering-your-spot-2-gps-from-usb/

Regards,

Chris

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Hi Again!

If you are looking for a fuel tank bag check out the new Topeak bag:

http://www.wiggle.co.nz/topeak-fuel-tank-bag-large-1/

I've been testing mine and it is an incredible bag. The large is the same size as my Revelate and larger than my Alpkit.

Has really nice features like a dynamo port, interior mesh pocket, moveable divide and a waterproof zip.  It's really tidy and easy to organize your things. Great value and build.

[phil_rad]

I found out the same thing on my last ride in the pouring rain. Still trying to decide on going with a gortex jacket or something like a $100 marmot or pataguchi.
For me the problem is i'll sweat in a rain jacket.. might as well not wear it. I need some sort of ventilation.
Outdoor Resarch (Axiom) has some nice gortex jackets that fit well with a helmet, as well as Mountain Hardwar and Arcteryx (Beta Lt hybrid)
Those are a couple that I really like.

I ordered a Montane Minimus jacket, came today in the mail. It's really light, on my kitchen scale 230 grams. We'll see how it holds up, it's pretty flimsy feeling.
https://www.montane.co.uk/en/men/clothing/waterproof/minimus-jacket
Yep, I got the green :-)

[kiwidave]

Chris, was is the weight of the Topeak compared to the Alpkit?

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Chris, was is the weight of the Topeak compared to the Alpkit?

The medium Alpkit is 80 grams and the large 110 g. The Topeak is 150 g.  It's almost an identical size to the Revelate Gas Tank which is 100 g. Much more weather resistant than the others.

I've a custom bag on order with Bolder Backpacking (even the Topeak isn't *quite* perfect) and will post a review of all four bags once it gets here in a few weeks.

[Rob Colliver]

Yea, done away with the cache battery and can now charge the gps at 4.5 mph and up to 50 mph without cooking the system.
I just need to sort out a switch to divert the power to the Revo and electrical preparation is complete.

[GregMay]

I ordered a Montane Minimus jacket, came today in the mail. It's really light, on my kitchen scale 230 grams. We'll see how it holds up, it's pretty flimsy feeling.
https://www.montane.co.uk/en/men/clothing/waterproof/minimus-jacket
Yep, I got the green :-)

Phil,

I have one for over a year now - pretty common lightweight option in the UK for fell runners and bikers. They are excellent. I've binned myself with it on and not ripped it. Breathability is pretty good too, that chest pocket opens up well as a vent.

I'll be in my blue one, so at least we won't be twins.

[phil_rad]

I have one for over a year now - pretty common lightweight option in the UK for fell runners and bikers. They are excellent. I've binned myself with it on and not ripped it. Breathability is pretty good too, that chest pocket opens up well as a vent.

I'll be in my blue one, so at least we won't be twins.
[/quote]

Greg,  you Brits know about good rain gear,  Good to know that it's a quality jacket.

[GregMay]

Even more so - I'm Irish

[kiwidave]

I've had a few requests so here is the link to the starter's list spread sheet. PLEASE don't enter data here. It gets corrupted and we have to spend a lot of effort to sort it out.

Data Entry Form:
http://goo.gl/forms/xpZ1R6BSRy

Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ry-lZPuFXayMt8Do2k_XcidY0HlKsdjDm2iVL1MKbyQ/edit?usp=sharing

There's over 100 people now on the starters list. From prior years the list at Feb doubles for starting numbers ... so 200 at the Y on 10th June! Wow. There goes my Li battery and brake-pad supplies ... looks like some extra weight in the bags for me. Boulton Creek is going to be doing a brisk trade too. On the other hand, a better chance to be able to buddy-up through the bear dense areas of Flathead and Swan Valley.

[Mike McElveen]

Can we briefly return to the tent vs. bivvy vs. tarp debate and add the "fast fly" option for ultralight tents?  That is, use the footprint and rainfly only, leaving behind the tent itself.  The potential downsides being slight heat loss, bug exposure, and heavy rain runoff overtopping the footprint.  My quilt is warm enough and I'll be swaddled sufficiently that only my face will need bug dope.  That leaves the runoff issue which will hopefully be a rare event and mitigated by attention given to footprint siting.  Otherwise, it looks like all positives:  light, small, freestanding, wind proof, no dew, much less condensation, and fast set up.  The negatives for the other options have been well covered except for small mention given to how hard it can be to appropriately rig a tarp. 

I know I'm overlooking something and that this crowd will quickly set me straight.  (Shelter in question is a Big Agnes Fly Creek I, 1.25 lbs in "fast fly" mode.)

[phil_rad]

That BA tent looks good. Have you seen these before?

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tarps/Deschutes.html

I have a six moons lunar solo, its a great 1 person tent. I'm debating bringing it though, might just take a tarp and bivy.

 

[brassnipples]

I picked up a Big Agnes Copper Spur 1 specifically because of the 'fast fly' option and have been playing around with it. My only complaint is that the fly does not get very close to the ground (4"?) so wind cuts right through it and in a particularly bad rain storm the ground splash or side rain could be an issue.  I used it on a windy night recently where it got below 20F, I was definitely missing the wind blocking effect of the whole tent and got pretty cold as a result but a couple of inflated dry bags around the perimeter of the tent were effective at blocking most of the direct wind.  In iffy conditions a little extra insurance like a SOL Emergency Bivvy would be a good idea and it's still lighter and less bulky than bringing the rest of the tent and probably more flexible overall.  I'm happy to have the option and the bug situation is the only reason I see to bring the rest of the tent along.

One unmentioned benefit of the fast fly setup is the extra room, you gain several inches of space in every dimension turning a cramped one man tent into a relatively roomy space.  The setup is also noticeably faster.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Yea, done away with the cache battery and can now charge the gps at 4.5 mph and up to 50 mph without cooking the system.
I just need to sort out a switch to divert the power to the Revo and electrical preparation is complete.

Insert evil laughter.

[THE LONG RANGER]

I've had some pretty good luck with just using a footprint for a two person tent as my tarp, bought at a sports recyclery for a song. Most days, I don't feel the urge to put in the effort to put it up, so it just gets used as a footprint (allowing me to have a pretty ul pad), but if it's raining, it only takes a little time and some parachord to set up  shelter to keep me dry for a few hours.

If there's a sprinking that happens overnight, I can just burrito wrap myself up and I'm a little more waterproof than I am with just a bivy and back to sleep I go. I've endured the most heinous of thunderstorms with this setup. The kind that you think you're surely going to die in. I've done many days at or above treeline.

Since doing the TD in 2011, I haven't felt the need to camp in a tent ever, save a coupla days I hiked the Juan de Fuca trail with a lady friend. I think Matt suggested this as reading material in the past: 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Bivvy-Ronald-Turnbull/dp/1852845619

There's nothing like sleeping under the stars.

[flyboy]

The Flathead descent trail seems also to be shared with the creek, so some racers seem to take some trainers for this section.

Any opinions as to the pros/cons of taking a set of trainers for this early wet section to ditch at Eureka? With my luck I'd take the spares but drop my cycling shoes in the water.

Just put subway bags over your socks ala Marshal Bird or do what most others did, plunge in and suck it up. Wet feet for an hour will be the least of your worries on the TD.

[Mike McElveen]

Justin, aka Long Ranger, I wanted to thank you for the helpful video on downloading tracks to a Mac, and wonder if you, or anybody else, can answer another technical question.  Is there a way to scroll away from the track screen on an eTrex 30, say to go to the "Trip Computer" screen, without having to start from scratch to re-access your track?  Someone showed me a nifty way to scroll back and forth quickly between "Map" and "Trip Computer", but I don't see how to go back to a track without starting over.  I am currently accessing the track via the "Where To" page.