Personal setups, Ultralight / Singletrack » Scott Morris’ bikepacking setup – for GET Spring 2008

by ScottM

photo by MC

This is my setup used for Grand Enchantment Trail adventures described here:

GET Part 1, Safford Morenci Trail

In pack -(Osprey Talon 22):

Marmot precip jacket
PI arm and knee warmers
random first aid and repair items (zip ties, chain link, tape, etc)
camera
toiletries (toothbrush, etc)
200 oz bladder
Katadyn Hiker water filter
lightweight running shorts (for camp / town)
Mucho food (~3 days in this case – there ain’t much in the way of “civilization” out in the Gila)

On body:

Long sleeve tech shirt
PI shorts
Smartwool socks
gloves, helmet

On bike:

Thermarest prolite 3 (short)
Garmin eTrex Vista CX
In frame bag – bike tools, pump, 2 tubes + 1lb Twizzlers

In seatbag (made by Carousel Design Works):
Western Mountaineering Highline ~40 deg bag
adventure medical “emergency” bivy
Mountain Hardware rain pants

Lotsa food in two of these.

Component choices:

20×36 gearing.

I use a standard shimano 4-bolt crank. Actiontec and Boone both make 20 tooth chainrings that just barely fit and work quite well. That takes care of the front end.

On the rear, Actiontec just this year started producing single 36 tooth cogs. You use it with any regular cogset (I’ve used both Shimano and SRAM) but take out one of the smaller cogs. You have to experiment a little bit with which combo of cog taken out and spacers put in works, but I have it working on two bikes at the moment.

I’ve always been a big fan of lower gears, especially on a 29er, and especially when bikepacking. Throw in the extra gear, throw in a few days fatigue and it can easily mean the difference between walking and riding.

notes:

No tent, no stove.

This is for a high desert tour where water is scarce, at best. For other trips I would tweak some things, like the water filter and perhaps clothing choices. In CO, or if expecting significant rain, I’d bring a tent footprint tarp. If racing… well, that’s a different story.