 |
| It's a big fat Pug: at 58.5 lbs loaded, minus food, some water, and a few odds and ends. |
I've been gearing up to do some bikepacking since sometime last year. My philosophy has been to do it on the cheap when feasible, as I don't have the time or resources to commit myself to a load of camping of any sort. By way of checking out what other people use for equipment and compiling a spreadsheet tailored to my own needs, I've been able to ascertain what I have, what I need, and what I can do without. Initially the big gaps were lightweight versions of a tent, a sleeping bag, and a sleeping mat. That's of course apart from the means to carry all my junk.
Selling a few bikes recently and putting the proceeds into an REI sale, I was able to acquire a
Kelty Salida 2 tent, a Sierra Designs
Zissou (as in Steve) 23 long down bag, and a
REI Flash long insulated air mattress. Coupled with the set of Revelate Designs
framepack,
Viscacha seat bag, and
Sweet Roll handlebar bag (via
Gypsy), that I've acquired over time, most of the big gaps have been filled.
 |
| About as light as most Big Agnes SL series tents, at about half the price. |
 |
| Spacious for one, plenty for two inside. |
I had originally planned to go with any one of several
Big Agnes tents, mostly on their reputation of quality from more seasoned bikepackers. I particularly like the
Big Agnes Slater UL2+ and may one day go that route, but for now, in the balance of economics versus how many nights I'm likely to be able to camp to justify a fancier tent, economics won out. There is a bit of a weight penalty, but a pound or so is something that I can live with in the short term.
The Salida 2 itself has a decent reputation as a good value light weight tent, albeit with fewer bells and whistles. The great REI return policy provides a bit of insurance either way. I gave the new items a test with a back yard campout. All seem to be more than good enough for my purposes, and considerably better than my 10 to 20+ year-old, much heavier and bulkier equipment.
As for cooking equipment, I've gone the ultra cheap route. I've now built a few
Penny stoves and found them to be a terrific design; nearly free of cost, extremely low mass, using easy to source fuel, and with good fuel consumption. In the same spirit, I sourced an on-sale
Stanley 700ml covered pot cook set for $15. There are plenty of lighter pots out there, but it isn't too heavy and it's just about the right size.
I have Lexan utensils, but prefer something that is more heat resistant. I had some cheap, and therefore light, stainless steel utensils in my car camping kit. The only problem was the fork was too long to fit in the Stanley pot. A couple of minutes with a hacksaw and a grinder, and the problem is solved.
 |
| Step 1: Hack a bit off the cheap stainless fork... |
 |
| ... so that it's about the same length as the spoon. |
 |
| Step 2: Grind a nice curve that can serve double duty as a jelly spreader or tire lever. |
 |
| Step 3: Beam a little about how this combo is more hobo-chic than a titanium spork, even if it weighs a bit more. |
I packed everything up in the bags on the Pugsley and took a little ride with Scout. The whole setup is still missing some food and water, but all of what I'll need for an overnighter is about 87.5% there. The bike is heavy, and it certainly feels somewhat heavy, but is definitely not unrideable. It's just a matter of getting a feel for it in the context of what I hope to do with it, and dialing it in a little more. I'll likely be pushing it up steep hills, but there's a likelihood that I'd be doing that unladen anyway. In all, it's now an all-terrain, two-wheeled RV, and RVs aren't renown for speed.
 |
| Hard to tell from this phone pic, but that's a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress going over my neighborhood. Four big radial engines create a nice rumble. |
 |
| It rolls pretty well loaded. |
