^^^Somebody's training for the RAS Ride. :wink:
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^^^Somebody's training for the RAS Ride. :wink:
OK, I think I have most of what I need for my first backpacking trip, which will be only 1 or 2 nights. I read the bikepacking 101 guide, and what to bring, but there is a lot I would bring they didn't mention, like soap, butt wipes, pack of cards, small poop shovel, alcohol, OK I'm kidding about a couple of these - but what do all newbs forget (I've never backpacked just car camped a lot) that you like to bring? When weight isn't a concern?
JB brought the Peru Crew over to Putney on Wednesday, it was a hoot!Quote:
Originally Posted by Peruvian
Depends on your expected downtime. You can get away with less of you arrive, eat, sleep and leave vs. arrive, lounge, eat, sleep.Quote:
Originally Posted by muted reborn
Soap - no, use the wipes
Cards - sure, they are small
Poop trowel - depends on the soil and if stick would work, but yes
Being more food than you think. Salty and sugary snacks for variety. Small camp chair like a Helinox is a nice luxury, small section of tyvek also works well to sit on.
Don’t bring wipes bikepacking or backpacking, they don’t breakdown like toilet paper. If you want to tidy up more bring something like Cetaphil gentle cleansing lotion and use it with some TP.
Bring a trowel, the hole needs to be deeper than you think.
Wipes and hand sanitizer aren’t really adequate for washing your hands after you poop, use a small bar of soap and a little water.
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^^^True, I should have added ziplock baggie for bringing the wipes back out. Don't bury those.
Correct. This is what I do. Wipes are for cleaning face first end of the day and then booty. I just use hand sanitizer for cleaning hands but the post about using soap and a bit of water is not wrong. I have not died yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowagriz
Bidet
Can be done if you plan ahead and camp geyser-adjacent.
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It’s a squeeze bottle system. Lots of options online. You can even practice at home.
I've seen those in thru hiker gear videos. I was curious how you know when you're completely clean. A few more vids suggested that you feel around back there with your fingers to find out. Unless I'm missing something, this doesn't seem like that great of a system to me honestly. For just a few days out, I'll carry the TP and wipes.Quote:
Originally Posted by bodywhomper
Use a few tp squares to confirm clean or not.
It’s a less tp/wipe solution that’s less abrasive, uses less wiping material, and should result in a cleaner ass.
I mean I guess you'd want to dry off anyways which that would do.
Could see a thru hiker opting for this. I've just never had an issue using TP and wipes.
Man, some of you don't bikepack near enough starbucks and it shows.
I’m just trying to share the way of the bidet :)
So uh... how about that gravel riding?
Been doing some things. Pancake ride a few weeks ago, then last best ride gravel race, then a nice loop in whitefish/glacier yesterday among other things
Pancake ride was 175mi and 13k feet this year and started at midnight. which was nice because it was hot during the day. I was actually kind of cold for some of it and probably could have brought a vest. Early on a lead group of 4 formed, I think the other two guys wanted to be alone but it's kind of a race so i stuck with them and so did a friend. Wound up being nice to be in a group on a few of those remote roads in the middle of the night. Pretty cool and way out there. We got to the mandatory gas station stop at mi 80 just before it opened at 6, refilled things and bought our lottery tickets, then i don't think we stopped until an aid station at 120. From there it was a big climb, then another big climb, then a trail. Up until then it was a fun, hard, long adventure and then got real annoying. The 5mi on ridgetop trail was mostly unrideable, and then disappeared a few times and left you climbing down a mountain side over deadfall. Guess he got us good with that one.
A weekend later I went back up there for last best ride, maybe not a great idea. I hung onto the front group up the first big climb and then it was pretty chill until the last part so we had a nice group riding fairly casually up along whitefish lake. This one had real pros in it and once we hit the main climb up to the back of big mountain it was on. The fast guys disappeared but I got to the top of that first part in I think 7th and could see a guy in front of me. Then completely blew up going across the relatively flat section before the back of the ski area and struggled to the top, losing time and places. It's a very, very long and steep hike up the last part. Got with a guy I knew for the ride down, started feeling better eventually, we caught one person, and i wound up getting to the line ahead of them for 9th so actually a pretty good result but i had better in me.
Yesterday went up that way again with a friend and we rode over red meadow pass, to polebridge and then on the inside north fork to west glacier. Fun loop although you don't get the huge scenic vistas like you would on going to the sun road. Also took the "short" way back to columbia falls on the bike path next to hwy 2, which actually ends after hungry horse and puts you on a very narrow section of highway with no shoulder for a few miles which was not a fun end to the ride. Oh and I sliced open a tire real good right in about the midpoint of the inside n fork road which was pretty dumb of me but i had tire boots and all that stuff so it was fine.
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new tires might not be as reliable as the pirellis but they do look nice and are big and comfy
That bike is all business, I like. Midnight start to a gravel event is nuts, never heard of such a thing.
A smattering of pics from our week long bike tour of the Finger Lakes.
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Nice! Looks like a great trip
Rad photos of adventures being shared! I just noodle/stomp around my extended neighborhood on short fun rides and do not take photos.
Maybe a sunset start is more your style?Quote:
Originally Posted by buttahflake
Hmmm, maybe.
After work special from today in SoVT
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Another beautiful afternoon in SoVT
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Got in a nice neighborhood ride this morning after yesterday’s rain.
I encountered a new “No Trespassing” sign and locked gate shortly after taking this photo. I got lost for a while on random singletrack and double track trying to get to where I was going and avoiding passing any No Trespassing signs.
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Another canal trail
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In Reykjavík trying to catch a flight up for Isafjordur for a nine day bikepacking trip. Our flight yesterday was canceled so we’re had an unexpected down day. The Hanger on my bike was bent during transport (should have removed it but I just pulled the RD). It was shifting poorly enough I went to replace it with the hanger I special ordered from Canyon prior to the trip only to realize that the screw that holds the hanger in place is a T20 and a T25 won’t work at all. Managed to find a helpful shop this morning that lent me a T20… sadly they didn’t have any for sale so I’ll just need to cross my fingers that this one isn’t badly damaged.
Very different Bikepacking kit than I’ve normally used in the past. Canyon Grizl with front and rear panniers. Given the amount of rain we’re expecting the choice to ditch my “mostly waterproof” bags for Ortlieb roll top bags is feeling wise. My wife’s bike is just a small handlebar bag, frame bag and medium sized seat pack. Carrying a Hillberg tent. One zero degree bag and one 15 degree bag. All of which are massive compared to our normal 30 degree bags and tarptent setup. Still managed to pack six days of food and some layers. The first few days will feel much heavier than normal but the plus is you only need to carry a single bottle at any given time given the amount of running water which helps compared to my 8-10 liters I’ve carried for some desert routes
Looking forward to pics, Tw.
Perfect day to go big back east. 89 miles with 7,500’. Almost all on quiet dirt roads.
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This past Saturday, I rode The Quick and the Dead. I will describe it as: vicious. Looked like: Attachment 499612 with lots of hills like:
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But the toughest one was:
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Most of the climbs were loose gravel or rocky fire/powerline access roads. It made the climbs worse.
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It was a torturefest. HIGHLY recommend.[emoji16][emoji6][emoji51]
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Took a quick overnight trip last week. was going to start from home but got a little lazy in the morning and drove out of town a bit to get started.
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Packed "light" with just a change of clothes and such
way up the ninemile which is to the west of missoula a bit
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After a long way up and across and down i got to st regis and had a candy bar
then rode along old railroad grade for awhile
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eventually i got to lookout pass and then it was downhill to wallace
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stayed in a hotel with a pool and hot tub, had a beer at a brewery and a nice dinner. then it was back home the next day
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went over cooper pass to thompson falls, through plains, past quinns hot springs, and then up and over siegel pass to get back into the ninemile
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I think day one was like 106mi, day two 109, each about 7k feet. good trip, fun route and some new roads.
Excellent work, buttah!
Great pics, great route.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamal
Wow, is that skull bar tape? Must have...
Why yes it is, Skull Tape from Supercaz
I need to take a play from jamal’s book and do an on overnight where I stay at a hotel - skip packing the tent, sleeping gear, cookware, etc and just ride.
Cool trip and thanks for sharing.
I have a friend who does that in a roadie group. They often couple it with post ride wine tasting or at a brewery.
Fun seeing all the photos and reading about people’s longer rides/outings. Thanks for sharing.
Nice. Thank you!Quote:
Originally Posted by buttahflake
I rode a route I’ve been thinking about for a few years. There are 2 historic gold mining era river crossings in my neighborhood. One has a maintained dirt road leading to it and a 19th century-era steel bridge crossing the river. My family and I go there often. The other crossing no longer has a bridge. I went to the second. The old road still exists, but the last 2 miles are not maintained and are steep. From my house, it was just 8 miles, there and back, with 1700’ of descent followed by 1700’ of ascent. I didn’t see a soul (though I smelled lion at one point) until I got to the old river crossing. At the crossing there were like 20 naked men hanging out at 1030am. I was a bit surprised. The crossing can also be accessed by a 1 mile walk from a state park parking lot downriver.
Beginning of the unmaintained road (after a few miles of maintained road)
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Pretty typical quality of the road (descending)Attachment 500071
River. I didn’t take photos at the beach where the crossing was located. Attachment 500072
Bike resting before first climb
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First climb from the river
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Fun to finally get down there. And formulate linkages to other trails and old abandoned-ish roads
When one ‘smells’ lion, is that feeling you have or like an actual smell? Do you think about them while riding? Those things scare the fuck out of me.
As a former Iowan, shut your whore mouth about Casey's!Quote:
Originally Posted by Peruvian
(But completely true.... I'll be sharing this with friends)