From the start of this tour I have been wearing the Osprey Talon backpack that I usually use for bikepacking. Since shifting things around and moving the water bladder to the main compartment of the frame bag, the backpack has been as light as it can be, usually with just food, sandals, some of my documents and perhaps the puff jacket in it. Still, I haven’t loved it for this application. The perpetually sweaty back and confining straps are annoying during the long periods of static posture while touring. On singletrack, while concentrating on the dynamics of mountain biking, the laden pack disappears for me. Not so over these last five weeks.
I’ve figured out a way to ditch it. (In reality, give it away to someone who seemed elated to have it.)
Two things had to happen: Firstly, I needed to make space to carry food for the spans between resupply, and, secondly, I needed to be able to carry water. The space issue was addressed by the evolution of looking at and repacking the load again and again (e.g., “wait a second, I could put the pot at the end of the bedroll and cinch it down using the compression lid”), with a big breakthrough being moving the enormous spare tube to the saddle bag, now stuffed to the limit. With the spare tube and water bladder potentially gone, I could carry food in the main section of the frame bag.
But water carrying seemed trickier. Of course I knew I could attach two cages to the fork, with the lower bolt hole in the rack eyelet and the top of the cage secured with a hose clamp. But realistically that wouldn’t be enough capacity. In an aha moment, I attached two more cages to the rear, mounting the top bolt hole of the cages to the rear rack mount, and the lower part of the cage to the chainstay/dropout with another set of hose clamps. This four bottle setup has been reliable for a week over very rough roads and high speed bucking descents.
The result is a bit more Joad family than I’d prefer (yes, that’s a ti mug back there), but no sweaty back.
brilliant! this seems like it might be the way to go for the TDR!
Now, this I really like. Among the many aspects of this trip which have captured my attention was your decision to go with the backpack. I’m glad to see that you worked something else out. Had you managed to make it all the way through, I would have felt condemned to do the same thing on a Pugsley trip I have in the back of my mind.
The Joad Family would be proud. Clampetts too. And given that the Peruvians won’t get the cultural references, who cares? You’re just making yourself a more interesting-looking gringo.
Nice (-: Shedding the pack must feel good…
how many litres is that seat pack?!!
Cass, it’s a standard Revelate Viscacha. I’m shocked, too, by how much it can carry. Right now, it has in it all my clothing except for jacket, hat and gloves (those are in the front pocket), maps, toiletries, meds, spare tube, silk sleep sack, and chemical toe warmers. Crazy but excellent.
Capacious…
An idea… I’m not sure if you have room to synch this on somewhere, but I picked up an REI Flash 18 (http://www.rei.com/product/778466/rei-flash-18-pack) today. It’s a pretty cool pack: superlight (280g) and simple, it rolls down really small or you can turn it inside out to turn it into a stuff sack. Could be useful for those days when you need to carry a little more food, or when you’ve done some shopping, and are looking for a campsite.
Anyway, if you need anything posted out, let me know. I’m in the States for a couple more weeks, before heading south…
‘
This does look like decent kit and the right idea. Thanks for the offer, may take you up on it as I might need a few things in La Paz. Will keep your timing in mind and will email.
Pingback: South America Bikepacking Kit update | Pedaling in Place
Enjoying your blog. Haven’t yet got a fatbike but I do have a Salsa Fargo… close cousin.
I’ve used very similar mounting techniques on the front fork.
Had not thought of the rear watter bottle trick though I believe I have similarly placed braze-ons.
I too avoid having anything on my back except in special situations where I tremporarily need extra space such as carrying extra water or food.
Backpack of choice is the 2.4 ounce Sea-to-summit backpack.
http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/86
Superb for temporary extra storage.
Specifically I came across an absolutely wonderful technique when bikepacking down the Blue Ridge Parkway in January. Toward the end of the day I’d stop in a small restraunt, store or somewhere and fill my two 1L water bladders up with the hotest water I could find and drop them in my sea-to-summit pack wearing it underneath an outer layer or two.
This was remarkable at acting as a heat sync allowing me to more easily regulate my body temp as I soft-pedalled into the evening so that when I got to camp I was warm and had pushed as much moisture out of my clothes as possible.
Other tips…
I usually only carry 1-2 typical bicycle water bottles, and often one of those is kleen kanteen since (a) it can handle everything from coffee to milk without becoming permiated with the flavors and moldy, and (b) because I can and do boil water in it for tea, coffee, etc.
My thinking is that while they’re convient for drinking out of while riding these smaller watter bottles aren’t the most efficient way to carry water.
Instead I will often carry a generic 1.5L bottle on the down tube using a Salsa Anything cage or Topeak Magna XL watter bottle cage. The Pugs may not have as much down tube space, but if you needed to you could mount one on your front fork. I then move both the smaller watter bottles to the same side of the fork.
Wish I had some pics for you, but I just realized I hadn’t taken any of my setup lately.
BTW, if you are so inclined you might find some photo sharing groups I started interesting:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/ultralightbiking/
new: http://www.flickr.com/groups/touringgear/
Even if you don’t plan on posting any photos (which I hope you do as you’ve got some great photos), you should still join up so you can leave comments and discuss stuff.
Peace, -Mike
Pingback: One bike for all seasons | gypsy by trade
Pingback: Pugsley Mods | Pedaling in Place