No need to think big in order to be grand! I'll admit it, I'm an over thinker, I like to plan and organize ad nauseam, and sometimes I worry too much about everything; the contingency plans, the escape routes, the weather, the meals, the perfect set of clothes, the distance, the bike bags, ... phew. Especially when you are needing to economize with space and stay light, you can fall into this worry trap.
However, one way to beat the over-planning blues is to start simple and small. The last two weekends my partner and I embarked on some bike-packing bike-overnights, backyard style. That is, we stayed for one or two nights, and we started our journey right from our backyard. Granted, living close to bike trails, such as those in Missoula and Bozeman, MT made this even easier, but riding from the house with the bikes already loaded made the adventure seem even more carefree.
Of course, You will still need the typical backpacking clothes, I always carry a rain coat, a knit hat, and a puffy coat. I also usually have fleece pants for hanging around camp and for sleeping. Since this was a bike overnight i only took one pair of cycling shorts. And yes, I'm not clipping in so I just have sneakers, easier and more comfortable for transitioning off the bike and exploring. As a side note, last weekend I accidentally brought two pairs of fleece pants and no sun glasses, we also left the house around midnight, so go figure ...
Tent or bivy, up to you! I like the tent and if i was going super light I would just take my fly, some tent flies are free standing with the tent poles. This set-up will keep the rain off for sure, but won't keep voracious bugs completely at bay. It will also not be as warm, but hey, it's summer, right? This set-up weighs very little and still creates a tent-style environment so you can sit-up and win a few poker games if it starts to downpour.
Food Food Food, do we have enough food? What do we take? This will depend on a few things, find out if campfires are allowed at your overnight destination, most National Forests allow fires as long as fire-restrictions aren't in place. If fires are allowed, and its not a big grizzly area, we like to take already cooked sausage-style meats for reheating over the fire. And yes, those are heavy-ish, but big on the YUM factor. If you're taking a stove you can save weight with freeze-dried meals -- lots of brands are very tasty. I have recently been taking a very small stove and using it for just boiling water for coffee, freeze dried meals, oatmeal, and dehydrated soups and veggies. These camping delicacies usually hit the spot, and have virtually no clean-up, Bonus! If your going super light, leave the stove behind, jerky, cheese, bars, nuts, and snacks work well too, but you wont be able to sip your hot coffee in the late morning as you absorb the natural beauty.
Let's face it, no matter what you load-up, try not to sweat the small stuff, if its a bike overnight then reduce your stress, if something goes really wrong, you can just head back into town. It might not be the journey you planned, but it will be an adventure nonetheless.
There are so many good articles and resources out there on bikepacking, and lots of gear too. For more thoughts and ideas check out:
BikepackerBike OvernightsBikepackingAnd, follow some true Adventures at:
Jill Outside Bedrock and ParadoxWhile Out RidingDairy of Scott Morris kurt's going nutsRide Far, Have Fun William MartinOkay, don't get too caught-up in all the planning, pick something simple, load-up some items and hit the trail. At least if you have a patch kit and pump you can keep on rolling, even if you did forget all the food!
- Mo
Photos Courtesy of Bill Martin-- ON THE ROAD is written by the tours team -- Mo, Paul, Madeline, and Arlen -- tours specialists and intrepid bicyclists, covering all things related to Adventure Cycling's Tours Department. Find your
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Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/bike-packing-baby-steps.html
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