**Context:**
So finally have gotten enough components to get a good overnighter test done. Picked up kit after work, rode home, installed and bounced as quickly as possible.
**Weather / Time:** Short 20km, left with the sunset so was riding the final mud logged overgrown trails by headlamp. 10 degrees. Cool winds picked up strong at 2200 Rain started at midnight until 0830.
**Tea:** Nightime mix: nettle, mint and holly basil with a pinch of crystallized ginger. Morning: Earl Gray creame x2
**Book:** A Psalm for the Wild Built
**BIKE:** Coming from a road bike for the past 18 years, this is night and day. Last time I bike camped here I had my 60L backpack on. What a joy this was. I could go up crazy steep trails, through big water hazards, 4-5 inch mud, this bike is a work horse. Can’t wait to finish the build. She is my daily driver, commuter and adventure bike. Thus why there are some weird choices. 26′ speed king tires, Moloko handle bars with redshift top bar cushions,Ergon Cork GC1, wald 137 basket, 3×9, B17, Ynot Straps, Orlieb Gravel Paniers. Rest of bags were random drybags and shoulder bags strapped on. JD from Bassi helped me spec this out to be a do everything adventure bike. Some things I want to change is go friction… probably only for the left. I have already gotten the dirailers out of whack twice since I ride 2 hours a day, take jumps ( badly ) and try to only find the worst trails. I drove the thing down a train track, urban explored through broken down glass laiden industrial sites. Taken jumps… well maybe 2 inches of air since I don’t know how to take jumps. Have gone to push parks with it, broken nobs off my pedals.
**Gear:** Hammock was great but bag was a little chilly, wore puffy, should bring my jungle blanket next time to be ultra cozy. Bike did really well, a little unbalanced ( still don’t have my fork paniers ) only stepped off once even with 4 inch deep mud. Love the wald ( new addition ) will for sure be getting a sugarloaf. Need new drybag for hammock. Pretty much have ironed out most the layout and once I get all the rest of components should be dialed in big time. Trangia and bushbox is best combo. Did a quick tea while setting up camp, then settled down with a fire once everything was good. Brought my groundchair which was nice as normally I just chill in hammock but was nice to be able to hang around fire.
**Lessons Learned:** Really can’t wait to get a dyno, my bar mounted headlamp is bright but would prefer to have a dyno light and headlamp on head. First site was down a cliff, scared a nesting goose which then got territorial, while scrambling back up the cliff with the bike broke bottle cage. Lot’s to learn here. Used my underquilt as a blanket in the morning, never thought of it before, it’s synthetic so better than using my down bag. Biggest lesson was unstrapping my Wald basket and putting on ground upside down to make a little table, it’s the exact same height as my bushbox and that’s awesome. This bird area is really buggy so having things off the ground is really nice.
**Context on Me:** First bikepacking/ bike tour was when I was 18. That bike got stollen. Have only camped with my steel road bike and backpack since. That said have about 8 years of outdoor instructor and guide experience. So most all my outdoor kit is fairly dialed in at this point. But learning how to connect that to biking now.
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**TRIP REPORT:**
**Context:**
So finally have gotten enough components to get a good overnighter test done. Picked up kit after work, rode home, installed and bounced as quickly as possible.
**Weather / Time:** Short 20km, left with the sunset so was riding the final mud logged overgrown trails by headlamp. 10 degrees. Cool winds picked up strong at 2200 Rain started at midnight until 0830.
**Tea:** Nightime mix: nettle, mint and holly basil with a pinch of crystallized ginger. Morning: Earl Gray creame x2
**Book:** A Psalm for the Wild Built
**BIKE:** Coming from a road bike for the past 18 years, this is night and day. Last time I bike camped here I had my 60L backpack on. What a joy this was. I could go up crazy steep trails, through big water hazards, 4-5 inch mud, this bike is a work horse. Can’t wait to finish the build. She is my daily driver, commuter and adventure bike. Thus why there are some weird choices. 26′ speed king tires, Moloko handle bars with redshift top bar cushions,Ergon Cork GC1, wald 137 basket, 3×9, B17, Ynot Straps, Orlieb Gravel Paniers. Rest of bags were random drybags and shoulder bags strapped on. JD from Bassi helped me spec this out to be a do everything adventure bike. Some things I want to change is go friction… probably only for the left. I have already gotten the dirailers out of whack twice since I ride 2 hours a day, take jumps ( badly ) and try to only find the worst trails. I drove the thing down a train track, urban explored through broken down glass laiden industrial sites. Taken jumps… well maybe 2 inches of air since I don’t know how to take jumps. Have gone to push parks with it, broken nobs off my pedals.
**Gear:** Hammock was great but bag was a little chilly, wore puffy, should bring my jungle blanket next time to be ultra cozy. Bike did really well, a little unbalanced ( still don’t have my fork paniers ) only stepped off once even with 4 inch deep mud. Love the wald ( new addition ) will for sure be getting a sugarloaf. Need new drybag for hammock. Pretty much have ironed out most the layout and once I get all the rest of components should be dialed in big time. Trangia and bushbox is best combo. Did a quick tea while setting up camp, then settled down with a fire once everything was good. Brought my groundchair which was nice as normally I just chill in hammock but was nice to be able to hang around fire.
**Lessons Learned:** Really can’t wait to get a dyno, my bar mounted headlamp is bright but would prefer to have a dyno light and headlamp on head. First site was down a cliff, scared a nesting goose which then got territorial, while scrambling back up the cliff with the bike broke bottle cage. Lot’s to learn here. Used my underquilt as a blanket in the morning, never thought of it before, it’s synthetic so better than using my down bag. Biggest lesson was unstrapping my Wald basket and putting on ground upside down to make a little table, it’s the exact same height as my bushbox and that’s awesome. This bird area is really buggy so having things off the ground is really nice.
**Context on Me:** First bikepacking/ bike tour was when I was 18. That bike got stollen. Have only camped with my steel road bike and backpack since. That said have about 8 years of outdoor instructor and guide experience. So most all my outdoor kit is fairly dialed in at this point. But learning how to connect that to biking now.