C & O Canal tour ?
 

plan to do the c & o canal in july (it's air conditioned right ?) . please point me in the right direction for info. any personal experience shared would be appreciated as well

thks, mark

There you go again. Have you started by looking at the NPS website?

What is the nps website ? I have used the search function before I have posted any of my questions. . Surprisingly that has not worked out.

ahhh, national park service got it and yes i found that and some other sites previously but personal experience from people willing to share is invaluable

A simple search of thread titles for "C&O" returns 5 threads (in addition to this one) from this year alone. And you didn't ask only for personal experiences. You asked to be pointed in the right direction for information.

It is common courtesy to communicate what efforts you have made on your own so potential responders don't waste time and effort pointing you towards resources you have already investigated. It serves at least one other function, but I won't get into that.

In general, more details are helpful to everyone. For example, if camping is off the table, say that so people don’t waste time responding with campground information. The more effort you put into posts the more likely you are to get pertinent responses.

I'm sure Crazy Guy on a Bike must have countless threads on such a popular route. (a mere 23,000 + mentions)

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/sear...&main_type=all

Ridden it twice, C&O and Gap. Both times started in DC. All off road, easy to follow. The heat might be bad. The rain might be worse. I found it to be a relaxing tour given no traffic. It accommodates almost any level of touring cyclist lacking major hills and having lots of services. As suggested, I would search around Crazyguy.

have you tried the intertubes yet? it's all the rage.
there's this new thang called the googles. google it!
al gore sure earned his noble price with this'n!

robow, crazyguy on a bike is a great resource. i find the fact that he is fatter then me comforting. thks

marylander, jackpot. that is exactly what i needed. thank you very much

saddlesores, yeah i tried that internet thing and a place called bike forums kept coming up....thought i'd give it a shot

:foo:

I only do searches in these forums using the "Advanced Search" option.

Search->Advanced Search->Keyword(s): "C&O" (select: Search Titles Only) search in "Touring" forum only: Voila, 127 discussions in this single forum with "C&O" in the title. They should keep you busy for a while.

https://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=8484407

Yeah, but.... I’m curious as to how he used the Internet and kept getting pointed towards Bikeforums (see post #10) but couldn’t find anything on Bikeforums. What would have shown up on Internet searches are links to Bikeforums threads.

I’m outta here.

There is also an invaluable and very active "C&O Canal" group on FB. Yes, I know it requires opening up FaceBook to get to it, but just ignore the other stuff - they have up-to-the-minute day-to-day info. Rode it last year, and the FB group info was very helpful.

For about the last 2 years the region has been stuck in a weather pattern of southerly winds bringing up a lot of Gulf of Mexico moisture. This spring has been quite rainy so fenders & wider tires might be good for the C&O. As for camping, it might help to call the individual campgrounds for details on current COVID restrictions.

thks
 

thks axoloti, thats what i needed. didn't know about the advanced search. the regular search was not working at all for me. i will peruse those thread. but the site marylander passed on pretty much covers everything

+1 Regarding fenders and wide tires. Make sure that you have adequate clearance regarding the fenders to prevent mud accumulation.

Bring mosquito repellant

thks guys paying attention to the suggestions. not a facebook kinda guy but real time info will be valuable

so it looks like the water is turned off at the hiker/biker camp sites. pump handles removed. major bummer. i hate carrying water, so damn heavy. i'm trying to figure out if a filtration system will work on potomac water or boiling maybe ? maybe if i'm lucky they will just return the damn handles before i leave july 10th ish

here's an idea. manufacture an aluminum or titanium handle and carry it. if i had the specs i could make one right now on my ship but it would be steel

I have done the c&o a lot. 15+ times. I live close and am on it the time even in winter. Water will be an issue depending on how much you carry. I use a filter and refill at creeks and river. Good fire wood is hard to find near the camps. I recommend a stove of some sort for cooking. Feel free to pm any questions you have.

thank you thruhiker

i will most definitely take you up on your kind offer

thruhiker, i will pm soon but for now can you tell me what water filter you recommend and can you use the potomac as a source ? thks

I highly recommend the platypus gravity system. It's what I use. It's simple and light. Soon as I get to camp I fill the 4 liter dirty bag hook it to the filter then hang it from a tree branch or my handle bars. It will filter 4 liters in about 15 to 20 minutes. I set up camp dureing this time. By the time I'm done it's done. If it starts to become slow back flush it with clean water. I usually only do this at home and I add a bit of Clorox. They are available in 2 and 4 liter and about $110 at Amazon. The water bags are durable and can be traveled with full. The dirty water bag opens by a ziplock closure and it does get grit sand dirt in there so after a while it is difficult to seal tightly. Only a problem if your trying to haul it full wich I dont see there ever being a need for that unless your in a desert. (Carrying them both full would give you 8 liters of water ) the filter itself is replaceable last about 1500 to 2000 liters. It's a paper filter cartridge. One issue is winter camping well below freezing if they freeze still wet it will ruin it. I put mine in my sleeping bag or in a bag with chemical hand warmers if it's going to get down in the single digits.
a cheaper alternative is sawyer, it too is a gravity system. Available at walmart for around $30. The water bags it comes with are awful to use there impossible to fill without pouring the water in to it. They just use a regular threaded bottle opening. However the filter itself is decent and will hook up to the standard hydration bladder hose size. If you got a few old camel backs around you can make a good system with that filter. My own experience with sawyer is positive. A few years back I hiked the 1100 mile Florida trail. The platypus would get really slow every other day from the nasty canal and Everglades water. I switched to the sawyer filter. It will hook right up to the platypus bags. The sawyer filter is more porous I know it allowed more crap through but it was much faster and I never got sick. I've never had trouble with the platypus anywhere else. I use it all over the northeast. It makes all water perfectly clear and drinkable. If you are real picky theres an additional charcoal filter you can add. I got one and used it about twice and just didnt see the point. When on the C&O I mostly get my water from the Potomac river. It's fine and its fast moveing. One last thing. I know 4 liters sounds like a lot but by the time you cook dinner fill water bottles for the next day and breakfast before packing up you will use it. The weight savings from the 2 liter isnt worth the extra trip to the river in my opinion. I'm exited for you. I love the canal and Gap I'm on it nearly every weekend

There also an app you can buy. Its .99 cents C&O explorer it's called. It's worth the .99 cents for the info on all the historical things. The real time miliage isnt great but it will tell you what mile marker everything is at and that is very accurate. The towpath has a mile marker every mile