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Old 06-30-20, 08:22 AM
  #37  
reppans
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: New England
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Bikes: Brompton M6R, Specialized Tricross Comp, Ellsworth Isis, Dahon Speed P8

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Originally Posted by cyccommute
There are a couple of things missing from your pictures. One is food. That’s the bulk of my volume. My off-road tours are very remote with zero opportunity for resupply. If I don’t carry it, I’m not eating it. The other item missing is clothing. My off-road tours also tend to be high which means that I have to be prepared for cold weather no matter what the calendar. Clothing has to be able to layer and be able to be ridden in (no long coats).

Another reason for my higher volume is also related the cold. I have a 45°F bag but I have never used it here in the Rockies. I might use it out on the plains but never high. Morning temperatures can be below freezing so I always carry a heavier 20° bag which also requires more volume.

Finally, I would never trust a frameless tent. Colorado weather is changeable and volatile. Wind gusts of 80 to 90 mph are not unknown. A tent held up by a stick is a tent that isn’t going to be tent shaped for long. My latest camping trip was accompanied by winds strong enough to nearly wrap my tent around me with a frame. I wouldn’t relish the idea of setting up a tent in the middle of the night.
I only detail my baseline core camping gear @ an SUL 5lbs/10L as that’s the minimum I’ll use for an overnight; a consistent core of every camping trip; and frankly the part that most folks just can not seem to believe (I think yourself included, and why we are having this conversation).

No big secrets in shrinking the bulk of clothing, food and water - that’s why I don’t detail it, and instead specifically state, “add 14L for ____” to get to my 24L 4-day self-sufficient (except water) backpacking rig. Included in that 24L pack are merino long u/w & Buff, wind shirt & pants, camp sandals, spare socks & u/w, 4days freeze-dried food and 2L of water, plus another 2L water shown in the o/s pocket (for a day’s dry section on this trail).

The ADVmoto, folding bike, and gravel bike pics are even larger capacity (26-30L) than the backpacking rig although packed more loosely. Road/civilized touring, I typically swap food space for additional changes of clothing.

Yes, this is just a 1-2 season set-up, and I’m generally in the Northeast camping in dense forest. For 3 season, I have the 20F version of this poncho/quilt (with down hood) which adds ~10oz and 2.5L (so 27-33L), but otherwise my colder clothing would be worn with the carried long u/w and wind s/p representing 2 spare layers, or sleeping PJs, or another outfit while drying first.

After heavy expedition tents, pyramids are said to be very good wind/snow shelters with their steep walls and smaller surface area at height.... I can also pitch my fly higher for hot weather ventilation, or very low for storm/wind protection, and I can cherry pick the strength of my fallen branch pole. In serious wind, I’d need to carve better stakes though. Personally, I trust this pryamid more than my Fly Creek UL2 in serious weather, but YMMV.
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