Seattle Forrest

I've got a long ride coming up, on dirt forest service roads. There will be a few seasonal creeks along the way but it's late enough in the year that most of them could be dry. I'm trying to do this when it's still warm, ideally on a bluebird day.

Plan is to drive the route beforehand, and hide a water bottle every 10 miles or so. I'll mark them on my GPS so I know where to find them. Then drive the route again when I finish and clean up.

Somebody suggested using ziplock bags. I can collect them as I ride, and not have to drive the route a second time. Fantastic idea, if the bags will hold up.

Has anyone in here cached water for a ride? How did it go? Any tips?

69chevy

How far are you riding?

RonH

Why not use a Camelbak?

RPK79

I've never needed more than 4 bottles which are easily carried on the bike and in the jersey pockets.

DXchulo

I've done it before (for a solo version of the Alta Alpina 8 Pass). I had 3 stashes and one of them was stolen. The other 2 were cable locked to trees. I didn't have 3 cable locks, so I just used a luggage lock on the zipper of the one that was stolen. I could have hidden it better, but I figured that would be good enough for just one night.

Anyway, just have a backup plan. Plant more than you think you need.

TimothyH

Yes. I've left water and food the night before for long rides.

I have left water many times for long runs - dropped off a bottle at the half way point on the way to the start point.

Also stashed arm warmers and jackets during the ride and have gone back after to retrieve.

Be aware of animals if you are leaving food for a long period of time such as overnight. Be especially aware of bear activity in your area. I wouldn't worry too much about water but if you are leaving other types of drinks or food in the woods and animals are likely then learn how to hang a proper bear bag.

How to Hang a Bear Bag-PCT Style - Backpacker

Silnylon bags are strong and ultralight, available at REI.

Depending on where you are there may be regulations about how and when you can leave food. In some national parks with heavy bear activity there are very strict regulations and backpackers do get cited. For example, in some places in the Sierra a bag is not enough, you must have a hard canister and it must be hung. Locked to a tree will attract bears which might be hanging around when you go to retrieve the food.

Let us know how you make out.


-Tim-

Seattle Forrest

Up to 90 miles. Mostly dirt and gravel, lot of climbing. Could be shorter because a lot of the roads loop back on themselves. Here's a picture of the route - but I'm doing it solo.



It's a hot and thirsty place.

Seattle Forrest

This is really really good advice. In light of yours being stolen, I think I'm going to take it and plant more of them than I expect to need, like you said. That's just a good idea. Thanks for posting it!

Will do.

LGHT

I've never ridden long enough to need more than I can carry (4 bottles), but I have read someone who would take a few 2 gallon jugs and hide them half way through the route and he would essentially use it as a fill up station for all his bottles. This way you have 1 stop mid way instead of several stops.

silversx80

I would do a routine 100+ mile route when I lived in NM, solo... in the summer... with over 10,000 feet elevation gain. I sweat like an industrial cooling pipe in Florida, and I drink water like a fish (seriously, my 2-hour indoor session this morning had me 4 lbs lighter than I was before the ride, and I drank about 2/3 gallon of water).

My solution was to leave with all the water I'd need at the start. Two 28-oz bottles on the frame, a 24-oz bottle with electrolytes in a rear jersey pocket, and a seat-tube mounted dual-cage with 2 28-oz bottle there as well. That's well over a gallon of fluid.



I'm not as fred as I used to be, though, so I just stop somewhere if I run out of liquid in the 3 bottles I'll take with me (frame bottle cages and a jersey pocket).

vinuneuro

As posted, 4 bottles isn't difficult to carry and if you need more a Camelbak would be a better solution. This seems like it'd be pretty tedious in practice.

CliffordK

I'm pretty much car-free, so that is a big NO.

Mom offered to scout a route with me by car, but that seems to be too redundant. The forest service gave me the road info that I needed (more or less).

Maybe bring some type of water purification? At least here west of the mountains, there is water just about anyplace one looks. Perhaps a bit different east of the mountains. But, add some major river/creek crossings to your route if possible, although I prefer very small springs.

HTupolev

Sy Reene

Not sure how well ziplocs would hold up holding water. Maybe something like these makes sense?

https://www.amazon.com/Multi-Colors-...dp/B010YDEJPE/

CliffordK

WaterBalloons? Just don't let your water stash explode on you.

I suppose your water containers should also be moderately animal proof.

smarkinson

Won't help you know but someone is making a water bottle that fills itself using moisture in the air.
https://www.livescience.com/53401-fon...nto-water.html

jeffreythree

We were not cycling, but cached water during a series of Jul-Aug hikes in SW New Mexico. Bladders from box wine are great for the purpose.

nycphotography

I did 6-gaps in vt with a friend....

The night before we drove and placed hidden food / gatorade in 3 places, about 30 mi apart:

1 gallon (milk jug) of gatorade (1/2 gal each)
2 clif bars (1 each)

Our rule was that we each had to finish our bottles, refill them, and drink whatever excess there was from "our" 1/2 gal share of the gallon. And we had to finish eating whatever was in our pockets from the last stop.

Each cache was near some disposal mechanism, gas station, trash can, etc.

CliffordK

It looks like a great idea, depending on its effectiveness. Unfortunately the Indiegogo campaign is closed for now. Hopefully prices will come down in the future.

Maybe not quite enough for a hard hill climb, but better than nothing.

I think it all would depend on the water availability. Around here, it is hard not to pass some water source every 20 miles or so, and many of the routes I take will follow along rivers which would be ok, even if access is difficult, or they would need some minimal purification.

Keep one's eye out for good clean water sources on one's favorite routes.

StanSeven

Stashing bottles every ten miles for 90 miles is a lot of driving. To me that makes the effort not worth it. Why not a Camelbak and a couple of bottles?

MikeyBoyAz

rather than ziplocks. get the platypus canteens that roll up. They're tough as nails with a screw top and roll down to 1" diameter tube.

and that sounds like wicked awesome good time.

Seattle Forrest

Seattle Forrest

You're looking toward the Thunder Arm of Diablo Lake on State Route 20 - the North Cascades Highway. That's my favorite drive up campground. I never bring much water over there because it's so abundant.

This was a few years ago. Forgive the Fredly water bottles.

Seattle Forrest

You know, this is probably the solution.

I like the idea of only carrying 4 bottles, but it makes me nervous. I did Cascade River Road in a heat wave, and went through more water than I could possibly carry. It won't be 95 F when I do this one, but, still, I'd rather have more than I need instead of the other way around.

RPK79

Well, you could carry 5 if you don't carry anything else in your jersey.