Originally Posted by
cyccommute
What tent are you using that is “half the bulk and weight” of a Fly Creek UL2? There aren’t many tents that can go half the weight of the Fly Creek. That would be a 15 oz tent and I’ve never seen a tent that is less than a pound...at least not one that isn’t a claustrophobe’s nightmare.
Okay, I’m confused. Shower, bar (what kind of “bar”), chair, fan and solar in less than 30 L? Along with the other stuff you need? Where do you put it? This bike
DSCN1255 by
Stuart Black, on Flickr
has a 3 liter pocket up front, a 15L bag for my sleeping bag, a Fly Creek UL1 tent (7L), a Oveja Negra Super Wedge (4 L) and a Revelate Design Viscacha (15L). All told, the volume is 44L. I’m also carrying a 14L Osprey hydration pack which has my tools. That’s got the volume up to almost 60L and I have no room for anything other than food, clothing, tools, food, and sleeping stuff. In fact, my food situation was such that I boosted the volume on my last trip with the addition of two 4.5L fork bags and two 3L micro panniers.
2020-01-26 16:51:13 by
Stuart Black, on Flickr
Total volume now 75 L and I still wouldn’t have any place to put a shower much less a chair, fan or “bar”.
I think BA fibs a bit... they spec 2lbs 5oz total for my FC UL2, but somehow my sample weighs 5oz more, then add another 5oz for the OEM footprint and it’s 47oz. My pyramid, inner net tent, polycryo footprint, and stakes weighs 25oz, is more versatile and comfortable (for me), and it all packs into a 2.5L stuff sack. Free-standing poles are the big difference in bulk and weight.
Of course, to pack within 30L, you need minimalist gear, AND you need to heavily multitask. For example, I use Everclear for stove fuel, and with powdered ice tea mix, make Vodka Sweet Tea drinks (my ‘bar’); an Evernew/Sawyer bladder with spare cap w/holes drilled in is my daily ’astronaut’ (<1L of water) ‘shower’.
Pictures are worth a 1000 words:
5lb/10L of core camping gear and the
creature comforts of that gear; add 14L for changes of clothing, camp sandals, 4 days food, and 1 gal water for backpacking out of a
Deuter Trail 24L ..... or
ADVMoto touring. This is the
fan w/ timer set-up... optional depending upon weather forecast.
I mostly short bike-tour where a bike has the advantage over motor vehicles.... and that’s in densely populated urban and shoreline areas where parking, campgrounds, and accommodations are very difficult to find, crazy expensive, and/or impossible without reservations made long in advance. For that, I prefer a this
30L folding bike rig which can be wheeled inside like a baby stroller keeping it safe from theft, easily multi-modal, and also that I can hike/carry deep (up 1/2 mile) into the woods for stealth camping.
This will be my 26L
gravel bike/bikepacking rig for rail trail/tow path touring (when I get around to it) but I don’t like long-distance rural road touring like most of you.... I’ll rather take an ADVmoto for that. Here’s a specialized
Bladepacking rig idea for true airline carry-on (incl room/board/transport) touring urban areas with good bike path infrastructures, ~ 2/3rds the efficiency of a bike (but I need brush-up my skate skills).
I also have a minivan rigged as stealth camper, a 16ft Feathercraft folding sea kayak, and Alpacka packraft that can all be mixed and matched in combination with the above.
Hope that covers it. If you keep it small, light, and stealth enough - a LOT more options open up for those infected with and outdoor wanderlust.