Arkel Dry-Lites Gravel Panniers - CampfireCycling.com
I have these on my commuter and two on the front and two on the back would provide pretty good economical camping volume. won’t work on low riders cause they mount like saddle bags - nicely sized - ripstop - roll top - water proof (resistant?) price is for both sides
That is pretty dang cool
I’d prefer it if they had dedicated hiker bikers in every park like WA and OR, but this is a close second
For reference, Adventure Cycling keeps track of (and advocates for) these policies:
the other midwest bike camping trip idea I am interested in exploring is the use of the ubiquitous tiny rural cemetery as an ad-hoc bicycle campground network. most of them are pretty isolated and feature things like trees and hills that would enable the crafty dirtbag to camp out of the sightlines of friendly corn farmers driving their F150s down the road
no water though and I’d have to be very desperate to filter water of a steam amidst corn farms
Cemeteries actually often have water in order to water the landscaping (a trick I picked up doing long rides in middle of nowhere France). But of course a decrepit old one likely will not.
yeah, these essentially tiny plots of land set aside for corpses 150 years ago and most don’t appear to have any utilities, but also: I’ve not looked for hookups. most do have grass.
if I was 25 again I’d be out there every weekend & exploring like I did with the (much more awesome) forest roads of western Washington
I’ve become a fan of the bagged food for camping. A couple Peak Refuel dinners and a granola breakfast and I’m good.
I’m slowly discovering that a lot of a hike/bike-in spots around here are just kinda on the outskirts of the park in a clearing so hammock camping may not be the move. I’ll have to get a UL pad and sleep on the ground like a pleb.
I guess along these lines what’s a good light small freestanding tent for crapbacking?
You missed this chat in the adventure thread… if you get an American Alpine Club membership, it gets you a pro deal with big Agnes… And also gets you on the expert voice website where you can also get big discounts on basically every outdoor brand… I think the two things other folks were talking about where something from Nemo and the big Agnes fly Creek UL which I have and like.
Oh man… I’ve eaten so many of these.
HY done, thanks!
Kitsap Memorial State Park has primo hikier/biker in its own grove of trees closer to the shoreline and the wedding/event area than any of the other campsites
The internet is mad about Fay Bainbridge no longer having dedicated hiker biker sites but all the sites there are a wide open parking lot, would be so much better officially getting the day use area if the sites were full (and getting food delivered)
I just bought a big Agnes fly creek, last night, with the smaller bikepacking poles, and while it’s 940 grams, that doesn’t include the “footprint” . I guess the idea is that you can set it up with fly and footprint only, in good weather. The Nemo hornet was cheaper, and lighter, and I THINK does not have a footprint. There are a few good comparo reviews on bikepacking.com
I’ve had my 2 person fly creek for almost ten years and it’s been great. Used it every night for 6 months in 2015 and It kind of feels like home tbh. I think it’s 4oz heavier than the 1 person and definitely worth it for the extra space
you’ve had two people mention the Big Agnes Fly Creek. I’m personally not a huge fan - it’s not fully freestanding, it relies on being staked out for support. I also don’t like the door on the head end. The BA Copper Spur doesn’t weigh a ton more and the side-access doors are much nicer IMHO.
I’ve also had an outdoorsy friend rave about the Slingfin Portal 2.
I saw that drama. That campground sucks but I get it. It’s like an hour bike ride from Seattle, perfect for the majority of humans who don’t enjoy recreational suffering on a bike.
Manchester State Park also has nice, somewhat secluded hiker biker sites. So does Deception Pass.
Although, if you’re up for a long ride/drive to the ferry, Lopez Island has maybe the best hike/bike sites at Odlin County Park. Mostly private, right on the edge of a bluff overlooking the water, best pit toilets I’ve ever used. No showers at the campground, but showers available a couple miles away in the middle of the little town.
