My First Bikepacking Gear List

[David Gardner]

Doing a 2-day 80 mile 95% off road bikepacking trip next week. A big loop starting at the Golden Gate Bridge, north along coastal mountain ridges to Pt. Reyes and Samuel P. Taylor state park, then back south along the other side of the mountains. My list is on lighterpack.com under “Bikepacking Marin Loop.” Comments?

[Casey Bowden]

No comments on the packing list but very interested in the route. Care to post more details?

[David Gardner]

Here you go!

[YoPrawn]

EDIT: A lesson in reading comprehension, folks. Biking, not hiking. Was thinking this was the toughest mofo on the planet, lol.

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80 miles in 2 days? Absolute mad-lad, mate. ;)

My left foot just fell off even thinking of doing half of that. LOL

[Paul Wagner]

Couple of thoughts.  Depending on the weather (which also depends on the season for this area) the down pants seem like overkill.

And pepper spray?

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

” 3 battery votive “candles”,  a little kumbaya in the hills?  Have a fun trip

[David Gardner]

@Johan: The bicycles make the 10,000′ of climbing each day a lot easier too.

@Paul Wagner: It has been getting down into the low 40’s in the evening (43 last night), with strong breezes coming in from the ocean. I also plan to sleep in my puffy and the down pants unless it gets cold enough to add the sleeping bag. The pepper spray is for ornery humans that don’t like bicyclists on “their” trails and are sometimes aggressively confrontational. I suppose there is a possibility of cougars and coyotes too, but they don’t worry me as much.

@Jon: No campfires allowed but the little “candles” flicker like flames, and when placed in the bottom of my Foster’s can pot it really feels like a small camp fire to sit by for dinner and conversation.

[Paul Leavitt]

Uberlight weight is 6 ounces not 0.65 ounces

[David Gardner]

Good catch Paul, thanks. I have no idea where .65 oz came from, unless I’m dyslexic maybe, because on my scale the Uberlite weighs 5.6 oz. But I’ve decided to go with a full-size generic air mattress so I can actually sleep. Made some other changes and additions and added some photos. Looks like weight worn & carried on the bike and the weight carried in my small pack are about 8 lbs each.

[erez a]

Hi David
i have found the same article as you and am planning to do my first bikepacking on the same trail. probably end of this month or beginning of March
Where did you end up camping? did you need a permit?

i will try to use my heavy Specialized Levo SL with a battery extender.

[Axel J]

Are you using panniers or a bike frame too? Maybe a handlebar pack as well?

[David Gardner]

We stayed at Pantoll Campground the first night and Samuel P. Taylor Redwoods the second night. When we went each had a small fee and no reservation required for bikers. Best to double check that.

This is a picture of my DIY rig, with a cantilever rear rack and “panniers” as well as multiple bags strapped to my handlebars. It’s tricky hauling a lot of gear on a full suspension bike. I’ll be fabricating something more substantial and with a lower center of gravity for future trips.

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