FatGuts
Likes Dirt
Hahahaha, just the demolishing you on every hill comment made me think he was riding the ligheter faster CX bike.
The Self Sufficient Bike Camping Thread.
- Thread starter Dreggsy
- Start date
pi11wizard
Likes Dirt
I think that had a little to do with the engine too. Although I am happy to blame my bike
Flyboy01
Likes Bikes
I get really hungry and I can't just eat pies or chico rolls, so I allow $80 to $100 a day to cover everything. If you like rice or noodles you could cut it down heaps. Depends on where you intend to ride. If you are in the absolute boonies you won't spend anything.
Wellsey
Likes Bikes and Dirt
We are planning a three night bikepack for the end of August. We will be in solid bush for 90% of the ride, with the only towns at the start and finish, so we will be completely self contained.
If you add up the cost of everything I have to buy (consumables mostly) and average it over the four days, it comes out to ~50 bucks a day, but that's a bit misleading, as I wont be using/eating $50 worth every day.
This could be waaaaaaay higher if you are planning a more touring style trip, esp if you are planning on eating out and some accomodation along the way.
C Dunlop would be a good one to message regarding this, I'd be interested to know what his trip ended up costing, $$-wise.
If you add up the cost of everything I have to buy (consumables mostly) and average it over the four days, it comes out to ~50 bucks a day, but that's a bit misleading, as I wont be using/eating $50 worth every day.
This could be waaaaaaay higher if you are planning a more touring style trip, esp if you are planning on eating out and some accomodation along the way.
C Dunlop would be a good one to message regarding this, I'd be interested to know what his trip ended up costing, $$-wise.
A little off the current topic of this thread but what kind of tents are you experienced folk using? Specifically those of you that are using 4 season tents.
I'm on the hunt for a new tent atm and can't seem to find anything that will work for me. I was hoping to get one tent to use for mountaineering, hiking and the odd bit of bike packing and I'm starting to think that there isn't one tent that will do everything I want. Any suggestions?
I'm on the hunt for a new tent atm and can't seem to find anything that will work for me. I was hoping to get one tent to use for mountaineering, hiking and the odd bit of bike packing and I'm starting to think that there isn't one tent that will do everything I want. Any suggestions?
Wellsey
Likes Bikes and Dirt
There's loads of good proper 4 season tents, but they all weigh 10, 000, 000, 000 kgs.
I'm saving my pennies for a Vango Helium 200. 1.3 kilos, tent w/seperate fly so not a single skin, supposed to sleep two, but really just good for one plus some kit. With the right sleep system, it will do me for anywhere I'm going.
Downside is it might be hot in summer with just one opening, but you can always leave the fly off if the weather is good.
Elbo
pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Thanks guys. Yeah, I think around $50 a day would be manageable for a smaller trip, its still pretty generous for being remote, but I'm happy to eat muesli and rice.
In fact, on a side note, does anyone take muesli with them for a meal on a trip? I just started making my own muesli and having it in the morning instead of cereal from a box. It keeps me full until lunchtime easily and I don't feel like I need morning tea now. I'm sure it would transfer to a good way to start a day riding.
My budget question was related to both short and long term rides really, but yeah I'm keen to find out how much a "sell everything and cruise around Australia" trip would cost per day. Spread over such a long trip surely we could get it down to $10-$20 a day… maybe with a hotel and pub meal once every few weeks for a good clean and feed. But interested to hear any hard figures out there… C Dunlop? Maybe I'll PM him.
A tent is next on the shopping list for me too 0psi, so keen to hear answers on that too.
On a longer trip i spend more of my time to save money, for eg. shopping in a supermaket and comparing prices, buying more stuff that needs to be carried. Also going out of town to camp instead of a caravan pk or hotel.
It also depends how many hours/ day you ride as of course you need fuel.
I have spent over 5 years on the road over various M/C trips and a few bike trips and find if i have a budget i can keep to it....
It comes down to how rough you want to live....
The flip side for me is i don't like sleeping in a tent anymore....
It also depends how many hours/ day you ride as of course you need fuel.
I have spent over 5 years on the road over various M/C trips and a few bike trips and find if i have a budget i can keep to it....
It comes down to how rough you want to live....
The flip side for me is i don't like sleeping in a tent anymore....
Flyboy01
Likes Bikes
Hey Wassa, I just noticed your reply. Glad they banned you....Flyboy Cool, please let me add to your worsening(?) medical condition with some recent images from the Northern Australian Alps.
Some of the Brindy summits L-R, Gingera, Little Ginnini, Ginnini, Franklin and the pyramid of Aggie Peak. The first/low range past the paddocks is the Bullen Range. 'Wicked Rides' has ride reports for the Bullen Range and up Franklin to Gingera. The Brindies if you don't know, are the Brindabella Ranges.
Get well soon.
Warren.
PS, a bit of warm afternoon light on Red Leg grass and a frozen Yabbie pond.
It got down to -9.6°C in Canberra on Monday and even colder in the Brindies. If it doesn't rain (much, now,) the shaded tracks in the higher Brindies will stay frozen until Spring. Crunchy.
Not only do I have to live in the land of Maroon but I have you kicking me while I am down! I guess my head won't freeze to the ground up here though.Great pictures as usual and thanks for the hint on "Wicked Rides". There are so many nooks and crannies in this interweb that a bloke could spend his life glued to a screen if he wasn't careful. But I am careful, well sorta, and I got out a few weeks back to test my gear. I have been so busy the last month or so with work that I can't remember if I posted it here on Rotorburn. Please ignore it if I have as I seem to be developing KRAFT.
Solo Bikepacking Shakedown Ride
FatGuts
Likes Dirt
SummitFever
Eats Squid
How come Wassa's banned?
Flyboy01
Likes Bikes
I am not sure if he is. Not sure how this forum works but it says banned on the left and he only has one post listed. Shame if he is because those photos of his were bloody great.
FatGuts
Likes Dirt
There was some angst in another thread with a mod, in this thread (posts were deleted) & another, I questioned it & had a bit of a chat with a mod about it in PM.
TBH it always takes two to tango & both sides probably need to move on. Since then I have not seen him on here, in that user name with one post it is actually different to his original user name & that was the last time he posted. It may only be that user name that is banned, his original may be OK.
His email is on the BNT website so you can contact him there if you want.
Yes I do miss his posts & banter on here, especially the photos.
Toxic
Likes Dirt
Kambah to Crookwell on the BNT
I only discovered this thread recently, so this trip report is a few months old. Last weekend in May to be precise.
Gaz (Giraffe Boy) made an attempt on the whole Bicentennial National Trail (Healsville to Cooktown) in April, but mechanicals thwarted the attempt. So as a way of accumulating more experience for a later attempt, we decided to do a section of the trail from Kambah (near Tuggeranong in South Canberra) to Wallerawang (west of Lithgow) up the Western side of the Great Dividing Range. The plan was to cover Kambah to near Crookwell on Day 1 (about 150ks), then Crookwell to Kanangra Boyd on Day 2 and then to Wallarawang on Day 3.
The interesting thing for me was the use of an ExtraWheel, kindly loaned by Dirt Works. Details and photos at www.extrawheel.com. My KHS Tuscon 29er doesn't have rack mounts, so this was the only way I could carry panniers. It's a trailer that attaches using an expandable fork/spring that fastens to a special rear QR skewer. When you first put it on, you think "there ain't no way that will stay on!", but it does an tracks the back wheel of the bike beautifully and rolls so you don't know it's there. I descended down some tricky little chutes in Canberra and had no issues with it at all. I highly recommend it if you need to carry more stuff than a single set of panniers can fit.
Following the BNT around the Western edge of Canberra is a pain. As horse riders use it, there are many gates and styles that need negotiating and getting to Gungalin took a few hours longer than expected. Then its back roads (asphalt and dirt) to the top of the ridge above Lake George (the highway runs between the ridge and lake). After starting at 8am, we reached the lookout around 5pm as it was getting dark and was still 50k's from where we were going to camp. There's also some LONG climbs leading up to here. We rode another 25k's in the dark to another camp site. We built a fire, ate heartily, set up tents and crashed out.
Next morning was beautiful sunshine, so we breakfasted, pack up and was on the road by 8am heading for the Hume highway and then Crookwell. Gaz was having problems with a sore knee from smashing the climbs the day before. The terrain was mostly rolling, 50% dirt, 50% tar back roads. We covered the 75k's to Crookwell by 1pm and stopped for lunch at a very good take away. Gaz's knee was getting worse so we decided to stop in Crookwell. There's a very nice campground near the river at the end of the main street with hot showers. Next morning we were rescued by Gaz's wife.
So now we have unfinished business. The best part of the ride was looming as we would have headed to Taralga, then up through Kanagra-Boyd on fire trails up to Jenolan Caves. We will do this, but it will have to wait until my broken collar bone is strong enough to handle the 300k.
I only discovered this thread recently, so this trip report is a few months old. Last weekend in May to be precise.
Gaz (Giraffe Boy) made an attempt on the whole Bicentennial National Trail (Healsville to Cooktown) in April, but mechanicals thwarted the attempt. So as a way of accumulating more experience for a later attempt, we decided to do a section of the trail from Kambah (near Tuggeranong in South Canberra) to Wallerawang (west of Lithgow) up the Western side of the Great Dividing Range. The plan was to cover Kambah to near Crookwell on Day 1 (about 150ks), then Crookwell to Kanangra Boyd on Day 2 and then to Wallarawang on Day 3.
The interesting thing for me was the use of an ExtraWheel, kindly loaned by Dirt Works. Details and photos at www.extrawheel.com. My KHS Tuscon 29er doesn't have rack mounts, so this was the only way I could carry panniers. It's a trailer that attaches using an expandable fork/spring that fastens to a special rear QR skewer. When you first put it on, you think "there ain't no way that will stay on!", but it does an tracks the back wheel of the bike beautifully and rolls so you don't know it's there. I descended down some tricky little chutes in Canberra and had no issues with it at all. I highly recommend it if you need to carry more stuff than a single set of panniers can fit.
Following the BNT around the Western edge of Canberra is a pain. As horse riders use it, there are many gates and styles that need negotiating and getting to Gungalin took a few hours longer than expected. Then its back roads (asphalt and dirt) to the top of the ridge above Lake George (the highway runs between the ridge and lake). After starting at 8am, we reached the lookout around 5pm as it was getting dark and was still 50k's from where we were going to camp. There's also some LONG climbs leading up to here. We rode another 25k's in the dark to another camp site. We built a fire, ate heartily, set up tents and crashed out.
Next morning was beautiful sunshine, so we breakfasted, pack up and was on the road by 8am heading for the Hume highway and then Crookwell. Gaz was having problems with a sore knee from smashing the climbs the day before. The terrain was mostly rolling, 50% dirt, 50% tar back roads. We covered the 75k's to Crookwell by 1pm and stopped for lunch at a very good take away. Gaz's knee was getting worse so we decided to stop in Crookwell. There's a very nice campground near the river at the end of the main street with hot showers. Next morning we were rescued by Gaz's wife.
So now we have unfinished business. The best part of the ride was looming as we would have headed to Taralga, then up through Kanagra-Boyd on fire trails up to Jenolan Caves. We will do this, but it will have to wait until my broken collar bone is strong enough to handle the 300k.
Not sure; too much probably! I wrote it down somewhere - I'll see if I can find it and get back to you.
Some more pics of it in action on that trip here.
If you're in Canberra drop me a line and we can arrange for you to have a look. (Oops, I see you're Blue Mountains. Offer still stands if you're down this way again.)
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justacouch
Squid
Hey, The Canberra One Gear Society is having a barbie. A Bikepacking Barbie, including camping kit show and tell and touring bike show and shine. Both geared and elite categories. Come along and meet some local lads and lasses that don't mind stringing a tarp to a fargo, or a bob trailer to an El Mar. More info here: http://canberraonegear.org/2012/bikepacking-barbie/
