I have my eye on this loop next year, probably in September.

Bike Touring Special: The 500-Mile Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route

In the past I’ve toured off road with panniers and racks over rough estate roads and trails here in Scotland. I’ve managed to pack a tent sleeping bag, stove, food, changes of riding gear and something to change into once I’ve reached civilization. I am a serial over packer but I get by.

I will most likely build up a Salsa El Mariachi for this trip and think I will try using some bikepacking bags. Frame, bar and seat packs. I’d like to use a small tent, something like a mountain hard wear Sprite in preference to a bivi bag. I’ve got a half decent sleeping bag, Thermarest and stove. Is it still going to be possible to pack a change of riding gear, and something to wear off the bike in the space left in the bags. I’m assuming at this stage that towns will be reachable every couple of days so space for food etc won’t be already used up.

I’m no minimal racer. I’ll be fifty on this ride, so whilst Im prepared to rough it a bit, I’d like a little ‘luxury’.

Any gear recommendations I should look at and avoid.

Hmmmm, September you say……

and stove

???

Hmmmm, September you say……

Fancy it?

I was checking out flights today. Tricky getting to Boise. Best I could do was about £800. Flying BA – EDI – LHR – Seattle, Alaskan Airlines to Boise. I’m thinking of going for a month, spending time after the trip with mates in WA, OR and CA then flying back from SFO.

September should be cooler, before the snows and there will be fewer Mosquitos.

Trails start 30 miles from Boise, and there’s a Warmshowers host there too.

Evening bump.

I hope to do the 605 mile butt of lewis and back from ardrossan trip fron the cicerone “cycling in the hebridies” book next year, although i’ll have to add another 200 odd miles onto that by the time i cycle from kirkcudbright to adrossan and back again, i plan to use an alpkit 8l or 13l airlock extra barbag and my ortelib front roller panniers which hold 12l on the rear of my tripster as below.

I’ve a six moons lunar solo tent which weighs 700g, choice of two down bags either rab quantum2 season at 400g or columbia 3+season at 800g, all ti cookware whether i take my TI wood burning stove or the luxury of a TI gas cooker or meths burner will depend on weather at the time, all minimal/lightweight camping stuff that i’ve bought over the last few months so as it stands my entire camping/multiday/week travel kit weighs way less than 5kg, add in whatever clothing or extra luxuries (whisky?) i intend to take at the time and it’ll certainly be way under the 10kg mark. I’m sure it won’t be anywhere near that weight but as i’ve not laid everything out yet i’m just taking an educated guess.

For the price of a flight or holiday to the alps or suchlike i’ve bought kit that i can use time and time again for whenever i have a few days to get away at no cost, whether or not i get to do such a thing i can only cross my fingers and hope………..or perhaps just say ****-it….i’m off, see you’s all later 😀

I’m sure it will be doable for you using barbags/seatpacks etc, i guess you’ll have to have a few dry runs beforehand though which will give you time to strip everything back to the basics.

Somafunk, that sounds a great trip and a sound rationale. The Tripster looks mouthwateringly good.

I wanted to try something special for my fiftieth birthday, I’ve never celebrated one before. My hope is the weather in Idaho will be more benign than in Scotland. Having said that, it barely rained at all on the ride Boblo and I did across Scotland in June. We don’t have hot springs here so that will be the icing on the cake.

I’ve been looking at Revelate bags, they look damn good and durable. I still have a hankering to to do the Divide Route. They would be a worthwhile investment for that.

My rational for previous purchases is not noted for being …rational so to speak, i must say i’ve surprised myself so far with what i’ve bought as there is genuine air of “i can’t wait to get going next spring” 😀 . I used to stay throughout areas of Argyll as a kid in the 1980’s so i’m planning on taking time to revisit old haunts such as Crinan, Castle Sween, Achnamara, Dalavich, Ardrishaig and as most of my mums family still stay up in that general area i imagine it’ll be a welcome break from camping etc to have a roof over my head and a chance to relax and explore for a day at a time over the places i ran/cycled about 30 odd years ago.

Your trip and pics was kinda an inspiration to get off my arse and get my gear sorted for next year, the scenery and views you posted up really tugged at me and i need to get out in my hills again……your Idaho trip sounds like something to definitely aspire to in the future – i’ll look forward to seeing the trip report on that one.

I just hope we get a good few weeks of weather next April/May for my trip, much as i say to myself that i don’t mind the rain, with the sort of deluge that fell on me today it soon drove me back home within 3 miles – just not fun on the bike at all.

Somafunk, I’d say the day we spent riding past Loch Awe through Kilmartin and on to Crinan were the best miles of the trip. If we had more time it would have been fun to explore the archaeology. The riding on Arran and Islay was good too, in all honesty it was all really good. One forgets just how awesome the stuff on our doorstep really is.

MCM – I have a set of Revelate gear you are welcome to borrow for a wee test trip (includes an El Mariachi frame bag, a Viscacha and a Sweet Roll).

I did a wee blog entry about packing for my overnighters – might be worth having a look at to see how much stuff I’m managing (note: no frame bag needed for these wee trips at all).

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/05/bikepacking-kit-list.html

Remember you’ll need to carry water somehow and a frame bag rules out the normal cage mounts. Have a look at fork mounts, either with a Salsa fork or something bolt-on. I’ve been trying out a strap-on bottle cage mount from Decathlon on my forks and it seems to be just fine.

Argyll and some of the islands are in my plans for 2014.

Exactly my thinking on forgoing a trip to Morocco wi the mtb and a bunch of mates – why should i go abroad for a quick fix of 5 days riding when there is so much of our own Scotland i have yet to see or experience. I lived where you mentioned years ago and on looking back through the photos of what we got up to as kids and the freedom our secluded existence allowed us was something to be treasured but at the time i knew no different and it was the norm to head of on the sailing dingy across to Jura and spend a few days boys own camping style (crinan) or dare each other to run the Gulf of Corryvreckan, head off on our bikes for days at time up to Loch Avich wi now’t but a fishing rod/air rifles and a box of matches to make a fire on the sandy beach at night, or take the two man canadian canoe for week long trip round Loch Awe (Dalavich), i can close my eyes and remember every single twist of the paths up to and around Loch Avich and around the nearby hillsides – bear grylls had now’t on us as 13yr olds in the wilderness 😀 .

Like you say – the stuff on our doorstep is awesome and not to be overlooked.

Scotroutes, cheers that’s really helpful. I’d like to have at least a look at either your Revelate stuff or that in the Backcountrypacking shop when I’m next up your way. It looks like there may still be cost savings getting stuff directly from Revelate, would that still be the case with shipping and taxes?

It looks as though if I had a frame bag too I could pack the surplus that would makethe difference between an overnight bivi and a longer trip.

I’m inspired.

My stuff was all bought pre-BCB but I can’t imagine Andy and Rob are selling it for more than you can get it from the US. The frame-bags are available from Salsa dealers (though Revelate are now doing a generic one).

Either way, give me a shout next time you are likely to be in the vicinity and I’m sure we can sort something out.

As for stuff to take it depends on where you are on the tramp/luxury scale 😉

The more stuff you take the harder the bike will be to pedal, but theres no point in going if you dont enjoy yourself. The weight of equipment can sometimes be overdone by the weight of food and water you may need to carry to get you between towns in the states. The other thing to consider is that Idaho is at altitude which will make pedaling harder.

I’d be tempted to take the minimum you need and you always have the ability to buy additional items as and when you need them.

Its not all about weight either, think about pack size. The best bit of advice i can give is to get out as much as possible prior to your trip to test everything out.

If you are looking at luggage options check out http://wildcatgear.co.uk/

My kit list from touring part of the Tour Divide this summer
http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1471&start=339
http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1471&start=303

http://evaq8.co.uk/Lifesaver-Bottle-4000-Litres.html?gclid=CM2o14ChyLoCFU_HtAodrm4Aig

Is one of these any good ?

Chew, thanks for that, I just had a quick look, Om off for a ride just now, I will have a proper look when I get back, I may pick your brains on the TD too.

Edric, I’m not sure if the water that high isn’t potable. I can ask.

Instead of a change of riding clothes and some civvies, could you combine a few items? Dual use is the way to cut stuff out and still be comfy. I found a really great 100g Altura base layer earlier this yr, and some Endura Helium shorts etc, can lose a lot of bulk and weight from clothing.