No, They are Australian made "Andy Strapz Expedition Panniers". Andy makes the racks for them too. Last time I spoke to him he was trying to get a distributor in the USA, but for the time being he will ship internationally from his website.
Continually improving, I got rid of an extra bag this weekend. I started here: Improved the camping gear a bit and gained a ton of space by going to a BigAgnes bag/pad. And moved some stuff around and removed some stuff I just wasn't using and got to here. I don't think it will get much better from here. The top duffel is too far forward. I need it to go back to be out of the way on decents and hard braking when i'm moving my weight rearward. Other than that I'm all good.
I can tell that 'what to take' and 'how to pack it' will be an ongoing challenge for me. I am far behind most, if not all of you, in that regard.
I'm pretty sure that's always an ongoing challenge for everyone. There's a balance between "what I need", "what I want to take", and "what can I pack" and that's all an individual call. There'll always be the gear debate, it's why places like REI stay in business. Tents, cooking kit, blankets vs. sleeping bag, do I need or just want a sleeping pad? can I still get a good night's sleep using dirty clothes as a pillow? do I need a tent or will a ground cloth and sleeping bag get me by? That's part of why that brmoto rack has me excited. That alone changes the balance of those questions for me. Offsetting the cost of the rack would be the savings in using the tent I already have instead of adding a smaller backpacker's tent. Then the physical/emotional benefits of a better night's sleep with a few luxury items added on, like that sleeping pad maybe a small pillow, and probably more diverse supply of food.
It is an ongoing thing, and it is a learning process. Eric and I have done a lot of bike camping, though, and I feel pretty confident that my "what to take" list is pretty solid. A word of unsolicited advice for you, if I may: Whatever you do, make sure you are warm and comfortable at night. Whatever you have to spend to achieve that goal will be money well-spent. If you do not sleep well, it will affect the rest of your trip in a very negative way. I love my Big Agnes insulated sleeping pad and I love my pillow I made out of a salvaged 7x7 piece of 3" thick tempurpedic foam. Those two items have made all the difference. I cannot wait to get into my sleeping bag at night and I always sleep well Now If I can just take possession of my BRMoto rack set-up so I can start working on the new "how to pack it" challenge
Me too. In my case, the move from an REI self inflating pad and conventional bag to a Big Agnes Sleep System setup where the inflatable pad is the bottom half of the bag saved likely around 50 litres of volume. Comfort wise it was a step up.
I thought about that sort of setup but Eric and I zip our bags together so it wouldn't really work all that well. We just use the insulated Core pads underneath our Mountain Hardware down mummy bags. Excellent night's sleep. I wish they were self-inflating like my ThermaRest was but it's worth it to me to inflate and deflate manually. I've slept on frozen granite before and it's kept me well-insulated and comfy. I've got 2 torn up and previously broken shoulders and I can sleep on my side with no pain whatsoever. Bonus!
http://www.camp-tek.com/ A couple of minutes and your all set. Packs really small, keeps your bag nice and dry inside. Friend recommended it, I was skeptical. Works great.
Has anyone tried a Them-a-Rest LuxuryLite Cot? http://www.rei.com/product/846490/therm-a-rest-luxurylite-ultralite-cot
Several years ago I tried one on the floor in the house, it wasn't for me. (6'4", 280, side sleeper, I got the big guy version) In my research I found some folks that thought it was fantastic. I found it a bit fiddly to set up, and was concerned about it wearing through the bottom of the tent. I recommend checking it out, you can always send it back.
Here is a pic from my recent trip up north. BRMoto racks, Ortlieb moto panniers, and the top bags are from Twisted Throttle. The large one is 38 liters and the smaller one on top expands to 28 liters (I think).
Nice trout fishing up there... And tubing on the Farmington river... If you are still in the area and want to ride some gravel and dirt try Thomaston Dam in Thomaston Ct. One of the few places to ride off road legally in Ct. The othe good legal area is Pachaug state forest in Voluntown Ct. Have a good time in our tiny state... http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/info/connecticut_08550/ride_0d72.htm http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/info/connecticut_04728/ride_977d.htm
My first camping trip with the Strada (turned mostly Terra) from Cashmere to Camping in the blustery evening with fire in the distance near Vantage, WA 25 Mile Creek near Lake Chelan, WA Ran across two XR and two KLR riders doing the WABDR going the other direction. We camped, shared some hooch, and hung out for the evening. An old truck that appears to being parted out near Chumstick Mountain (north of Cashmere, WA) Lake Chelan Chelan Butte overlooking the Columbia Taking an early afternoon nap near Bear Mountain.
It took me *forever* to find this post again. Any input on what size it is? I watched the video and the best guess I could come up with is about 2.75" long by about 2" diameter. Keywords so I can find this again: air pump mattress airpump, mattresspump... EDIT: Finally found the specs! And pictures of the other non-orange color (green): http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Sleep Gear/Accessories/Camp-Tek Microburst Inflator/Owner Review by Ray Estrella/ Actual size: 1.5 x 2 x 2.75 in (3.8 x 5.1 x 2.7 cm) Listed weight (w/batteries): 2.3 oz (65 g) Actual weight (w/batteries): 2.3 oz (65 g) Actual weight (w/out batteries): 1.76 oz (50 g) Note: weights are with AAA lithium batteries as recommended by Camp-Tek, (not included w/ unit). (Original title graphic courtesy of Camp-Tek) EDIT2: ordered.
I'd like to know what you think of it when you get it. I wouldn't mind having one for those high-altitude trips we take.
I will! I started a thread about food while bike camping. Hopefully I will get input. http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/bike-camping-food-ideas.35199/
