Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

Look like the cut Jones bars... Interested to know the route you've got planned!

They are the titec J bars, made under license from Jeff jones....similar to cut loops, but a lot cheaper, if you can find them.......very comfy though!
I have the route on a gxp file, but can't work out how to link it here on the ipad.....

Here we go

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5063321

Many long straight flat roads seem a bit boring to me. How long are you going to take for this route?

Polocini is lovely! Sounds lovely

Bad news: http://polocini.com/coffee-shop-2/

Many long straight flat roads seem a bit boring to me. How long are you going to take for this route?

It's 3 days, 2 nights..... That's just the gist of it, I think.. It's a fluid route. I hope.

bikepackers!
best option for carrying 2/3 litres? as light/ aero as possible (so a saddlepack?).

money to spend.

Drink said 2/3 litres.
Much aero.

Here we go

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5063321

Looking good. My parents live in Colchester so maybe I'll try it out next time I visit.

Cool ride reports going on in here. Here's a short one of my own. Very short actually, since I apparently have only scanned in three of the photos. A two-day there-and-back ride along the Clutha river in the South Island, NZ, 160km.
On-One Inbred with bikepack.pl stuff, at the original Jimmy's Pies shop in Roxburgh:

A lake somewhere. If you think mozzies and midges are bad, wait until you get bitten by a sandfly.

Finally, a good photo - my partner riding above the Clutha.

The coolest bit was going through an old railway tunnel which is about 1km long and completely unlit. From the start it looks fine, but once you get about a quarter of the way through you literally can't see a thing other than a bright dot marking the other end, not even your hand in front of your face. The floor is uneven and the roof is constantly dripping, it's quite a surreal experience riding through it. At the other end is a dilapidated shepherd's hut full of newspapers from the 30s and 40s.

Other than that, slightly boring route with stunning scenery. Stayed in a hut above Roxburgh Dam which was shabby but comfortable, and easier than taking a tent.

bikepackers!
best option for carrying 2/3 litres? as light/ aero as possible (so a saddlepack?).

money to spend.

either a big-ish framebag or one of these http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/bike/saddle-bags/ortlieb-saddlebag-large.html would be my choice

I have one of the ortlieb saddle bags that I'll be selling for cheap if that looks like it'll do the trick. ..

tidy, it'll be for end of august, so i'm in no mad rush x

Currently sitting in wether spoons in Newmarket....one of the blokes had an off in the night and we have got him patched up at the fire station .0)

What happened?

This is just about ready for some short on/off-road tours now, bar replacing my disappearing sleeping mat. What comes recommended? I have previously used a cut-down closed-cell Thermarest with no real comfort issues. Is it worth spending any more on a self-inflating mat?

Yup, they pack much smaller, you can actually wrap them around sleeping bag to take up less room in the bag.

First lesson I should've learn Instead of packing them separately.

^ Great tip!

Anyone here go to this?

Looks like it could've been fun.

tidy, it'll be for end of august, so i'm in no mad rush x

If that was about the bag then cool, drop me a pm or something - might have to post as I'm up in Manchester but it should still be pretty cheap!

Yup, they pack much smaller, you can actually wrap them around sleeping bag to take up less room in the bag.

First lesson I should've learn Instead of packing them separately.

Heavier though (at least when it comes to the cheaper mats), I could just strap a closed-cell onto my rack which shouldn't cause any issues, plus no middle-of-the-night deflations.

more here: http://www.adventure-journal.com/2014/06/the-daily-bike-a-historically-badass-ride-across-australia/?utm_content=buffer3a63f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I just popped in to see if anyone had posted that.

I wonder how the Shiv will cope with all that sand...

My Revelate tangle just arrived in the post at work. Much excite. I shall be testing it this Saturday by stuffing the usual ride essentials plus swimming kit into it and riding to a wild swimming spot for splashing about in the sun.

Tk maxx up here has 10l compression dry sacks for six quid. Don't know how good they are though, made by sea to summit.

Sea to summit stuff is really nice. My dry bag is the bollucks - much lighter than any other dry bags I've used and just as waterproof - with that said, time will tell.