Bikepacking gear: is it stupid?

Racks and panniers:  old school! ugly!




Rackless bikepacking kits: sexy!



But are they stupid?

In some (most?) situations, yes, they are most definitely stupid.


Let's do math:

Option 1 - Revelate Designs, ~30L target capacity

Terrapin Seat Bag Kit + Harness + Saltyroll

      

Total Capacity: 29L
Total Cost: $363 CAD
Total Weight: 1,117g


Option 2: MEC, ~30L target capacity

Planet Bike rear rack (fatbike compatible) + Outdoor research durable drysack (35L)

      

Total Capacity: 35L
Total Cost: $75 CAD
Total Weight: 791g

In summary: in this situation a rackless system is five times more expensive, 40% heavier, and holds less.


So - if you are racing the tour divide with an ultralight kit, sleeping under bridges, no cooking equipment, etc - a state of the art bikepacking system probably is your best bet.

But - if you are touring the divide like a normal person, then I am guessing you will have to start using multiple feed bags, strapping bags to your fork legs, strapping loose shit to your seatbag, etc.  In this situation, here are the pros and cons as compared to an old school rack system:

Disadvantages of rackless:
- less aerodynamic
- worse bike handling
- heavier setup
- more expensive (like 5x)
- heavier
- typically longer packing/unpacking times

Advantages of rackless:
- fashionable

Fat reduction: the Carver story

As we discovered during our Chilcotins trip, we had a weight problem.  There were a few things we crossed right off of the Iceland packing list, but I kept looking at my bike:  a Surly Necromancer.  It's a great bike - totally bombproof, handles well when loaded down, easy to fix.  Bit it's also nearing 40 pounds.

Dear Surly:  you're great and all, but could you maybe not make your bikes out of cast iron?

I was able to find a used Titanium Carver fatbike for a price I liked the week before we were supposed to leave for the trip.  The backbone of the bike is great, but the bits the bike came with added up to a lot. What follows is the Carver diet story.

The starting point.  (yes,it says "Kona".  It's not a Kona.)



Drivetrain replacement.  I went with an X1 level 1x11 drivetrain to match Caroline's bike for an easier repair situation.  28T ring up front because fatbiking is hard work in any season.

 

Cockpit changes. Way less clutter, which helps with strapping crap to the bike.  Gripshift because it's awesome, and much easier in the winter with mitts on.

 

The final result.  Dropper removed because who droops on a rigid fatbike?  Tires switched from flat and heavy to fast rolling and light.

               

That is one good looking bike.  Let's show you that again:



Iceland, here we come!

Winter Stove Setup

The much-debated winter stove.  This has been a long time in the refining process, but I think we have it nailed.

It boils (ha) down to 3 components:

1) The Base Plate.  This is critical, or the stove will melt itself into the snow and fall over, which pretty much ruins your night.  There are lots of do-it-yourself systems out there with various types of foam, aluminum foil, plywood, etc.  They all seemed pretty complicated, large, and heavy.  We found this one at MEC for $20.

2) The whatcha-ma-call-it.  To trap a lot of the escaping hot air.  This is half the weight of the setup, but also seems to be the most very effective.  Again found at MEC, $36.

3)  The Muffin-Top.  Light and effective.  Also called a backcountry oven, and was taken from this set ($46 for the whole thing)

 
Total Weight: 327g.  So obviously more worthwhile for longer trips, where you would expect to save a pound of fuel or more.  But in any case, it does boil your water faster which is always good.

Future analysis: our next overnight we plan on boiling two pots of water, one with the full set up and one with nothing.  Maybe another with half the setup. I am betting the results will be very obvious, and will update this post with the info.