• surly long haul trucker
• camelbak bag
  • titanium spork
  • petzl zipka led headlamp
  • gerber multitool
  • swiss army knife
  • crank bros. multitool
  • disposable lighter
  • waterproof matches, paracord, whistle, compass
  • 2x 700×35 tubes
  • 2x tire levers
  • topeak road morph pump
  • pentax option w10 camera
  • keys, wallet, phone
  • ex officio airstrip shirt
  • shaun deller hat
• bucket pannier (l)
  • hennessy hammock
  • feathered friends snowbunting “+20″ bag
  • exped pillow pump
• bucket pannier (r)
  • mountain hardwear softshell
  • wool socks, extra underwear and t-shirt
  • rei travel towel
  • gladware with screw-on lids x2
• water bottle x2
• or exped downmat 9 deluxe
• chaco z/1 terreno sandals

i should probably weigh this configuration. this is my current “default pack” for trips and i’m trying to minimize it down. i can clearly save some weight in a few areas - i’m carrying some redundant tools, for example: gerber, swiss army knife, leatherman micra. if only they made a true camping/cycling multitool. the right bucket has tons of room leftover for more food or clothing as necessary. for true “camping” trips i’d also bring a stove and water purifier. now to get a few hours of racktime before the big ride!

the slow progression of sunlight deeper into the evening combined with the noticeable change in the texture of the rain has started to stir in me a longing to load up my bike with camping supplies and head out into the wilderness. the showers over the weekend were just the right kind that, had i actually been out adventuring, i’d not have minded a bit of a misting.

instead of actually riding my bike, however, i went over to alex’s to finish brazing a new porteur rack for the long haul trucker. i broke the $8 nashbar rack i’d been using sometime last year and over the winter i’ve been using a bulky, heavy jandd extreme front rack. it’s hard to imagine any amount of weight making the lht feel more sluggish, but somehow that beast accomplished it.

the new rack uses a platform scavenged from alex’s first build, and since he no longer likes the look of 3/8″ tubing i took advantage of it and built myself a beefy design. it’s got an integrated 6mm mount for screwing on a bit of handlebar to hold my headlight and a cable stop on the rear for my cantilever brakes. after shopping today i put 35 pounds of groceries on it and it didn’t really flex at all, so that bodes well. i think i’m kind of getting the hang of this whole brazing thing. who knows what my next project will be?

of course, hopefully that project will be in the fall, when the weather again turns to the dark, cold, wetness. in the meantime i’ve got a new porteur rack, a new (dumpstered) downmat 9 deluxe, and my trusty bike, hammock, sleeping bag and bucket panniers that need to see the stars.

meet the newest member of my bicycle stable: