1. Bike Adventure Gear, Part 1: Camping

    Over the next few days, I’ll be posting all the gear Erin and I are bringing on our bike trip to Seattle. I’m a determined comparison shopper and bargain hunter, so every last item here was meticulously researched, and we got great deals on almost everything. Maybe these posts will save you some time if you’re planning a similar adventure!

    Today’s post: our camping gear.

    We’ll be spending our nights in The North Face’s Big Fat Frog 2-person tent:

    One of the highest rated tents on REI, I bought it there during their big sale earlier this summer, and saved some money by purchasing the footprint from Rock/Creek.

    Since our bodies will likely be aching after riding for hours every day, we each have our own REI Trekker 1.75 self-inflating sleeping pad. To save on weight and space, we’re only bringing one sleeping bag, replacing the other with a Cocooon ripstop silk liner. We can always share the sleeping bag if necessary, so I’m betting that this tradeoff is going to be worthwhile.

    We’ll be cooking our meals on the road with the Mini Trianga 28-T backpacking stove:

    This tiny stove burns denatured alcohol and comes with a pot and pan. While we’ll mostly be using this just to boil water, I’m looking forward to learning how to cook meals as quickly and efficiently as possible with this limited equipment. CampSaver.com had the best deal on this stove.

    And why bring along some normal household utensils when we can use the Guyot Designs MicroBites and the Snow Peak titanium spork? If there’s an everyday item that has a fancy backpacking equivalent, I had to have it. :)

    For campsite lighting we have the Black Diamond Orbit lantern and the Mammut TR1 headlamp:

    Both are super bright. Unfortunately, Steve’s dog chewed up the lantern, which does in fact resemble a dog toy. It still works fine - a testament to its durability, at least. Oregon Mountain Community had the best deal on the headlamp.

    Other miscellanous items…

    • A couple MSR PackTowl compact and lightweight towels.
    • A firesteel, so I can struggle to ignite things until Erin gets frustrated and uses her lighter.
    • This coffee pot - Erin’s vice, not mine. You’re responsible for carrying this one, Erin!
    • Plates, bowls, stove fuel, soap, and a clothesline.

    Think I’m missing something? Help me out in the comments!

    In my next post, I’ll write about the most important gear - our bikes and accessories.