My buddy had me show him all of my gear before I left Monticello, and
I wanted to do the same for anyone else who was curious. I'll include
links to the webpages purchased therefrom.
The Bicycle: Dawes Lightning Road (Steel). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless you were on a tight budget. Its bulky, but won't break. It has served me well, but is heavy. There's a reason passionate 'roadies' pay big thousands to shave off a few ounces here and a pound there. That's one less pound(s) that you have to carry for a hundred(s) miles on long trips. Overall, it is functional and can climb, and I don't worry about going too fast on it. So, for my budget, it was a perfect choice.
Saddlebags/Panniers: Avenir Metro Panniers (1,380 Cubic Inches). I saw a review where someone claimed they could fit a total of four gallon milk jugs in these, two on each side. Its true. Not only can you stuff these things to the max, the zippers are strong. I've broken a lot of zippers in my life, and I can't seem to do it with these. They still catch on plastic or loose fabrics, so be aware of that.
Rear Rack: Topeak Explorer Rack (w/o Spring). The set up is a bit tricky, but it is engineered to fit just about any bicycle. Even if you have a bicycle it isn't designed for (such as mine. It is older) you can finagle it and it gives just as much support and stability. It safely holds 50 pounds. It hasn't warped or shown signs of ware after more than a thousand miles and rough roads. In my opinion you get more than what you pay for on this.
Sleeping Bag: Slumberjack Lone Pine (Zero Degrees). I've slept a few nights in Provo area above 5000ft where the temperature squeezed just above 0, and trust me, with a minimal ground pad, this bag kept me warm and asleep (nothing worse than being so cold you can only get 30 minutes of shuteye at a time). In my opinion, Slumberjack is an overall great outdoor company. Their stuff is good balance of light enough, durable enough (there were a few times where I thought for sure in my clumsiness I had torn it, but it held up), and warm enough. And to top it all off, they are classy and ergonomic (looks good). A little expensive, but you get exactly what you pay for.
Thermals: E.C.W.C.S. Brown Top (Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System). This is a great option for anyone doing physical activity in below-freezing temperature. As I mentioned in my Monticello post, I took off my coat, leaving this and my polyester work-out shirt exposed to the 20-25 degree air. I had gathered a bit of sweat in the arms, but within a minute or so, it was all gone. Great way to keep warm and dry while working in the cold. It also makes a good ground cover (no heat loss to the ground) in a pinch. I have found, in retrospect, that Uncle Sam's sells them for less than I paid for them at other surplus stores. I ended up forking over 20 dollars for mine.
Tent: 3810 G.I. Type Camo Bivouac. Again, military surplus is the way to go when you can, in my opinion. They are always durable. This sucker weighs in at 2 pounds, and sets up in 5 minutes. It has even kept off snow (though you better have it staked down good, otherwise the weight of the snow will collapse it) while sleeping. I once left it for two days while it had rained and frozen overnight. It was entombed in ice, and after breaking the ice off, it still stood. Surprisingly tough for its simple design. Says 3-season, but it can get away with winter. I did, for some 8 total weeks of camping in it :)
All other gear is noteworthy, but not unique enough to promote. Polyester and tight-fitting is always best. It keeps in your heat but is not overly hot. It is easily overpriced and you never should pay more than ten for a decent one.
The Bicycle: Dawes Lightning Road (Steel). I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless you were on a tight budget. Its bulky, but won't break. It has served me well, but is heavy. There's a reason passionate 'roadies' pay big thousands to shave off a few ounces here and a pound there. That's one less pound(s) that you have to carry for a hundred(s) miles on long trips. Overall, it is functional and can climb, and I don't worry about going too fast on it. So, for my budget, it was a perfect choice.
Saddlebags/Panniers: Avenir Metro Panniers (1,380 Cubic Inches). I saw a review where someone claimed they could fit a total of four gallon milk jugs in these, two on each side. Its true. Not only can you stuff these things to the max, the zippers are strong. I've broken a lot of zippers in my life, and I can't seem to do it with these. They still catch on plastic or loose fabrics, so be aware of that.
Rear Rack: Topeak Explorer Rack (w/o Spring). The set up is a bit tricky, but it is engineered to fit just about any bicycle. Even if you have a bicycle it isn't designed for (such as mine. It is older) you can finagle it and it gives just as much support and stability. It safely holds 50 pounds. It hasn't warped or shown signs of ware after more than a thousand miles and rough roads. In my opinion you get more than what you pay for on this.
Sleeping Bag: Slumberjack Lone Pine (Zero Degrees). I've slept a few nights in Provo area above 5000ft where the temperature squeezed just above 0, and trust me, with a minimal ground pad, this bag kept me warm and asleep (nothing worse than being so cold you can only get 30 minutes of shuteye at a time). In my opinion, Slumberjack is an overall great outdoor company. Their stuff is good balance of light enough, durable enough (there were a few times where I thought for sure in my clumsiness I had torn it, but it held up), and warm enough. And to top it all off, they are classy and ergonomic (looks good). A little expensive, but you get exactly what you pay for.
Thermals: E.C.W.C.S. Brown Top (Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System). This is a great option for anyone doing physical activity in below-freezing temperature. As I mentioned in my Monticello post, I took off my coat, leaving this and my polyester work-out shirt exposed to the 20-25 degree air. I had gathered a bit of sweat in the arms, but within a minute or so, it was all gone. Great way to keep warm and dry while working in the cold. It also makes a good ground cover (no heat loss to the ground) in a pinch. I have found, in retrospect, that Uncle Sam's sells them for less than I paid for them at other surplus stores. I ended up forking over 20 dollars for mine.
Tent: 3810 G.I. Type Camo Bivouac. Again, military surplus is the way to go when you can, in my opinion. They are always durable. This sucker weighs in at 2 pounds, and sets up in 5 minutes. It has even kept off snow (though you better have it staked down good, otherwise the weight of the snow will collapse it) while sleeping. I once left it for two days while it had rained and frozen overnight. It was entombed in ice, and after breaking the ice off, it still stood. Surprisingly tough for its simple design. Says 3-season, but it can get away with winter. I did, for some 8 total weeks of camping in it :)
All other gear is noteworthy, but not unique enough to promote. Polyester and tight-fitting is always best. It keeps in your heat but is not overly hot. It is easily overpriced and you never should pay more than ten for a decent one.
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