The Velo Hobo

Before I say a word about my favorite outdoor gear supplier, let me say that I am in no way affiliated with the retailer.  This is a totally unsolicited review of what I believe to be the best source for most anything camping related.

Campmor has been around since 1978.  In 1978 I was a poor kid living in a mountain community with few opportunities for shopping around for gear.  This was years before Al Gore invented the internet and even if he had there were no computers to use it.  Catalogs were my only choice for lusting after gear.

Campmor’s catalogs were small un-glossy things without photographs.  All the goodies, from snow shoes to Swiss Army knives were simple line drawings and still are to this day.  Campmor must have a team of artists locked away in some back room feverishly drawing each and every item.  Of course today (thanks to computer scientist and former VP Al Gore) you can go to their websight and see pictures of the items.  I sincerely hope this new technology doesn’t put line drawing artists out of business.

But anyway, if you’re new to outdoor sports or have never happened across Campmor, give them a look.  After several decades of buying tons of gear from them, I have never had a bad experience and their prices are usually the best around. ~ Here’s the link: Campmor

Just my opinion, Jack

As the temps drop into the single digit range in the ridge tops of the Smokies, I have two choices if I want to avoid the cursed stationary trainer.  One, seek out lower elevations.  Two, say ‘frostbite be damned, I’m riding as high as I can go”.  As often as possible, I’ll take choice two.  A good pair of booties is worth the price to keep toes toasty, warm and dry. 

I’ve owned this pair of Sugoi Resistor bike booties around four or five years now.  They’ve ridden from the mountains of North Carolina to the coast and on countless shorter tours and day rides and are holding up remarkably well.  They’re always with me on tours, stuffed away with my rain jacket and helmet cover and are very easy to put on and take off.  In the dead of winter they provide just enough wind resistance and insulation to keep my feet comfortable in the coldest weather.

The 8 inch high Sugoi is made from a fleece lined rubberized material.  Features include a full length rear zipper held securely in place with a Velcro tab. An un-coated yellow material in the heel and toe creates a nice snug fit and an elastic band runs across the middle.  The bottom is open to allow for cleats and this also makes them more durable for walking around during the ride.  Reflective trim and logo adds to visibility. Cost is somewhere around fifty bucks and we bought ours from REI.  Well worth every penny.

This was an unsolicited review.  I just like them, Jack

Hendrik over at Hiking in Finland is giving away some great Ultralight gear.  I’m pretty flush with gear, so I’ll leave the contest to those who may need it more (I’m so cool that way).  But here is a chance to snag some pretty sweet gear!

This is the silliest of seasons.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday mark the beginning of the holiday consumer feeding frenzy.  Mailboxes are crammed full of catalogues promising low low prices on the latest and greatest outdoor gadgets.  But will the 30 dollar UL food bowl made from space age polymers out perform the free plastic margarine container?  Will food taste better eaten with a 50 dollar titanium spork or a free Taco Bell spork? 

Any other ideas for free stuff?

Here’s another do-it-yourself project to lighten your load and warm camp. These simple stoves have been a favorite of UL Backpackers for years.  They require a little priming, but once the alcohol begins to vaporize they put out a tremendous amount of heat.  One drawback to alcohol stoves is the need to carry a fuel bottle (for a free fuel bottle use an empty and clean plastic water bottle).  Another concern is the flame is invisible in daylight.  You can set yourself on fire and not realize it till you smell flesh burning.

Here’s how to build your own:

You’ll need two soda cans, a thumb tack, a marker and a utility knife and/or a pair of scissors.

First cut the bottom off two soda cans.  I use a utility knife to do this but a pair of kitchen scissors work just as well.  I use a sharpie marker resting on a book to draw a level line on the cans.  To do this, hold the marker in place and spin the can on a level surface.  This will give you a guide line to cut the can evenly.  How much should you cut off?  This is totally up to you.  The taller your stove, the more volume of fuel it will hold.  The shorter your stove, the easier it will be to vaporize and burn the alcohol.  I make my stoves about an inch and a half high.  That seems to be a good compromise between fuel volume and performance.

Next use a thumb tack to pierce several small holes around the upper rim of one of your cans and a few in the center.  These holes are the gas jets and fuel filler holes.  Some folks make one large filler hole and use a sheet metal screw to block the hole when the stove is burning.  Others place a coin over the hole (another name for this stove is a “Penny Stove”).  I really don’t think it’s necessary to do either.  If you make the same size holes in the center of the can they become fuel jets and add to the heat and I don’t mind waiting for the alcohol to drain through the small holes.  But experiment and find what works best for you.  This is now the top of your stove and the other can is the bottom.

Cut a few slits around the side of your stove top.  Be careful not to cut too close to the upper rim.  These slits will make it easier to assemble your stove.  Press the stove top into the stove bottom.  Lubricating the sides with liquid soap will make this easier.

That’s it!  Just pour in a little alcohol and splash a very small amount on the side of your stove to prime it.  Never use rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol) in your stove.  Besides being expensive, it has chemical additives you don’t want in your lungs.  Use wood or grain alcohol available at most hardware or department stores. 

Check out another design for an even simpler free alcohol stove:  Jack’s version of a Cat Stove

Thanks for reading, Jack

Last camping trip my wife and I coffeed ourselves using a tried and true, albeit much maligned method; percolated coffee.  Percolated coffee, for you youngsters out there, is the way coffee was made way back before drip coffee makers. Way back before iPhones, the internet and Starbucks too.  Back in the days when television was black and white, men wore ties to work and women wore dresses even if they weren’t leaving the house, which they seldom did.  Monkeys were flying in space more than people and communists were behind every bush.

Percolated coffee, if done wrong, can produce the nastiest tasting undrinkable sludge you’ve ever drank.  If done right it can make a pretty good cup.  To make undrinkable sludge, overheat the coffee and let it percolate too long.  To make a pretty good cup, turn the heat down when you see the first few ‘perks’.  Make sure to take note of the time.  For me and my pot, 6 minutes of ‘perking’ does the trick.  I also put a filter in the bottom of the coffee basket to catch any loose grounds.  I made my filters by cutting drip coffee maker filters to fit.  It also helps to start with a really good, fresh roasted and ground coffee.  We are fortunate to have a coffee roaster nearby.

Admittedly, there are easier ways to make better tasting coffee on the road and there are certainly lighter weight methods as well.  But adding a little variety makes life more interesting.

Here’s a quick and easy project that will both lighten your kit and add warmth to your camp.  Burning wood will allow you to leave the fuel bottle behind.  Fuel is free and everywhere.  Also, burning a handful of twigs is far more ecologically sound than burning processed and packaged fuels such as alcohol or butane.  You’ll also enjoy the warm orange flickering flame, the musky fragrance and popping sound of your twigs as you cook using a fuel dating back to caveman times.

Drawbacks to wood burning stoves are low heat output (longer cook time) and finding dry wood in wet weather.  You also need some skill in building and tending a fire.  Wood doesn’t burn as clean as processed fuels so expect smoke, soot and ashes.

Here’s what you’ll need:
A can smaller in diameter than the pot you use to cook in
A ‘church key’ style can opener
A saw, tin snips or Dremel Tool to cut the side opening.

Use the can opener to punch several air vents in the bottom of your can.  Next cut a hole in the side of your can near the top to feed in the wood and vent the smoke.  There’s really no science to this; be creative.  To light your stove, lay the can on its side and build a small twig fire inside the can.  When your fire is going stand the can upright, set the pot on top and start feeding in twigs.  Be sure to gather a good amount of twigs before you light the fire, you’ll need alot to bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Also be careful not to touch the can till it’s had time to cool.

Thanks for reading, Jack

Lezyne’s Steel Floor Drive is a sturdy and stylish pump made to last.  From the top down the robust shaped wooden handle feels comfortable and well suited for the job.  The handle is connected to a large diameter steel rod which runs into a surprisingly small diameter barrel.  I was unsure if such a small diameter barrel on a floor pump would deliver enough volume for my liking.  Happily Lezyne has struck a good balance between high volume and high pressure.  The combination of large rod and slender barrel can cause a slight catching sensation if the stroke is not directly over the pump, but after a few strokes to find the sweet spot, this pump was as smooth as any other.

At the bottom of the pump you’ll find sturdy metal feet, large easy to read gauge and a generous length of quality rubber hose.  Another thing I like about this pump is the screw on stem chuck.  I’ve had issues with the quick ‘clamp on’ types found on other pumps.  It’s been my experience that when a pump fails, it’s usually related to the stem attachment.  The Lezyne chuck takes a few seconds more to attach than a ‘clamp on’ type, but should last years and be easily replaced.  And of course it works on both Presta and Schrader valve stems. 

I purchased mine from Bryson City Bicycles for about 60 bucks.  Worth every penny.

This was an unsolicited review; I just like it, Jack

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.  ~Leonardo DaVinci

Here’s a quick look at the associated fishing gear to accompany the Tenkara rod I’ve put together for bike fishing.

Replacing a multi-pocketed vest, I’m carrying everything I need in a neck wallet.  A neck wallet is one of those nerdy looking things you’ve seen people wearing in airports to carry their passports and boarding passes.  More pockets, just like bigger panniers or bigger backpacks, equal more gear to fill the empty space.   Minimalism is the key to making it all fit.  Just enough line, 4x tippet and flies to keep going for a few days of fishing.  The only tools I’m carrying are a 4 inch Dr. Slick scissor-clamp combo and a small pocket knife.  Waders?  No.  Tevas?  Yes.   Although as cooler temperatures creep into the mountains, I may have to rethink that.  Collapsible wading staff?  No.  Stick I picked up off the ground?  Yes.  I’ve taken my inspiration from Jason Klass and other UL backpacking anglers’ minimalist common sense approach to fishing.

So far I’ve spent less than a hundred bucks and only added about a pound to my touring kit.  Is it worth it?  For me, yes.  If I were really into photography, cooking or Irish road bowling I could have added more weight and expense to my kit.  I just need to be careful not to get too addicted to Tenkara.  If I do, I may be giving this bike touring blog away.

Thanks for reading, Jack

The head-waters of the Nantahala River has a totally different character than the lower portion.  The lower Nantahala is a people zoo.  Turn past what’s known as the “put in”, where bus loads of boaters are poured into the river and the “Nanty” becomes a narrow stream which tumbles and cascades off the side of a very steep and rugged mountain.  This is where I took the Tenkara to test it for both fishability and fun factor.

The first thing I noticed about the whole experience is how fast I went from sitting in my house to standing in the middle of a mountain stream fishing.  There was no gathering up of gear or time spent setting up rod and reel; no feeding line through line guides.  It was as simple as extending the sections of rod, tying on a fly and making a cast.  Moving from one spot to the next on the river was just as easy.  The line keepers on the side of the rod make it a breeze to move around without tangling the line.  Casting has a more delicate feel to it than I remember from my old western-style fly rods and of course, casting is all done with one hand.  The Tenkara seems well suited for getting into the many hard to reach spots under overhanging vegetation.  Casting under and around low hanging limbs and high growing brush is more common than not when fishing the many mountain streams in the Smokies.

So I have to say I’m very pleased with the Tenkara setup.  I think it will add a whole other layer of fun to my bike camping adventures without adding more than a few ounces of weight.

Jack

There are more than a few “Bike Touring Experts” out there who can tell you what gear you should and shouldn’t take and on what bicycle you can and can’t tour.  I’m not an expert, but I won’t let that stop me from giving my expert advice to anyone considering their first bike tour.

So, here’s how it’s done:

Pack some stuff.  Pack it in anything you have that you can safely and comfortably ride with.
Hop on whatever bike you own, or borrow a bike.  Any bike will do.
Ride somewhere and spend the night.
Ride home.

Ta daa!  You’re now a bike tourist.  Welcome to the loosely associated collection of all kinds of people riding all kinds of bikes carrying all kinds of gear to all kinds of places.

Check out the Gallery of Velo Hobos for a visual aid.

Keep it simple, Jack

My Sequoia loaded for an S24O weighs in at a tad less than 35 pounds.  That’s bike and gear, minus food and water.  The Marmont summer sleeping bag is comfortable if the weather doesn’t drop into the 40s and weighs a few ounces over a pound.  The Hennessy Hammock is 1.6 pounds (obviously) and I use the Thermo-Lite Bivy (6.5 ounces) as an insulator.  I lay on the Bivy and use the sleeping bag unzipped as a quilt.  That leaves my cooking gear.  My Snow Peak 700 titanium cooking mug weighs 4.8 ounces.  After four seasons of stuffing it in packs and panniers it’s no longer round…kind of oval, but still works fine.  I combine with a DIY windscreen/pot stand, a mini Bic lighter, two tent stakes and piece of aluminum foil to protect the ground.  Fuel varies with my mood, sometime Esbit tabs, sometime a DIY Pepsi can alcohol burner, sometime just a pile of twigs. There is usually enough room left over for a baggie of coffee.  I almost always have a used book with me; one I don’t mind messing up or losing.  I toss in a ziplock of food.  In my handlebar bag is a GorillaPod, rain jacket, camera and a few comfort items.  The same stuff I carry for my daily commute.  A few bike tools and spare tube are in the saddle bag.

 So, what’s in your over-night kit?

After many years away from fishing, I’ve decided to get back into the game and begin tormenting mountain trout once again.  But I want to keep things as inexpensive and simple as possible as well as combine it with my passion for bicycle travel.  Tenkara seems to be an excellent fit.

Tenkara is fly-fishing distilled down to its most fundamental elements; a rod, a line, a fly and, hopefully, a fish.  Absent are the reel and yards of never used backing.  The Tenkara rod has no line guides and the line is simply tied to the braided material on the tip of the rod called the “lilian”.  The rods collapse within themselves to about 18 to 24 inches.  Tenkara is traditional Japanese fly fishing and it is slowly gaining popularity here in America.  If you’re a follower of “The Path Less Pedaled” or Jason Klass’ “Tenkara Talk” (also Backpack Fly-fishing and Gear Talk) then you are already familiar with Tenkara.  It’s a perfect match for Ultralight travelers wanting to include fishing into their adventures.  It’s also perfect for minimalist fly fishers wanting to divorce themselves from the complication of unnecessary and expensive gear.

While putting together my UL fly-fishing rig, I was determined not to be sucked into the L.L. Bean black hole; I began my search for gear at the TenkaraBum site.  This is a great resource with honest reviews, links to affordable rod suppliers and tips and techniques.  They also sell Tenkara lines, tippets and flies.  I picked up a ‘level line’, a spool of tippet and enough material to tie 25 flies, then followed a link to Fountainhead and purchased my first Tenkara rod.

The rig I’ve put together begins with Fountainhead’s Caddis Fly 330.  This eleven foot rod sells for $45.00 and fits in my meager budget with change left over.  Compare that to a western-style setup.  You’d be hard pressed to find a decent rod and reel anywhere near the price and of course you’d still need to buy backing, line, leader and tippet.  The line for my Tenkara rod is a single strand monofilament just a bit stiffer than the line you’d use in a spinning reel; eleven dollars for 33 feet.  That’s enough for about three lines.  To that I’m adding a 4x tippet and two ‘line keepers’ from Bass Pro. (I didn’t realize at the time I placed my order that TenkaraBum sells these same keepers.  Save on shipping and buy everything at the same place.)  Flies excluded, my Ultralight fly-fishing setup cost around sixty bucks, weighs only a few ounces and collapses down to about 24 inches.

“One Fly”

Western-style fly-fishers tie (or buy) an assortment of flies and try to ‘match the hatch’, that is, pick a fly that most closely matches the bugs trout are feeding on that particular day.  The belief is that catching a trout is 50% fly selection, 50% presentation and 50% luck.  One phish-philosophy in Tenkara that I am really drawn to is “One Fly”.  Finding one fly that works for you, in the area you live, that catches fish regardless of the hatch.  Presentation is everything and Zen-like technique is more important than fly selection.  Be the fish.  Catch the fish.  Eat the fish.  Ohmm.

So to begin the spiritual search for my personal “One Fly”, I dusted off my long unused vise (there were cob webs all over it) and started tying 25 Killer Kebari from a kit of material purchased at Chris Stewart’s TenkaraBum.  Chris sells “One Fly” kits; everything you need to tie 25 flies, including detailed instructions.  When I say detailed instructions, I should also say that you need to know the basics of tying; although, these kits would be a perfect match for someone who is just learning the basics.  If you’ve not tied before, you’ll need to get a bit of instruction on finishing your fly off.  Make friends with a fly tier or spend some time watching YouTube.

What I really like about these kits is that there is little waste.  One trap I fell into years ago when I was tying western-style flies is collecting piles of expensive material that I never used.  With Chris’ kits, you buy just enough of the right stuff and no more.  At much less than a buck a fly, they’re very affordable and Chris offers a good selection of patterns.  Check them out, maybe you’ll find your “One Fly”.

If there is one piece of touring equipment needing improvement it’s the bicycling banjo.  I’m sure most of you have wanted to bring your lucky five-string along, but like me were put off by its burdensome size and weight.  Bicycle adventurer Elori has solved this problem with her “Canjo”. 

She constructed it from a peanut can with tuning pegs salvaged from a mandolin. It features a hidden storage compartment in the resonator and an optional chicken bone bridge. 

I gave her canjo a quick frail and the tone was surprisingly deep and mellow for such a small instrument.

While shopping around on the interweb for a new biodegradable camp soap I can both bathe and clean my clothes with I stumbled across this video.  Has anyone used Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap?  I think I’ll give this a try.

 Enjoy, Jack

Video from Opus Moreschi’s All New Year