Quick, Overnight Bicycle Touring

Solo s24o from Santa Barbara area up the Gaviota Coast to Refugio State Beach

By Don

Another s24o! The site and some lucky schedule breaks have allowed for some camping momentum. The objective of this trip was to see how the rig might handle a little weather. “Severe weather” warnings on the web for Santa Barbara. For we Californians, severe weather is when it might rain. But there was certainly evidence of Ol’ Man Winter as I headed up the coast to Refugio as the sun went below the sea. I got off the freeway just in time; it was getting dark and this is the time of year when a lot of folks are driving under the influence.

I made it to Refugio and got a serve-yourself pass for five bucks using their machine. Well worth it as the bike-hike site at Refugio is one of the nicest campsites in the nation.

Here’s what I learned on this trip:

Old-school multi-fuel stoves are NOT for me. I’m going to join Mark and become an Alcohol stove guy. I really don’t have a great desire to cook. So a very, very simple stove sounds great to me. I like the idea of using various forms of alcohol as my fuel. My whole pannier smells like gasoline now and I am NOT pleased. Getting water boiled for tea was an ordeal.

Also, I learned that my Eureka Solo tent can hold up to 45mph gusts. GREAT.

It took me about 40 minutes to wake up, fold up, and be back on the road. I would like that to, eventually, be about 15 minutes or less. How do the practiced tourists do this? It’d love to learn how to do this with more skill and without swearing a lot.

Don